In Our Garage | The Car Magazine

There’s a reason Lexus is considered a Tier 1 luxury brand along with Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi. Strong sales numbers have a lot to do with it, but also its almost totally full range of models. For…

In Our Garage

2017 Lexus RC 300 AWD F Sport

There’s a reason Lexus is considered a Tier 1 luxury brand along with Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi. Strong sales numbers have a lot to do with it, but also its almost totally full range of models. For a relatively new brand, such a wide assortment of models and body styles means that some don’t sell well enough to make money, but instead provide important branding that trickles down to enhance higher volume cars and SUVs.

The IS series was Lexus Canada’s bestselling car last year with more than 3,000 deliveries. This is a polar opposite result from Lexus’ U.S. division sales that saw the more comfort-oriented ES series as the brand’s premium car populist last year and every year prior, by a long shot, whereas that larger front-wheel drive four-door model only found 2,153 buyers during calendar year 2016 in Canada. This shows that Canadians view Lexus in a sportier light than our friends to the south, but still not enough to snap up RC coupes en masse.

The stylish new two-door hardtop model only managed to pull in 526 luxury buyers last year, which while more positive than the 415 mid-size GS and 95 flagship LS luxury sedans sold during the same 12 months, is still a far cry from the 4,765 BMW 4 Series delivered through 2016.

Lexus’ big money was made on SUVs, the RX leading sales for the Japanese brand as well as Canada’s entire mid-size SUV segment at 8,147 units, whereas the fresher NX is already third in its class with 6,295 deliveries. Even the massive LX SUV outsold the RC at 748 units, while the sizeable GX also outshone RC numbers with 551 units down unpaved roads.

Just the same, we can’t discount the importance of sports models like the RC when it comes to brand image as noted earlier, and the beautiful Infrared painted 2017 RC 300 AWD F Sport parked in our garage this week pulls eyeballs almost as effectively as the same spec car did in Solar Flare orange last year. That vibrant colour isn’t available for the 2017 model year, although seemingly identical Molten Pearl can be had on the even rarer V8-powered RC F super coupe, this being one of the only changes for the regular RC model’s third year of existence.

Many thought the 2.0-litre RC Turbo, currently available in the U.S., would’ve been added to the Canadian lineup for 2017 in order to drop the price and hopefully attract more buyers, but Lexus appears to want its northernmost coupes fitted with all-wheel drive and that car is only pushed from the rear, so the $49,050 RC 300 AWD is base here in Canada.

It’s arguably better looking with the $4,700 as-tested F Sport Series 1 package (there is no Series 2 package for this model, in case you were wondering) that adds a new front fascia with a larger, bolder grille and unique lower fascia detailing with integrated fog lamps, as well as other exterior styling upgrades, plus unique 19-inch alloys wrapped in 235/40 performance tires (although my tester is fitted with winters), an adaptive sport suspension, a powered tilt and telescopic sport steering wheel with paddle shifters, rain-sensing wipers, front sport seats, NuLuxe pleather upholstery with contrast stitching, memory for the driver’s seat, ventilated front seats, a fully configurable LFA-style TFT instrument cluster, Lexus’ touchpad Remote Touch Interface for the infotainment system, navigation, active sound control, and blindspot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.

The only other notable option is a dealer-added F Sport performance exhaust system integrated within a fabulous looking rear bumper diffuser (for about $2,050 and change). Lexus claims the upgraded exhaust reduces backpressure for increased torque, which might be noticeable given the RC 300 AWD’s modest engine output.

Despite its considerable 3.5 litres of displacement, the base V6 makes just 255 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque for fairly relaxed performance due to the coupe’s considerable 1,765-kilo (3,891-lb) curb weight (it’s actually a bit heavier with the F Sport gear). Making it feel even more comfort-biased is a six-speed autobox in a segment filled with snappier eight-speed auto and dual-clutch alternatives.

So how does it feel? I’ve told you too much already, but don’t worry as I’ve got a lot more to say in the upcoming road test review. Make sure to check back for the full story soon…

How I love minivans! Well, maybe the love is about what I can get done when I’ve got a minivan at my beck and call, than actually loving minivans. Still, I think most will agree the Sedona goes about…

In Our Garage

2017 Kia Sedona SXL+

How I love minivans! Well, maybe the love is about what I can get done when I’ve got a minivan at my beck and call, than actually loving minivans. Still, I think most will agree the Sedona goes about its practical business with a lot more style than most.

