2018 Porsche Macan vs Volvo XC60

What's the difference?

At around $80k this entry-point to the Macan line-up delivers in terms of equipment, practicality, and quality. And importantly, it looks, feels and drives like a Porsche should. It’s fast, light on its feet, and beautifully put together. Sorry, Bram.

The XC60 is an outstanding mid-sized all-wheel drive SUV. A great selection of engines and a plug-in hybrid means buyers can better suit their purchase to lifestyle. Super safe, stylish and effortless to drive. The best value is to be had lower in range with the sweet spot being the Inscription grade.

The Macan is substantial, but not huge. About the same size as an Audi Q5 (they sit on the same platform), with echoes of the iconic 911 all around the car, from the raked headlights to the broad hipline and slimline tail-lights.

Carefully controlled curves and contours deliver balanced proportions and a solid, confident stance. And sharp eyes will pick up the ‘base’ car’s side window trim strips in black, and similarly darkened brake calipers sitting behind the standard 19-inch ‘Macan Turbo’ alloy rims.

They’re the same wheels fitted to the S model, one rung further up the Macan ladder, and fill the muscular guards nicely.

Like all Porsches, the Macan exudes quality in everything from its design, to the fit, the finish, even the feel of things like the switchgear, seats (leather and Alcantara), and steering wheel.

The interior doesn’t follow the current trend towards tablet-style control for major functions. Yes, there’s a slick screen-based multimedia interface, but it’s relatively small (7.0-inch), and old school switches and knobs dominate the dash and main console. Basically, a button-fest.

It’s a familiar, traditionally Porsche approach, and won’t appeal to everybody. But the design and engineering effort that’s been put into how they all work is obvious, and makes you feel like you’re sitting inside a Swiss watch. 

Add top-shelf trim materials and premium metal finishes, and the result is a first class (as in, front of the plane) environment. Always a subjective call, but I for one, like it a lot.

Remember when Volvos were boxy? Well they’re back baby, but in a better way that the 240 GLE from 1992. No, this is sexy.

There’s that long, sculpted bonnet with the cab set back and the heavily raked windscreen makes for a pleasing profile. The concave door panels and the mirrored wings in the rocker panels below add more toughness to this elegant beast.

There’s also that stately grille wearing its famous Volvo ‘sash’, those Thor’s hammer LED headlights and the very Volvo vertical taillights. This is a prestige SUV but not one of the BMW, Benz and Audi usual suspects.

The XC60 is a mid-sized SUV with dimensions similar to its Audi Q5, Mercedes-Benz GLC and BMW X3 rivals. The XC60 is 4688mm long, 2117mm wide and 1685mm tall.

How do you tell the difference between the grades visually? Well that’s a tricky one. From the outside you can spot at R-Design T8 by its sunroof while the Momentum D4 and T5 both have 19-inch wheels which look a tad too small for those wheel guards.

Inside all XC60s are exquisite, bordering on modern art with that minimalist dash decluttered of its buttons thanks to most of the functions being moved to that stunning 9.0-inch vertical touch screen.

There are nine colours to choose from including Fusion Red, Passion Red, Bursting Blue Metallic, Onyx Black Metallic, Osmium Grey Metallic, Bright Silver Metallic, Crystal White Pearl, Electric Silver Metallic and Ice White.

The accessories list for the XC60 is huge there’s everything from towbar hitches and floor mats to roof boxes, kayak cradles, and tablet holders for rear seat entertainment - but not bullbars.

The irony of the Macan purchase decision is the car appeals to people who admire Porsche’s racing and sports car heritage and love the idea of a 911 or 718, but actually need the practicality of five seats and a big boot. So, they’re buying into the agile, lightweight sports car brand dream by purchasing a 1.8-tonne SUV.

But it’s the cash rolling in from the sale of these SUVs that funds the ongoing development of Porsche’s more focused, high-performance machinery. And fact is, the Macan does a multitude of practical things with typical Teutonic proficiency.

Along with all the ‘controls’, Porsche has managed to integrate a useful amount of storage for front seat occupants, including a generous glove box (with cooler), a lidded box between the seats (housing a USB port, ‘aux-in’ socket, and 12-volt power outlet), and big door bins with enough room for large bottles. There are two decent-size cupholders in the console… even a cigarette lighter (naughty!).

Slip into the back seat, and there’s heaps of head and legroom on offer. I was able to sit behind the driver’s seat set for my 183cm position with lots of space in front of the knees and above the bonce. And there’s enough shoulder room to accommodate three full-size adults for short to medium journeys, without too much discomfort.

There are two cupholders in the fold-down rear armrest, map pockets on the front seatbacks, sizable door bins (again, able to hold big bottles), twin air vents (with temp and flow control), and a USB outlet.

