The elephant in the room is roughly the size and weight of an adolescent elephant. We're at a backgrounder for the 2015 Porsche Macan where the engineers intend to prove that their new crossover is not just a rebadge job. Yet it appears that they'd like to distance their Macan from the Audi Q5 it's based on without actually saying the words "Audi Q5." The closest they come to acknowledging the common DNA between these two is confessing that the Macan is built on "an excellent corporate platform that is well-proven in the market."
Typical of the Volkswagen Group, the Macan is corporate parts-sharing done right. Porsche's small crossover is as much an Audi Q5 as a $20,000 Volkswagen Golf is a $40,000 Audi TT. The Macan has its own powertrains, a distinct design, and those very expensive Porsche acronyms like PASM, PTV Plus, and PCCB that denote unique features. The seven facts below clarify where the Q5 and Macan have common ground and where they part ways.
1. The Six-Cylinder Gas Engines Are Exclusive to the Porsche Brand
The Macan's 3.0- and 3.6-liter V-6 engines, both augmented by a pair of turbochargers, are restricted to Porsche's use, according to engineers. That means you won't see them in a Volkswagen, an Audi, or any other brand that belongs to the VW Group. The engine exclusivity doesn't apply to the forthcoming diesel V-6, though. That powertrain is already used in the Q5 TDI.
2. The Seven-Speed PDK Is a Porsche Transmission
Our American-market Q5 uses an eight-speed, torque-converter automatic, but European Q5s are available with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. That fact made us suspicious that the Macan's PDK transmission, with seven forward gears and the same two-clutch technology, was actually the Audi S tronic gearbox working under a pseudonym. It's not. We're told the Macan's transmission is genuine Porsche hardware like the PDK used in the Panamera.
3. The Clamshell Hood Is also an Air Duct
The Macan's styling isn't exactly new, evocative of a Cayenne that's been left in the dryer for too long. The massive aluminum clamshell hood, however, is unique among modern Porsches. Beyond looking awesome in its raised position, it also plays a functional role with the outer skin and the inner panel forming a pocket to channel air from the grille to the air boxes. Intake air passes through the main grille, bends upward ahead of the radiator, enters the hood pocket, spreads toward either side of the engine, and is sucked through the air filters, which seal against the hood with a rubber gasket.
4. Those Clumsy Steering-Wheel Shift Buttons Are On the Way Out
There's no mistaking the Macan's cabin for anything other than a Porsche. The front-and-center tachometer, the rising console, and the deeply bolstered sport seats are instantly familiar. The steering wheel, however, is an all-new design that's due to spread throughout the lineup. It's inspired by the 918 Spyder's steering wheel with thin spokes and small buttons to control the gauge cluster's information screen. Best of all, it does away with the awkward push-pull shift buttons that have plagued automatic-transmission Porsches for years. Instead, there are proper paddles—right for upshifts, left for downshifts—for manual-mode shifting
5. It Turns In Quicker
Both the Q5 and the Macan use fixed-ratio, electrically assisted power steering. However, the Macan features a quicker 14.3:1 rack compared to the Q5's 15.9:1 ratio, making the Porsche more responsive to smaller inputs.
6. If You've Ever Been In a Q5, You'll Recognize the Floor Pan
Open one of the Macan's rear doors and you might recognize the tall center tunnel, the wide sills, and the cramped foot well. Those are characteristic traits of the Audi Q5 and an indicator that, while every body panel is new, the Macan does share its core underpinnings with the Audi.
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7. The Rear Brakes Use Sliding Calipers
Here's the one real compromise Porsche made in adapting the Q5 mechanicals for the Macan. Because Porsche retained an electric parking brake, but wouldn't install an auxiliary caliper on each rear knuckle, the rear axle is fitted with sliding calipers borrowed from the Q5. Even when you put up the cash for the optional carbon-ceramic brakes, Porsche merely paints the same binders yellow. Perhaps Porsche needs to consult with BMW, which has exactly the hardware Porsche needs—opposed-piston rear calipers with an integrated electric parking brake—on its new M3 and M4. The decision to use sliding rear calipers shouldn't stretch stopping distances significantly. The Macan's relatively high center of gravity means the six-piston front binders do most of the work. Still, the sliding calipers smack of taking the easy way out rather than spending the money to develop an appropriate solution for a Porsche.
from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com
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