AT a time when its fortunes were waning fast, Porsche came up with a car that went a long way to saving the company.

And that car was not one of its signature sportsters, but a large SUV with attitude - the top performing Cayenne.

After that car's success it was a natural progression for the company to build a compact sister car with similar performance credentials to capitalize on buyers overwhelming choice for SUVs.

And so along came the Macan - it means tiger in Indonesia - and the company called it ‘the sportscar among SUVs' when it was launched in 2014, and said it had been benchmarked against the legendary 911 throughout it's development.

With a high quality cabin, excellent comfort and super handling, and enough power to ripple tarmac, it's a brilliant all rounder.

But on the down side, new models are pretty expensive, and running costs - as with all Porsches - will be pretty steep.

That remains true for secondhand examples of course, but the prices and other methods of running one will be commensurately less.

Most if the cars on the secondhand market seem to be petrols but there is one diesel that still brings very good performance with excellent economy.

Its only available with some lower order models, but the 3.0-litre V6 engine, which drives through a seven speed PDK twin clutch automatic gearbox, has 254bhp, bringing up 60 miles an hour from rest in just 6.1 seconds. Yet it's still capable of 46 miles per gallon.

Petrol engines start with a 2.0-litre turbo in the ‘T' and that has either 233 or 261bhp. These reach 60 in 6.7 and 6.2 seconds respectively, and are capable of 39 and 28 miles per gallon.

They are the only models in the range that are available with either manual or automatic gearboxes.

Next up the range is the 3.0-litre V6 ‘S' with 335bhp and that brings the sprint down to 5.2 seconds and is capable of a very best of 32mpg.

The 3.6-litre Turbo boasts 394bhp and manages 31mpg while blasting to 60 in 4.6 seconds. But its not the quickest in the range.

That honour goes to the 3.0-itre in the GTS and the Turbo, which both have a massive 433bhp and cover the sprint in 4.4 seconds. Anyone owning one of these is not going to be bothered about economy, but for the record they have a best of 25mpg.

There are a number of selectable drive modes to tailor the driving experience to individual tastes so that depending on the spec, suspension, steering feel, response from the engine and even the exhaust note can be tweeked.

Wide, wide tyres and automatic four wheel drive help give an almost unbelievable amount of grip, and through the corners, the balance is absolutely perfect - even when pressed unmercifully on a circuit.

The standard steering is already full of feel, and through the corners, the suspension stays almost completely flat.

Yet on the potholed and multi-repaired roads we all face every day, it also keeps occupants well insulated and comfortable most of the time.

The interior is well laid out, with multiple instruments centred around a large rev counter and a digital display screen.

The seats are well shaped and comfortable, there's space for five and the boot is a very good size, with folding rear seats to encompass larger loads.

The equipment range is vast depending on model, and most will have had extras added by original owners from the huge list. Just make sure any that you are interested in have all the toys you want.

The Macan is peerless as a sporting SUV. There are many others, but this is the one by which they are all likely to be judged.

Pay around £28,800 for an '18 18-reg ‘S', or £54,400 for a '21 21-reg GTS.