Best for: Driver appeal
If any SUV is going to earn grudging respect from the dyed-in-the-wool sports car fan, then it’s the Porsche Macan.
Porsche’s entry-level off-roader continues to set the bar in this closely fought class, with a blend of pace, space and dynamic grace that makes even the greatest naysayers nod in approval.
Porsche both spruced up and pared back the current Macan line-up with an end-of-life facelift in 2023. The flagship Turbo has gone – but the GTS that effectively replaces it packs the same 434bhp turbocharged 2.9-litre V6, thankfully with no loss in terms of performance.
Crucially, its subtly lowered and uprated suspension delivers the sort of involving and agile driving experience that has you convinced you’re in something smaller and more hot hatch-shaped. Its physics-defying antics beggar belief.
The steering also has a similar weighting and response to the brand’s low-slung road-burners, while the expensively tuned dampers are cast iron in control but cushioned in operation.
Yet with its standard air suspension and cosseting, lavishly appointed interior, the Macan is as relaxed and easygoing as an executive saloon when you just want to cruise.
