IF WE had any worries that the all-new Porsche Macan SUV wouldn’t be a "real" Porsche, they quickly evaporated following a few minutes in an early prototype with one of the brand’s test drivers at the wheel.

Barrelling into a sharp bend just outside Los Angeles, Hans-Juergen Woehler, a development engineer for Porsche SUVs, brakes hard — harder than you’d expect any SUV could. Yet he turns in smoothly, stamping on the throttle in the exit and correcting a gentle slide. The lack of body roll, the agility and the playfulness are hallmarks of the 911, Cayman and Boxster, but here they are in a 4,600mm-long SUV.

We rode in a car on the standard steel springs and one on optional air-suspension (the Turbo has this as standard), and both felt firm, but in a grown-up way. In short, it rides like a Porsche.

The optional air-suspension system is the best choice for those who think they’ll take their Macan over challenging terrain. Any heavy off-roading is out of the question — there are no differential locks or low-range gears — but cars with this can at least be raised by 40mm to get over outlying rocks or muddy fields. They can also be lowered by 45mm from the standard height to make loading heavy items into the boot easier.