I get what you're saying, but I guess just different perceptions. I actually think that AS/Low seems pretty good for an OEM stance, but I've gotten used to it since I stopped using "Normal". There's still some slight gap to keep with the somewhat utilitarian theme, but it's just really well slanted and tight giving it a sporty yet still balanced/versatile effect. But yeah, Low is obviously a lot more on the sports car stance side for a car like this, which is what I want for it, so Normal is a perfect middle ground.
IMO AS/Normal would be the ideal "basis" for the car. Steel IMO is just way too exaggerated in wheel gap. Honestly, I compared it with so many cars when I was trying to decide, and the Macan's steel wheel gap is amongst the biggest I've seen on any production car. To me, next to other SUV's, it actually looks like a "car" so it really benefits from a lower wheel gap. However, even for "truck SUV's", like the Cayenne, RR, etc. all look much better with a tighter wheel gap to me. The first time I saw the Cayenne GTS I noticed the sporty stance and thought it transformed the whole car (along with all the other painted stuff on it). I actually always liked the look of a not necessarily "lowered" SUV, but "tight wheel gap" SUV, which IMO AS/Low pretty much is. The mixture of a large car and a sporty stance is really dynamic IMO as opposed to one dimensional.
Still, the Macan as a body is so low and car-like compared to every other SUV, it just looks odd with a "Truck Stance" to me. And it actually isn't even really that heavy. 4,1xx lbs in standard form, which is less than a loaded 550i. Definitely not close to those brick box Cayenne's and RR's, etc. IMO it's just as much "car" as "SUV", which I guess is why it's essentially a "Crossover" when you think about it, lol. I think we all talk about it being "heavy", which is is, compared to a sports car, but at 340 HP capable of an attained mid 13 1/4 time, that's a pretty decent power to weight ratio actually, almost in line with sports sedans, just a few hundred lbs or so heavier in its standard form.
Sorry, I know it's all personal to the individual but looking at that beautiful blue Macan, the wheel gap is just dragging my eyes to it all the time I look at it. Strangely, I don't look at an Audi Q5 or BMW X3/X5 and think it would look better lower but I do in the Macan- can't work out why.
For everyone who loves the look of their Macan as it is, perfect, it looks good in many ways.
That's my issue with the standard wheel gap too. It's the first thing my eyes are drawn to. I think the reason why it's so paramount on the Macan to our eyes is because next to even a Q5, the Macan looks like a "4 door coupe" version of an SUV, as it renders them practically boxes. Also, it seems to have a bigger standard wheel gap than those cars as well.