Porsche Macan T

The T-spec 911 is the best Carrera you can buy, so does the same letter applied to the Macan also mark out a new range high point?

- STUART GALLAGHER

PORSCHE'S MACAN REMAINS A BENCHMARK small SUV. It's not a car to flutter the hearts of evo readers, nor will it be the first choice for one of those drives we all lock away to be resurfaced when someone asks why driving matters. But like Alfa Romeo's Stelvio it is a vehicle that's clearly been engineered and developed by those prepared to go the extra mile and create a car worthy of the heritage its badge carries.

Even in its twilight years - the Macan was launched nine years ago and has nearly 12 months to go before its all-electric replacement arrives - it still sets the benchmark for ride and handling, body control and feedback, and feeling like a Porsche hot hatch rather than a flat-footed crossover. As a daily to accompany something more exciting in the garage, a Macan is a wise choice.

Although, it does depend on which Macan we're discussing. Anything with a six-cylinder turbo engine will see you right; they're all seven-speed PDK equipped but the mix works well and the pace and performance match the expectations. We'd go for a GTS but an S is just fine, too. We wouldn't walk on by a used diesel either. Which leaves the four-cylinder petrol models.