With the rear seats upright cargo space runs to 500 litres, enough to accommodate our three-piece hard suitcase set (35, 68 and 105 litres), or the CarsGuide pram, with lots of room to spare.

Fold down the 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat, and that figure grows to a healthy 1500 litres, with a storage recess under the floor adding extra, out of sight space.

The hands-free ‘smart tailgate’ function is welcome when your hands are full, and hardware in the back includes four tie-down shackles, a pair of compartment lights, multiple bag hooks, and a netted pocket on the driver’s side (including a first aid kit). The spare is a racy red 18-inch space-saver.

If you’re keen on towing, the Macan can haul a braked trailer weighing up to 2000kg, and 750kg without brakes. 

How many seats does an XC60 have? The answer is five and no there isn’t a seven-seater version. I have a small family with just the three of us, but if you have a lot more take a look at the bigger XC90. 

The XC60’s cabin is spacious, but not XC90 spacious – this is, remember, a mid-sized SUV. Still there’s plenty of legroom in the back seats for me even at 191cm to sit behind my driving position and good headroom even with the panoramic sunroof in the T8.

Let’s talk about the boot space. A luggage capacity of 505 litres isn’t huge not compared to rivals such as Audi’s Q5, BMW’s X3 and the Mercedes-Benz GLC which all have 550 litres of cargo space. But XC60s with the optional air suspension like the T8 I drove can lower themselves to make loading the boot easier.

Cabin storage is good, with two cupholders and large door pockets in the front and two cupholders and smaller door pockets in the back. The centre console storage area under the centre armrest is also a decent size. 

You won’t find a sunglass holder in here though – but does anybody actually use those anyway?

The XC60 comes in three trim levels: there’s the entry-grade Momentum, the Inscription is the mid-point and the R-Design lords over all of them. So how much does an XC60 cost? Let’s look at a price list. 

The most affordable XC60 in the range is the D4 diesel variant in Momentum grade which lists for $59,990 (RRP) while its T5 petrol sibling is $62,990.

Stepping up to the Inscription there’s the D4 version for $66,990 and the T5 petrol for $69,990. 

You can have an R-Design with the more powerful D5 diesel for $73,990, the gruntier petrol T6 for $76,990 and the petrol-electric hybrid for $92,990 sits at the top of the XC60 range.

As for driveaway prices for the XC60, put the pressure on the dealer and you’ll be surprised what they can do.

The XC60 is great value … depending on which grade you go for, because even the lower priced ones come with an extensive list of standard features. 

All XC60s comes standard with a 9.0-inch vertical touch screen with Apple CarPlay for your iPhone and Android Auto, a 12.3-inch driver display, WiFi hot spot, Bluetooth, sat nav (gps navigation), 360-degree parking camera, auto parking system, front and rear parking sensors, a 10-speaker premium sound system with digital radio (DAB), leather upholstery, power adjustable driver and passenger seat, proximity key (keyless entry), roof rails, LED headlights and a power tailgate.

That 9.0-inch screen is for more than just for multimedia and infotainment – many of the car’s functions, gadgets and the owner’s manual are controlled through the display.

The Inscription adds four-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control and 20-inch alloys.

The R-Design D5 and T6 come with 21-inch alloy wheels and R-Design treatment to the steering wheel, grille, pedals and leather seats.

And the R-Design T8 comes with a panoramic sunroof, crystal gear shifting knob, and only dual-zone climate control.

So the R-Design T8 is not great value, but the Momentum T5 and D4 really do represent good features for the money. 

All XC60s come with LED headlights and the Thor’s hammer daytime running lights – no xenon headlights here, thankfully.

If you want heated seats it’ll cost you $500 for the front ones and $350 for the back row, while a heated steering wheel is $350. Ventilated seats are a $2950 option, but you’ll get leather perforated upholstery with them. Tinted glass is a $650 option and the 15-speaker Bowers & Wilkins stereo costs $4500. Oh and a CD player is a $160 option, but you can’t have it on the R-Design T8.

The $2490 air suspension is also an option, but a very comfortable one as I found on the T8 I road tested.

A quick model comparison shows the XC60 is priced well – the Mercedes-Benz GLC ranges from $67,500-$99,900 (more for the AMG), the Audi Q5 ranges from $65,900 to $86,611 and the BMW X3 starts at $62,900 and top out at $87,700. 

A lack of full-sized spare tyre is disappointing. Sure a space saver spare (which comes with all XC60s apart from the R-Design T8) is okay in the city and so is the puncture repair kit on the T8, but in Australia it can be a long way between towns. 

The Macan is powered by a Porsche-fied version of the Volkswagen Group’s (EA888) 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine.
 
In the VW Golf GTI Edition 1 this unit produces 180kW from 5000-6200rpm, and 370Nm from 1600-4300rpm. And under the Macan’s bonnet, those numbers shift only slightly to 185kW from 5000-6800rpm, and 370Nm, available between 1600-4500rpm.