It helps that Kia gave me a luxury-lined SXL+ model, which is outfitted about as nicely as anything in the class comes. OK, it’s not as tarted up as a full load Pacifica, but its as-tested $46,895 window sticker doesn’t shock the senses as much as the $58,480 2017 Pacifica Limited I put through its paces recently. I believe the Pacifica is worth the extra money, but this Sedona is also worth every penny and more.

Kia’s minivan enters the 2017 model year with no new additions and one notable subtraction, the elimination of the SX trim line. Fortunately the new model doesn’t suffer from any lack of options, its available trims still including L, LX, LX+, SX+, SXL, and the SXL+ model currently in the garage.

It’s an attractive van no matter the money spent, the Sedona’s long nose, bold grille, sporty fascia detailing, low profile, and wide, solid stance making it look more like a seven-passenger crossover SUV than anything van-like. Of course, the side sliders give away its pragmatic roots, but that’s about it.

All of its trim lines featuring nice chromed exterior detailing, auto on/off projector headlamps, heatable body-coloured side mirrors with integrated turn signals, a rear rooftop spoiler, and more, while features like a tilt and telescopic multifunction steering wheel, powered front and second-row windows, display audio with satellite radio, a backup camera, Bluetooth, illuminated vanity mirrors, seating for seven, “Slide-n-Stow” second-row seats, and more come standard for just $27,995.

A 276 horsepower direct-injection 3.3-litre V6 with 248 lb-ft of torque comes standard too, mated to a six-speed automatic with a Sportmatic sequential shifter, while optional Drive Mode Select offers Comfort, Eco and Normal modes. Base models get 17-inch rims, but my SXL received chrome-finished 19-inch alloys for a nicer look and better road holding, but like usual I’ll leave comments about driving dynamics to my upcoming review.

Instead, some notable features that come with mid-range trims include HID headlights with auto-leveling and adaptive cornering, power-folding side mirrors, proximity access, pushbutton ignition, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather upholstery, eight-way powered front seats, driver’s seat memory, three-way heatable and cooled front seats, heatable second-row captain’s chairs, tri-zone auto HVAC, 8.0-inch infotainment with Android Auto, a 360-degree parking camera, navigation, front and rear parking sensors, second- and third-row sunshades, a hands-free powered liftgate, blindspot monitoring and more.

The SXL includes stainless steel door scuff plates, an enhanced LCD/TFT Supervision primary instrument cluster, a dual-panel panoramic sunroof, dual 110-volt household-style power inverters in the console and cargo area, supple perforated Nappa leather upholstery, three-way ventilated front seats, second-row luxury captain’s chairs that slide back and forth as well as side-to-side (with kick-out extendable leg rests no less), plus front parking sensors, lane departure warning, and much more.

Special SXL+ features include a larger 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with navigation, a 360-degree-surround parking camera, Infinity eight-speaker audio with an external amp and sub, auto high beams, adaptive cruise control, and autonomous emergency braking.

There are additional features that set the top-line Sedona apart from its peers, but I’ll delve into these when I pen my review. Until then, watch this page for our detailed review and massive photo gallery, as this high-value minivan might just be your next family hauler…

Big flagship luxury sedans don’t change up as quickly as more volume-oriented premium models, such as BMW’s ultra-popular D-segment 3 Series in comparison to its full-size F-segment 7. And for those…

In Our Garage

2017 BMW 750Li Executive

Big flagship luxury sedans don’t change up as quickly as more volume-oriented premium models, such as BMW’s ultra-popular D-segment 3 Series in comparison to its full-size F-segment 7. And for those customers at the top, this reality seems to be okay. The previous fifth-generation F01/F02/F03 body style lasted eight years before it saw the current G11/G12 arriving in 2015 as a 2016 model, so as you probably can ascertain this 2017 7 Series in our garage is not all that different from last year’s version.

