New Porsche Macan model announced

The Porsche Macan can now be had with the same 2.0-litre engine that features in the Volkswagen Golf GTI. It’s the first time a small four-cylinder will be available in the Macan (the others are big six cylinder engines) and it is now the most economical petrol in the line-up.

Despite this, fuel economy isn’t great at 36.7mpg (the diesel Macan does 46.3mpg), but it does represent a 4.2mpg improvement on the Macan S. In fairness, Porsche had to balance economy with the performance expected of the marque. And, on that latter point, the basic Macan doesn’t disappoint, with 0-62mph taking 6.9 seconds on its way to a 138mph top speed.

There’s little to give the game away that you have gone for the cheapest version either - the most obvious clue is the lack of S or Turbo badging. The basic model also makes do with single exhausts on the left and right-hand side of the car. The S model, meanwhile, gets quad circular versions, while the turbo has the same set up but its exhaust pipes are squared off.

The new Macan will be priced from around £40,000 – that’s £3,000 less than the S and Diesel models – and is available by special order at your local Porsche dealer.

Interestingly, for less you could have a BMW X3 30d, which has recently been given a mid-life facelift. BMW’s SUV may not be as fun to drive as the Porsche in the corners, but in this specification it would make light work of it on the straights – the X3 30d can go from 0-60mph in just 5.9 seconds. However, it’s the BMW’s economy figure of 49.6mpg that might prove even more enticing if you’re looking to save money.

For all the latest Porsche reviews – including our road test of the Porsche Macan – visit the Carbuyer Porsche reviews page.