The engine features direct injection and the ‘VarioCam Plus’ cam and valve timing system, sending drive through a seven-speed ‘PDK’ dual-clutch transmission (with paddle shifters) to all four wheels via the ‘Porsche Traction Management’ (PTM) active all-wheel drive system, incorporating an electronically-controlled multi-plate clutch, automatic limited-slip differential (ABD) and traction-slip control (ASR).

The XC60 range has four engines and one petrol-electric unit, but you can’t get them in any grade you like.

The Momentum and Inscription come with the diesel D4 and its petrol sibling the T5. Both are lower-powered versions of the D5 diesel and T6 petrol variants found in the R-Design grade.

The D4 has a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel making 140kW and 400Nm, which according to Volvo is enough mumbo for a 0-100km/h sprint time of 8.4 seconds. 

The D5 is powered by a 2.0-litre twin turbo diesel making 173kW and 480Nm, which according to Volvo is enough mumbo for a 0-100km/h sprint time of 7.2sec. 

The T5 is the 2.0-litre turbo petrol variant which makes 187kW and 350Nm, and has a 0-100km/h time of 6.8sec.

The T6 is also a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol variant but a higher horsepower version with a supercharger that helps it make 235kW and 400Nm, and it has a 0-100km/h time of 5.9sec. That’s an impressive performance figure.

And finally the T8 – this is the big daddy and uses the same 235kW and 400Nm 2.0-litre twin-turbo-plus-supercharged petrol that’s in the T6 in combination with a 65kW/240Nm electric motor. The T8 is a plug-in petrol electric hybrid.

All XC60s use a smooth shifting eight-speed automatic transmission - you won’t find a manual gearbox here.

The XC60 comes as all-wheel drive only, there’s no front-wheel drive (4x2) version. That said this isn’t four-wheel drive and you wouldn’t take it places you’d go in a hardcore 4x4.

I didn’t experience any automatic transmission problems or any other issues but keep an eye out for our XC60 problems page for any faults, complaints, maintenance or reliability issues that crop up.

Porsche’s claimed fuel economy for the combined (urban, extra-urban) cycle is 7.4L/100km, the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol emitting 172g/km of CO2 in the process. Start-stop is standard.

That’s pretty handy for an SUV of this scale, the only snag being we recorded 11.6L/100km (at the bowser) over 355km of city, suburban and freeway running.

Be prepared to shell out for the required premium 98RON unleaded, too, and you’ll need 75 litres of it to fill the tank.

After a combination of urban and open roads, Volvo claims the diesel D4 will achieve 5.4L/100km and the more powerful diesel D5 should need 5.6L/100km. Meanwhile, the petrol T5 should use 7.8L/100km and its big brother the T6’s official mileage is 8.0L/100km.

The eco-warrior of the range is the petrol electric T8 with its impressive claim of 2.1L/100km. This isn’t an EV, you’ll need to fill it up with petrol as well.

If somebody tries to sell you a new LPG XC60, be suspicious ... very suspicious. 

When I road tested the R-Design D5 my fuel economy was 9.4L/100km, and this is where it gets embarrassing: my mileage in the R-Design T8 was 14.0L/100km. That’s because I never re-charged using the cable, instead I let the regenerative braking add charge to the batteries. This meant I forced the SUV to mainly use the petrol engine and carry myself along with 200kg of batteries and electric motor around. This - and me taking full advantage of the great acceleration at every traffic light - would have something to do with my high fuel usage.

Yes, if you go for the R-Design T8 make sure you charge it regularly and drive conservatively otherwise you too will use lots more fuel than Volvo’s serving suggestion.  

It might measure 4.7m long and tip the scales at 1770kg, but if you think the Porsche badge is just for show, you’re wrong. The Macan is quick, nimble, and sounds good.

Porsche claims this turbo four-cylinder will sprint from 0-100km/h in 6.7sec (6.5 with ‘Sport Chrono’ package), which is agreeably swift, and while power isn’t huge (185kW) and peaks high in the rev range (5000-6800rpm), maximum torque (370Nm) is available from just 1600rpm all the way to 4500rpm.

So, the big five-seater get up and runs, with the seven-speed dual-clutch keeping things in the mid-range sweet-spot, with the wheel-mounted paddles delivering crisp and positive manual shifts along the way. And our car’s optional sports exhaust dialled up the blurty pops and bangs accompanying high rpm up and downshifts.

Not only that, Sport mode sharpens up the gear shifts and throttle response, and amplifies the exhaust note even further.
 
Suspension is double wishbone front, multi-link rear, and despite the low-profile 19-inch Michelin Latitude Sport3 rubber (235/55 front, 255/50 rear) ride comfort and overall refinement, even on broken suburban goat tracks, is excellent.

