Three successful business women share with us how the Porsche Macan — an SUV with the heart of a sports car — lets you enjoy the thrill of the journey while still expressing yourself in your own distinct way.
Three decades ago, race car enthusiasts would have been shocked to see the word Porsche and SUV in the same sentence. But then the German marque stepped away from its roots with the launch of a luxury SUV-by-design but sports-car- by-nature. Both the Cayenne in 2003, and in 2013 its younger and smaller sibling the Macan, introduced the brand to an entirely new customer segment and quickly outsold the legendary automaker’s other pure sports models.
The Macan, dubbed the “sports car of the SUV segment” certainly lives up to its name. Derived from the Indonesian word for “tiger”, it continues to deliver SUV practicality yet stays true to the badge’s performance car heritage and design DNA that is reflected in its core characteristics of suppleness, power, fascination, and dynamics. With the base model powered by an enhanced 2.0-litre turbocharged, four-cylinder engine, there’s still enough sports car trapped in the Macan to keep even the purists happy.
Comfort & Functionality
Sports car ergonomics, digitalisation, and comfort combine to offer the perfect ride in the enhanced interior of the Porsche Macan. Understanding that a car and its driver must form a single entity, the architecture of the car ensures you don’t merely sit in the car, but are integrated into the vehicle. This is illustrated by the three-dimensional arrangement of the controls that emulate the automaker’s Carrera GT.
The sports car feel continues in the instrument cluster, with its three-tube design and the centrally positioned rev counter which allows the driver to keep up to speed on all the relevant information. A multi- function sports steering wheel, with the 918 Spyder design, provides a hands-on experience. Futuristic and highly ergonomic, it features gearshift paddles as well as buttons for telephone, radio, and the on- board computer.
Jessica “Paope” Wang, who runs Babekery, a successful online bakery selling Taiwanese desserts, feels that the Macan is a good choice with its combination of performance, typical of sports cars and functionality of an SUV. “I think it’s really functional and not too big. It’s the perfect size for city life and hectic traffic. And, more importantly, though it is more compact than a Cayenne, the capacity is big enough,” explains Paope, who also drives a Cayenne and a Cayman.
“The price of a Porsche is reasonable for what you get. It’s value for money. Also, its appearance is really unique compared to other SUVs. When you drive it feels like a sports car, it doesn’t feel like an SUV,” she adds.
The Macan’s elevated centre console, typical for Porsche, features the new 10.9-inch full-HD touchscreen display of the Porsche Communication Management. Like the Panamera and Cayenne, the home screen can be personalised easily and quickly with predefined tiles. The voice input of navigation destinations is also just as simple, thanks to the new ‘Voice Pilot’, which also understands commands for controlling music and vehicle functions.
Sporty front seats allow you to sit high above the road, but still closely connected to it. The seat position is also extremely comfortable for longer journeys (options include Comfort Seats, with a 14-way comfort memory package, or the adaptive Sports Seats, with an 18-way comfort memory package).
Paope, the winner of the recently concluded MasterChef All Stars Thailand competition, shares that design is what gets her attention with any car. “The appearance is what gets my attention first. Does it look heavy? Does it fashionable? Does it fit my style and personality? The second factor is functionality, and whether it fits your purpose. For example, I need a car that has a lot of space when I go out, to fit all my stuff in. So capacity is really important to me. I also like sports car, so the engine must feel like a sports car when I drive it. The comfort factor is also important, and the choice of options available. With Porsche I like how you can customise it.”
Style & Design
Trends come and go. They are transient. But individual style remains because it represents an attitude and endures everything else. An individual style means you don’t follow trends, but instead make your own choices that define who you are. The Porsche Macan, with its dynamic overall look, lets you enjoy the thrill of your own journey and expressing yourself in a distinct way.
Proudly showing off its sports car DNA, the Macan’s new exterior design establishes the brand identity even more consistently. The wide bonnet is reminiscent of the legendary Porsche 917, which won countless victories in the early 1970s. The design also wraps 911-style cues onto the exterior, evident in the front fascia with its enlarged air intakes and the broad shoulders over the rear wheels. The side blades, which channel the 918 Spyder, further emphasise the dynamic lines.