It’s difficult to imagine a luxury car being any better than the 750Li Executive parked there. Along with its Li moniker comes a 140-millimeter (5.5-inch) longer wheelbase for extended rear legroom, and BMW has taken full advantage of that extra length (as have we) by adding an available Executive Lounge package that provides one of the best first-class airliner-style reclining passenger seats that’s ever been integrated into a car.

The simple press of a digitized button integrated into the removable rear iDrive tablet that sits atop the fixed centre console powers the front passenger seat forward while automatically lowering an ottoman and positioning a fairly large TV screen in just the right position for easy viewing, while various massage features do wonders with your tired aching back, seat heating or cooling keeps you at the right temperature, and of course powered memory functions get the seatback into the ideal position and keep it there.

Additional rear controls are added for the four-zone auto HVAC system, again adjustable via the tablet or iDrive tablet, while that aforementioned console includes a gorgeous pullout table, device chargers, and more, plus your surroundings include a beautiful dual-pane panoramic moonroof overhead, powered sunshades all-round, thicker glass for better sound insulation, the best quality quilted perforated leathers, satin-finish metals, lacquered woods, vertical parlour-style lights, and the list goes on.

The 750Li Executive isn’t only about the rear seating area, mind you, although I could go on ad infinitum about its lengthy menu of features, its incredible materials quality, and the superb craftsmanship throughout, but such can also be said for the driver’s experience that starts with the smartest smart key ever created, even capable of autonomous remote control parking and then rolling down an LED light carpet upon approach. It’ll put itself back too, or self-park if you don’t feel up to it, including self-braking if you don’t notice something in the way. What’s more, the new 7 can drive in full autonomous mode for up to 15 seconds (it could do more, but BMW is much more conservative than Tesla).

Self-synching soft-closing doors gently pull themselves shut while a fully configurable colour TFT primary gauges greets you once inside, as does a state-of-the-art 10.2-inch widescreen iDrive infotainment system that allows hand gestures in the air for controlling features. You’ll be seated in one of the best driver’s seats in the industry replete with ventilation and massage functions (why should the rear passenger get all the goodies?), while a fragrance dispenser in the glove box wafts nice perfumes (or aromatherapy scents) through the air, and then you’ve got to factor in that it’s a BMW, so the overall driving environment might make you want to take over the wheel more often than relaxing in back anyway.

As usual with the In Our Garage segment I’ll leave any experiential info until later, but suffice to say its adjustable air suspension does what it’s supposed to and more, even adjusting itself ahead of otherwise pesky pavement imperfections such as bumps, potholes, manhole covers, bridge expansion joints, etcetera. Rear wheel steering is available, all of which is designed to make the most of the 750i’s 450 horsepower twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8, eight-speed automatic, and standard all-wheel drivetrain. It’s even fuel-efficient with a rating of just 14.3 L/100km in the city and 9.3 on the highway.

Believe it or not there’s a lot more to cover, so come back soon for a full review including more detail about the drive, the comfort, the technology, the insanely powerful Bowers & Wilkins audio upgrade, and just how much all of this costs…

Is that a Honda Civic with four doors and a hatch? You saw that right. Odd that Honda took so long to re-enter the compact hatchback market it helped create way back in the late ‘60s and made popular…

In Our Garage

2017 Honda Civic Hatchback LX

Is that a Honda Civic with four doors and a hatch? You saw that right. Odd that Honda took so long to re-enter the compact hatchback market it helped create way back in the late ‘60s and made popular in the ‘70s and ‘80s, but the Honda Civic Hatchback is back and better than ever, if somewhat controversial looking.

Yes, the new Civic Hatchback is a love-it-or-hate-it design that at the very least will turn heads. Its frontal styling pulls equal cues from the four-door Civic Sedan and two-door Civic Coupe, while its rear design melds some of both models’ key elements into one totally unique shape.

Honda gave us a base LX model to play with for our weeklong test, but for some reason they chose not to include its entry-level six-speed manual gearbox and instead gave us its continuously variable transmission (CVT). Unlike the Civic Sedan, all trims can be had with both transmissions, except those with the Japanese brand’s impressive suite of Honda Sensing active safety features, but then again all trims can be had with or without these upgrades so you’ll have the choice of optimizing performance or accessing the latest in semi-autonomous driving capability.

