MOTORS A small but perfectly formed SUV from Porsche.

Big reputation for a Small Wonder

It’s the most successful model in Porsche’s lineup. The Macan may be its smallest SUV, but it’s wildly successful and offers a magical driving experience... this facelifted version only adds to its already huge appeal!

BACK IN 2019, before the world fell apart, Porsche was having a great year. The company saw record worldwide sales of over 280,000 vehicles, and 99,944 of those sales were of its small SUV model, the Macan. The car even outsold its larger sibling, although not by much; sales of the larger Cayenne 4x4 that year were just over 92,000; UK Macan sales totalled over 95,000 models, an increase of 18% on 2018. The Macan is an important model for the firm, because it’s the most accessible Porsche model for those considering one of the many small SUVs on the market today, and a way for the brand to pilfer sales from other mainstream manufacturers like Jaguar Land Rover, Audi, Mercedes and BMW... more so than, for example, its Boxster or 911 which are less likely to steal sales from those other brands. There’s another reason it’s so popular though, namely the fact that the Macan is so awesome to drive.

The physics of taller SUVs are sometimes at odds with good handing characteristics, but Porsche has absolutely nailed the driving involvement of the Macan: it truly is dynamically gifted. The Macan gets warmer and warmer as you move up the range to S and GTS versions. Our preference though is the firecracker of a 2.0 engine, turbocharged and fettled to produce 265ps, in the entry level version. At just under £49,000 the Macan looks like good value, but beware the options list. One of the nicest elements of the Macan is the ability to customise it to the nth degree. Gold or body colour wheels, custom colours, and lots of leather shades and dash finishers, all are available... for a price. What does come as standard, though, are stunning driving dynamics, a decent sized boot (488 litres; a Ford Focus has 341 litres) plus five seats. There’s a premium feel and a great badge too. The best things, its appears, really do come in compact packages! n

THE DETAILS Porsche Macan

Price: £48,970 (Macan base). Powertrain: 2.0 turbocharged four-cylinder petrol. 265ps, 400Nm torque. Performance: 0-60mph: 6.4secs. Top speed 144mph. WLTM economy 26-28mpg. Equipment: Eight way electrically adjustable seats, PASM (navigation) and audio, air con.

Find Out More: Porsche Hull, call 01482 911918 or see www.porsche.com.

THE OLD DOG WHO LEARNED NEW TRICKS

Off-roaders. You can’t move for them in today’s car showrooms, and they all look the same, right? Well, not this one. It’s a new off-road version of Morgan’s Plus Four. Practical? Absolutely not. Unique? Yes. Definitely.

THE MORGAN MOTOR COMPANY was established in 1910, It currently employs 246 people in Malvern and produces about 850 cars a year. A modest number, certainly. In fact, a Ford Fiesta is sold five and a half times over, each and every month, for every Morgan sold over the course of an entire year. But we’re comparing apples to oranges. The company, still enjoys revenues of £26m each year and Morgan has a reputation as one of the best-loved British motoring brands stretching back over a century, surviving perhaps because of – and not in spite of – the niche nature of its vehicles. Picture your typical Morgan driver and you’re probably picturing an older, silvered male wearing driving goggles, and leather gloves with a scarf flapping behind him. But if that’s the case the firm’s latest model will probably come as quite a shock. Since 1911 Morgan has been supplying vehicles to drivers competing in all-terrain endurance challenges or hill climbs. The halcyon days of chaps, cads and bounders, hooning around in early motor cars has since given way to more civilised 4x4s, and nowadays, SUVs are outselling executive saloons, estates and pretty much every other class of motor car. So actually, in producing its own off-roader, Morgan is not only being faithful to its own heritage, it’s also adhering to current market trends... sort of. This is the company’s CX-T. It’s like the company’s Plus Four model, but it’s been beefed up. Really beefed up. The car has 230mm of ground clearance, which isn’t far off the new Land Rover Defender. The suspension has been designed to be expedition ready: tough and fit for purpose with a five-piece underbody protection system. There’s an also electronic diff lock and two all-terrain modes. Interestingly the car remains rear-wheel drive, but at just 1,300kg and with a 2.0 engine, it’s still a rugged statement motor car that’s ideal for anyone keen to celebrate the best of British. n

THE DETAILS Morgan CX T

Price: £204,000.

Powertrain: BMW-sourced 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo petrol, six-speed manual with rear-wheel drive.

Performance: 0-60mph: 5.2secs. Top speed 149mph. WLTM economy 39mpg. Equipment: Rear-mounted two ruggedised and waterproof Pelican luggage cases, aluminium tool/storage box plus spare wheels/tyres. Underbody protection. Leather seats.