Porsche claims this turbo four-cylinder will sprint from 0-100km/h in 6.7sec.

The electro-mechanical rack and pinion steering is direct without being overly sharp; a mix of great road feel, quick turn-in and linear response.

The tricky active all-wheel drive system typically sends all drive to the rear, but can send all of it to the front if required. Even on an enthusiastic backroad blast it puts the Macan’s power down with fuss-free confidence. 

And at this point it’s worth pointing out the sports front seats are grippy and supportive, while the classic three dial instrument cluster (with multi-function digital screen in the right-hand circle) is crystal clear.

Big disc brakes (335mm front, 330mm rear) are ventilated all around, with four-piston alloy calipers at the front and single-piston floating calipers at the rear. They consistently wash off speed with a progressive pedal and reassuring power.

This combination of buttoned-down body control, smooth ride, and exceptional dynamic response can only be achieved by a car company that knows what it’s doing.

Hit the off-road button if you’re keen on getting those shiny wheels dirty and the default drive split changes seamlessly to 50/50.

Porsche quotes a maximum clearance of 300mm “between ground and water-sensitive parts”, and an outright ground clearance of 185mm.

And if you’re really serious, the approach angle is 17.9 degrees, ramp over is 15.3deg, and the departure angle is 23.6deg.

I’ve road tested the R-Design D5 and the R-Design T8 and so can only vouch for the driving experiences of them.

First, the D5 – there’s much to like, such as all that 480Nm of torque barrelling in low down in the rev range at 1725rpm, the responsive brakes, the tranquil cabin, and good fuel economy. 

The downside to the D5 is a noisy diesel engine, particularly under heavy load. The diesel isn’t best suited to sporty driving either – I found myself busy paddle shifting constantly to keep the revs in the torque band which ends at 2250rpm. The twin-turbo set-up in the D5 is designed to spool up one to ‘pre-charge’ to reduce lag before the second kicks in – the result is an almost instantaneous power delivery.

Now, the R-Design T8. 

This is an impressive beast. The combination of that powerful supercharged and turbocharged four-cylinder and the electric motor provides grin-making acceleration. The optional air suspension in our test car turned the ride cushion-soft but kept the car composed.

Just to sit in, the D5 and T8 both feel special and the driving experience goes a long way to matching that prestigious impression from the light and accurate steering to the great pedal feel and the responsiveness of the powertrains.  

A well-insulated cabin cuts out most of the diesel clatter in the D5, not to mention the T8's road noise - it is common for tyre roar to be noticeable in hybrid and electric cars, which don’t have a noisy engine to cover it up. 

The adaptive cruise control with steering assistance worked eerily well for me, it’s almost - but not quite -self-driving autopilot. That head-up display is one of the clearest and least intrusive I’ve seen.

Good visibility and a turning circle of 11.4m also help make the XC60 effortless to drive.

Have you seen the Volvo XC60 TV ad? It’s full on, but I didn’t cry – there was just a high pollen count that day and… anyway it drives home how safety is Volvo’s ‘schtick’.

The five-star ANCAP score it was awarded in 2017 doesn’t reveal just how impressive the safety systems are on the XC60. This new-generation SUV is fitted with AEB (City Safety) which can detect and stop for animals, humans and other cars, there’s steering support, blind-spot warning, front and rear cross-traffic alert - and that’s on all XC60s. Adaptive cruise control is added to the Inscription grade and above.

You’ll find two ISOFIX points and three top-tether anchors for child and baby car seats across the rear row, too. 

Where is the Volvo XC60 built? Volvo is owned by Chinese car giant Geely, but Australian XC60s are made in Torslanda, Sweden.

The Macan is covered by Porsche’s three year/unlimited km warranty, with paint covered for the same period, and a 12-year (unlimited km) anti-corrosion warranty thrown in for good measure.

Porsche Roadside Assist provides 24/7/365 coverage for the life of the warranty, and after the warranty runs out is renewed for 12 months every time the vehicle is serviced at an authorised Porsche dealer.

The main service interval is 12 months/15,000km, and indicative scheduled costs for the first four years/60,000km line up as follows: 12 months/15,000km (annual) - $695, 24 months/30,000km (intermediate) - $995, 36 months/45,000km (annual) - $695, and 48 months/60,000km (major) - $1750. 

A brake fluid flush is recommended every two years at an additional cost of $270.

The XC60s has a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. Servicing is recommended every 15,000km or 12 months, whichever comes first. 

Volvo offers two service programs: the basic SmartCare and the more comprehensive SmartCare Plus. The SmartCare three-year/45,000km plan is $2225 (SmartCare Plus costs $3050); a four-year/60,000km version is $3500 ($5200 with SmartCare Plus) and the five-year/75,000km agreement costs $4230 ($6400 with SmartCare Plus).