Horses for courses

Can a performance SUV compete with a four-wheel-drive hot hatch for driving fun? We find out, courtesy of Porsche and BMW

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WHEN we first drove the Porsche Macan T, we reckoned that a four-wheel-drive hot hatch was a closer rival than any other quick SUV. The fact that it shares its 2.0-litre in-line four with various Volkswagen Group hot hatches, including the Golf R, certainly helped, but our opinion was also down to the way it drives; we were pretty confident that it was a true dynamic adversary for these lower, lighter cars.

To see if we were right, we brought the Macan T together with one such vehicle - the BMW M135i. Once a name associated with a rear-wheel-drive, sixcylinder hooligan, these days the badge is fixed to a four-wheel-drive car powered by an in-line four. This means the M135i isn't the unique proposition it once was, but arguably it's now a more complete car, offering all-weather ability, slightly more practicality and improved fuel economy - in other words, all the things that make a hot hatchback such a great all-rounder.

It's also lighter and more powerful than the Macan T, meaning that the Porsche will have its work cut out if it's to prove capable of taking the fight to another segment. So has Porsche worked its magic, or is the BMW simply too strong?

BMW M135i xDrive 
Price: £40,595
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo petrol, 302bhp
0-62mph: 4.8 seconds
Test economy: 32.4mpg/7.1mpl
CO2: 177g/km Annual road tax: £520