For Nicha Thanalongkorn, the creative director and founder of her own eponymous fashion brand, the style, comfort, and performance of the Macan are just a few of the attributes that match with her style and personality. “All three are important to me, but it is the iconic design of the Porsche Macan that stands out for me,” she admits.
With a Fine Arts degree in Illustration from the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, this vivacious, talented entrepreneur – known for creating ready-to-wear fashion that is effortlessly elegant, classic, and sophisticated – understands the importance of design. And as the heiress to the apparel brand Jintana, she has an eye for both form and function. “Outside of its superior functionality, the Macan has a very elegant silhouette, which is no different to NICHA, which has a modern, clean, and elegant silhouette as well,” she adds.
The energised flank, also typically Porsche, gives the appearance of a predator ready to pounce. The roof line slopes backwards, like the coupe, creating distinctive sports car contours that offer high aerodynamic quality, while the comprehensively revamped rear end also appears extremely powerful.
Like a bold underline beneath its own signature, a three-part, three- dimensional LED light panel connects the two taillight clusters with each other, highlighting the Porsche logo at the same time. This newly designed taillight contour in the tailgate graphically lengthens the vehicle, breaking the height and emphasising the width. The tailpipes of the exhaust system are harmoniously integrated in the rear apron, and round off the rear end dynamically in a downward direction.
“As an owner of a fashion design company I have many tasks to complete in a day, and this automobile suits my personality with its in its superior design and functionality,” Nicha points out. Asked if she sees the Porsche Macan as part of her future adventures, she says it could go anywhere with her, as “it makes me feel safe.”
Luxury & Exclusivity
Only those who have had the privilege of sitting inside a luxury vehicle and driving one know why they are labelled so. When Ferry Porsche, the torch-bearer of this family-owned brand, and son of founder Ferdinand Porsche, pioneered the 356 in 1948, his goal was to create a perfect vehicle; one that combined aesthetic appearance, aerodynamic capability, and stunning performance all into one. And while Porsche continues to be a very exclusive brand, known around the world for its stunning designs and amazing performance levels, that is not enough for some. Owners can style their vehicle the way they envisage it from a range of options. As they say: “No two people are identical. Why should it be any different for a Porsche?”
Porsche’s heritage of delivering ultimate personalisation and exclusivity means the badge offers Macan buyers the option to have their new purchase ‘tailormade’ before it even leaves the factory. The promise is to do anything to make your dream a reality, provided it is technically feasible and doesn’t compromise on quality.
Each model is available with an exclusive catalogue, showcasing the range of possibilities at the owner’s disposal. A dedicated fitting lounge offers almost limitless options for personalisation. In addition, the Porsche Car Configurator – an interactive 3D tool that displays the customised car inside and out, under daylight and artificial light – gives you an exact rendering of what your car will look like once you’ve applied the desired changes. Options include driving dynamics, wheel sizes and designs, exteriors, lights and vision, air-conditioning and glazing, seats, safety and assistance systems, interiors, audio and communication, and luggage and storage compartments. There are a myriad of choices available to make your Porsche like no other.
Sittharmanin “Pam” Susamawathanakun, who owns a Carrera 997, says a Porsche is like no other vehicle. “I think a Porsche is always a Porsche. You can always tell by the quality, the design… the classic design beauty of it. And you always know it has a high performance underneath the hood,” she says.
One of Thailand’s new generation of business leaders to watch, Pam runs SuperRich Thailand, the country’s first privately-owned currency exchange company, founded by her parents. She is known both for her unique sense of style and astute management skills. She also prefers “designs that are understated”.
“I think what matches my sense of style is that while the Porsche Macan is understated, you know it has a performance factor under the hood. You can go anywhere with it and go full performance with it,” she shares. “Driving the Carrera is great, but with the Macan, and with my lifestyle of office during the week and leisure on the weekends, it is luxurious yet still functional.”
To find out more about the Porsche Macan, visit porsche.com.