Also unlike the Civic Sedan, the Hatchback gets one single turbocharged and direct-injected 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine as standard. It makes 174 horsepower and 167 lb-ft of torque in the LX, although in the CVT model we tested the torque drops to 162 lb-ft, while second-rung Sport and top-line Touring trims get a 180 horsepower version of the engine that puts out 177 lb-ft of torque. Once again, CVT equipped models utilizing this loftier engine are detuned to achieve just 162 lb-ft of torque, but the engine is lively either way so no one should complain. An easy way to tell the zestier engine from the Hatchback’s exterior is a dual centre-mounted exhaust pipe at back, and its owners filling up with pricier premium fuel to extract all its potential.

Even base LX models should impress compact buyers thanks to a colour multi-information display within the advanced primary gauge cluster, and a large 7.0-inch infotainment touchscreen on the centre stack filled with high-grade graphics plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A multi-angle backup camera is included standard too, as is Wi-Fi tethering and other high-tech features, while additional conveniences include auto on/off headlights, single-zone automatic climate control, heatable front seats, and more.

Those upgrading to Honda Sensing get dynamic cruise control with low-speed follow, emergency autonomous braking, lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist, and more.

I’ll fill you in on Sport and Sport Touring trims in my upcoming road test review too, and let you know my real world experience with interior roominess front and back, and how well the seats fold to maximize the car’s impressive 1,308-litre maximum cargo capacity.

At $21,390 the Civic Hatchback offers a lot for the money, but a number of new hatchback challengers now join the full assortment of competitors already vying for your hard earned cash, so stay tuned to find out if this newcomer deserves your full attention…

We drove the 2017 Infiniti Q60 3.0t AWD Coupe last fall, and while a wonderfully quick, impressively refined and beautifully sculpted two-door hardtop it was nowhere near the car this Q60 Red Sport 400…

In Our Garage

2017 Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400

We drove the 2017 Infiniti Q60 3.0t AWD Coupe last fall, and while a wonderfully quick, impressively refined and beautifully sculpted two-door hardtop it was nowhere near the car this Q60 Red Sport 400 is.

The Red Sport 400 is a BMW M4 for those who prefer subtler styling and less aggressive dynamics. It’s plenty quick with 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque driving both axles, and its seven-speed automatic rows through the gears fast enough for all but adrenaline addicted track stars, and while it’ll carve up a canyon as well as most super coupes it does so without punishing occupants from a harsh ride.

The $60,990 model is one of three Q60 Coupe trims, the base car sporting a Mercedes-sourced 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder with 208 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, and the 3.0t we tested previously equipped with Infiniti’s new 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 capable of 300 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque.

No matter the powertrain every new Q60 drives all four wheels through a quick-shifting seven-speed automatic with rev-matched downshifts, the Red Sport 400 also receiving paddle shifters for greater control during performance driving. The AWD system defaults to rear-drive when no wheel slippage occurs, or can send up to 50 percent of its torque frontward when required.

If you’ve driven a Q50 Red Sport 400 (the four-door model that we reviewed last year) you’ll be familiar with this two-door version thanks to beautiful blue-hued glossy carbon inlays throughout, and plenty of high grade contrast-stitched leather on the instrument panel, lower console, door skins, and of course the seat upholstery, the latter of which are fabulously contoured sport seats with plenty of adjustment, while the foot pedals are appropriately formed of metal.

The brand’s dual-display infotainment system resides on the centre stack too, the top monitor controlled by a knurled metal rotating knob on the lower console and the bottom display a touchscreen. The electroluminescent primary gauges feature a colour multi-information display at centre too.

We’ll go into detail about Infiniti’s digital displays as well as the Q60 Red Sport 400’s other features as part of a full road test review coming up soon, while also delving into its assortment of active safety gear that includes dynamic cruise control, lane keeping assist, and more, but most importantly we’ll give you a play-by-play account of this car’s extreme performance.

Check these pages soon for an upcoming review…

Make up your mind, Canada. For years you made Ford’s Escape number one in the compact SUV category, but that ended when 2016 closed and Toyota’s RAV4 took over top spot, and then after two months…

In Our Garage

2017 Nissan Rogue SL Platinum AWD

Make up your mind, Canada. For years you made Ford’s Escape number one in the compact SUV category, but that ended when 2016 closed and Toyota’s RAV4 took over top spot, and then after two months of 2017 Honda’s recently redesigned CR-V bumped the RAV4 off its pedestal, only to be knocked off by Nissan’s new Rogue last month.

As of Q1 2017, Nissan has sold 10,481 Rogues, Honda has purveyed 10,465 CR-Vs, Toyota has moved 9,979 RAV4s, and Ford’s Escape has dropped all the way down to fourth due to just 8,932 deliveries, although that’s still pretty impressive, as you’ll soon see. The rest of the compact SUV segment follows fairly far behind with the Jeep Cherokee at 6,594 units, Hyundai Tucson at 5,652, Chevrolet Equinox at 5,178, Mazda CX-5 at 5,108, GMC Terrain at 2,977, Subaru Forester at 2,911, Kia Sportage at 2,704, VW Tiguan at 1,764, Mitsubishi Outlander at 1,540, Subaru Crosstrek at 1,506, Jeep Patriot at 984, and finally the Jeep Compass at 242 sales.

Why does being number-one matter? If you remember the once-popular TV game show “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”, the most accurate answers always came from the audience, and those who vote with their wallets are even more likely to be right.

Truth be told, any of the compact SUV segment’s top four (or even the top six) are good bets, but respect should be given to Nissan that’s pulled the Rogue up by its britches with this latest mid-cycle refresh, and by so doing raised its game from fourth overall last year to first last month. Whether it stays there is anyone’s guess, but what’s done is done and Nissan should be commended for creating a compact SUV that most consumers like.

Of note, the Rogue is also Nissan’s biggest seller and therefore its most important model, so expect the Japanese automaker to keep piling on the upgrades year after year, while it continues to pull out all the stops in marketing, pricing, and layering on incentives to keep it numero uno.

Of critical importance to its rise in popularity is the refresh just mentioned, which updates styling, improves interior refinement, modernizes technologies, and adds a host of active safety features. Visually, the Rogue moves into 2017 with mostly the same flowing sheet metal as before, but its V-shaped grille has been flattened into more of a “U” and then trimmed out in more detail so as to simultaneously toughen up and sophisticate its image, plus its headlight clusters get more complexity along with quad beams and unique LED DRL signatures, and its lower front fascia is likewise given more intricate detailing along with horizontal LED fogs in uppers trims.

Changes down each side and in back are more subtly applied, the former including chrome mouldings adorning the otherwise matte black rocker extensions, and the latter including revised LED taillights and a reshaped bumper featuring a bolder black cap that protrudes outward and upward from below, once again giving the car-based crossover SUV a bit more rugged truck-like appeal.

Lastly, all Rogue trims get new wheels that seem inspired by its larger mid-size Murano sibling, including 17-inch steel rims on the base S, 17-inch alloys on the SV, and 19-inch alloys with black painted pockets on the top-line SL. New colours often make just as dramatic a change without nearly as much expense, so therefore Nissan gives 2017 Rogue buyers the option of Caspian Blue, Monarch Orange, and our tester’s stunning Palatial Ruby, plus a bevy of hues carried forward from last year’s model.

Moving inside, Nissan has updated the Rogue with a new flat-bottomed steering wheel rim that provides greater space for the driver’s legs when sliding in and out and looks pretty sporty to boot, while it’s now heatable in upper trims. The shifter’s leather-clad shifter boot is new too, plus the new Rogue can also be had with remote engine start and memory for the driver’s seat and side mirrors.

Interior styling changes include new dash panels, door skins and armrests, while our tester’s new Platinum Reserve package adds a stitched leather dash pad and quilted leather upholstery in classy Premium Tan.

The Rogue isn’t the most energetic SUV in its class at 170 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque, while a fuel economy-focused continuously variable transmission (CVT) is standard, so therefore it’s quite clear that superior performance isn’t high on compact SUV buyers’ priority lists. Comfort is, but we’ll go into more detail about ride quality, handling, plus of course acceleration, braking and other experiential issues when our full road test review soon arrives in these pages. We’ll also tell you about its new active safety kit that includes emergency autonomous braking and much more, plus illuminate the pros and cons of its all-important digital interfaces.

Stay tuned for our upcoming road test review…

With Q1 behind us we probably shouldn’t forecast 2017 as the year of the car’s return, as SUV growth is still at unprecedented rates, but some models give the future of ground-hugging models hope.…

In Our Garage

2017 Hyundai Elantra Sport

With Q1 behind us we probably shouldn’t forecast 2017 as the year of the car’s return, as SUV growth is still at unprecedented rates, but some models give the future of ground-hugging models hope.

After hovering around the 65k mark for the past half decade Honda’s Civic once again shows that the market for cars is ripe if you build something people want to buy (consider that thought for a moment Dodge), the ever-growing compact finding 7,251 buyers so far this year and 64,552 during calendar year 2016, while Toyota’s new Corolla family (it now includes the orphaned Scion iM in its ranks) was good for 5,996 deliveries over the first three months of 2017 and 48,195 last year.

How about Hyundai and its Elantra? Thought you’d never ask. It’s running in third so far this year at 4,334 units despite being second in 2016 with 48,875, but 2017 is still young so we’ll just have to wait and see how things come out in the wash (we should really include Veloster sales in with the Elantra as it’s a sporty compact that effectively does battle with the Civic Coupe, although its miniscule 229 deliveries over Q1 2017 and 1,831 last year won’t help it measure up to the Corolla family second-place sales lead).

Just the same the Elantra has a lot going for it, including the five-door Elantra GT. We drove that car way back in September of 2015 as its ushered in a new grille design for the 2016 model year, and then in March of 2016 we reviewed the completely redesigned 2017 Elantra Sedan in Limited guise as well, but since then Hyundai released new Sport trim for the four-door model and it’s been a breath of fresh air.

I won’t go into detail about its driving dynamics as that would give away the real meat of our upcoming road test review, but let’s just say the brand’s new engineering team is doing as much for chassis development as its design team has improved styling. In fact, I might go as far to say the new Elantra Sport, which is the only Elantra above the base LE to incorporate a manual transmission, is the spiritual successor to previous Civic Si models (not the outrageously quick Nürburgring trouncing 2018 five-door) due to its 201 horsepower 1.6-litre turbocharged and direct-injected four-cylinder and wonderful balance, or maybe more accurately it’s the spiritual successor to Nissan’s long missing-in-action Sentra SE-R (I’ll probably get hate mail if I push the Si issue). Either way it’s a superb driving car that I’ll dissect in an upcoming review.

Much of its newfound goodness is the result of a new suspension appropriately named “Superstructure” by its creators. It utilizes more than 50-percent ultra-high tensile steels bonded together by aerospace-sourced adhesives (yes, we’re talking Hyundai here, not Audi), resulting in a much stiffer, lighter weight, and safer body structure that’s also a whole lot more exciting to drive. Hyundai has revised the suspension geometry too, while also isolating the body shell with a new subframe design, and made it quieter via increased sound deadening methods and materials including thicker glass all-round, making this the quietest and most refined Elantra yet.

The entire interior was improved with the 2017 update too, thanks to a new design and better materials including more soft-touch surfaces. What’s more, mid-range models equipped with backup cameras get a large 7.0-inch infotainment touchscreen while top-line models receive an even grander 8.0-inch display with navigation. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also part of the package, giving this fun-loving Hyundai more connectivity options than any new Porsche.

At $24,999 the Sport is priced just higher than the mid-range Elantra SE and just below Limited trim, so it’s not top of the line (that position reserved for the $28,799 Limited Ultimate), but rather sits in its own performance category we hope Hyundai builds upon with yet more features and accessories.

Come back soon to read our detailed review of the 2017 Hyundai Elantra Sport…

It’s too early to tell exactly why Porsche’s Macan has improved its sales so dramatically from its first full calendar year of 2015 when it sold 2,121 units to the close of 2016 when its final tally…

In Our Garage

2017 Porsche Macan

It’s too early to tell exactly why Porsche’s Macan has improved its sales so dramatically from its first full calendar year of 2015 when it sold 2,121 units to the close of 2016 when its final tally was an impressive 2,800, but the model’s ability to target an entirely new audience of entry-level luxury buyers as the 2017 model year began last fall likely had something to do with it.

Enter the all-new 2017 Porsche Macan. No, I’m talking about the 2016 Macan S, which drove all four wheels through a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 with 340 horsepower and 339 lb-ft of torque, conjoined to a seven-speed dual-clutch automated gearbox. That reasonably priced $59,200 model continues forward into 2017 as one the compact luxury SUV segment’s fastest vehicles. Rather, the model that likely boosted sales at the close of last year is the new base four-cylinder Macan that starts at just $52,700.

Yes, it’s for real. A Porsche you can potentially purchase for less than $50k if you negotiate a discount, and while powered by a seemingly mainstream VW-sourced 252-horsepower 2.0-litre turbocharged and direct-injected four-cylinder with 273 lb-ft of torque it still pulls off a relatively quick 6.7-second sprint to 100km/h (or 6.5 with the as-tested Sport Chrono Package) before attaining a top track speed of 229 km/h. The new engine is actually based on Audi’s latest 2017 A4 2.0 TFSI powerplant, but anyone denying Volkswagen roots is either ill informed or more likely working from a Porsche-financed marketing/PR department.

I’m going to quote fuel economy numbers of 11.6 L/100km city and 9.3 highway only because they matter to Porsche, as I can’t see many Porsche buyers caring all that much about saving money at the pump, or at least that’s not likely the reason they sprang for the base Macan. This is a dollars and cents option (or what I like to call a dollars and “sense” option), a way for someone considering an Audi Q5, or a similarly powered compact luxury SUV, to spring for a Porsche.

Speaking of competitors (and now we can truly name these brands as Porsche rivals), the Macan managed to pass right on by Lincoln’s more affordably priced MKC and Infiniti’s (granted long-in-tooth) QX50 on the sales chart last year, the latter likely to claw its way back after its long awaited replacement debuts this coming fall. Still, the achievement is significant for an SUV that costs considerably more.

You get a lot for the extra coin, mind you, starting with one of the best balanced chassis in the compact SUV sector, no matter the trim level chosen, as well as arguably attractive Porsche styling (I think the Macan is Porsche’s most alluring SUV and one of the more attractive in its segment), and an extremely well made interior filled with soft-touch surfaces, high quality trims, and state-of-the-art digital interfaces.

The primary gauge cluster remains a mostly analog affair, which is probably a good thing for Porsche purists (they pout a lot when Porsche messes with things like… anything), but the PCM infotainment touchscreen is larger at seven inches and includes features like proximity sensing (digital buttons pop up when your fingers get near), tablet style multi-touch gestures, and Apple CarPlay (sorry Android users, Porsche doesn’t believe you’re interested in its vehicles despite the fact you dominate pricey smartphone sales).

Personally, I think Porsche will rethink this choice by next year, especially if it wants to make more headway in emerging markets like China that are leading global smartphone purchasing (Huawei, Oppo, and BBK are some of the fastest growing brands). According to American IT research and advisory firm Gartner.com, as of the fourth quarter of 2016 99.6 percent of all smartphone sales were Android and iPhone, but of the 432 million smartphones sold in the last quarter, 352 million ran Android (81.7 percent) and 77 million ran iOS (17.9 percent).

On the positive the new PCM infotainment system is a marked improvement over the outgoing system that was riddled with problems, especially its navigation system that was downright comical, while Porsche also provides new placement for its powered USB port so its easier to plug in your smartphone (even if you’re still using a Windows phone or Blackberry), while Wi-Fi can now be had via on-board internet. Lastly, the new system allows for remote mobile device-to-vehicle connectivity via a downloadable app.

Another 2017 bonus is completely revised rear-seat entertainment including a set of monitors attached to the backside of the front headrests, multiple HDMI and USB ports, and an SD card reader, while music and video can be streamed into the system via Wi-Fi.

Our 2017 Macan tester included the Sport Chrono Package and a set of larger rims, but little else, which is a good thing as it lets us tell you all about a mostly base model. Make sure you come back to read all about it and peruse through our massive photo gallery…

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