The Porsche Macan has been on the market since 2014. Following a revamp in 2018, Porsche has reworked the Macan once again to make it ready for life alongside an all-new electric model that will shortly join it. With its second facelift, the combustion engine model is buying more time. The upcoming Electric Macan will be the first vehicle to be constructed on the Audi and Porsche PPE (premium electric platform).
Overview- What's new?
Before the Macan goes on to become a pure EV, the gas model gets one final redesign. The Turbo trim level is no longer available, at least for the time being. Instead, the updated Macan GTS now has the same power output as the previous Macan Turbo. Surprisingly, the former Turbo model and the new GTS, both get to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds.
The future electric Macan will be the flagship model, sitting above the GTS. Another thing to keep in mind is that the standard Macan will only be available with gas engines going forward since Porsche waved goodbye to Diesel power in 2018. By the way, if you’re still expecting a plug-in hybrid Macan, you’ll be disappointed. Batteries for the PHEV Macan would make the SUV unreasonably heavy, and unlike the larger Cayenne, the Macan is limited in terms of space. It is also likely that Porsche might equip the gas engines with a mild hybrid system that has an output of 48-volts.
Exterior
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This facelift is hard to distinguish, as is typical of Porsche design. The front apron grille is now more sporty, with two vertical fins in body color, and the headlights feature new graphics. The tailpipes on the Macan are housed in a huge diffuser, similar to those found on the Taycan Cross Turismo. There are also three new colors to choose from along with seven new wheel designs. The base model now comes standard with 19-inch wheels rather than the 18s on the previous versions.
The Macan GTS also comes standard with sports brakes and coated calipers, active air suspension, and sport-tuned dampers. An additional Sport package on the GTS adds a sport Chrono pack, sportier tires, 18-way adjustable sports seats, and microfiber upholstery for the cabin.
Interior
Porsche has finally spurred up the Macan’s aging cabin with the steering wheel from the Porsche 911. By simplifying and replacing all those buttons on the center console, the interior has finally been brought in line with the rest of the Porsche model lineup.
The center console now has a lacquered panel and touch-sensitive controls. The analog clock at the top of the dashboard is now part of standard equipment. New packages with either imitation leather or microfiber trim, as well as colored stitching on the seats, round off the cabin's facelift. Space and trunk volume remain unchanged from the outgoing Macan.
Performance
With this facelift, the most significant revisions have occurred under the skin. A new range of engines is available for this revised model.
Let's start with the fact that the Macan Turbo no longer exists. It has been replaced instead by the GTS, whose 2.9-liter V-6 comes with an improvement of 60 horsepower and 22 foot-pounds of torque thanks to improved engine management. This means that the new Macan GTS has the same 440 horsepower and 405 foot-pounds of torque as the existing Macan Turbo.
The performance of the vehicles farther down the line, the Macan and Macan S, has also been improved. The 3.0-liter engine with a single turbo is no longer available.
Only the base model's four-cylinder engine has been completely redesigned. The turbocharged entry-level gasoline engine now produces 265 horsepower and 295 pound-feet rather than 245 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of the outgoing model. Even the entry-level Macan is no slouch, reaching 60 mph in 6.2 seconds.
Aside from these engine improvements, Porsche claims to have updated the Macan's running gear, particularly on the GTS. The Macan's engines are all mated to Porsche's PDK dual-clutch transmission and PTM all-wheel-drive system. The SUV is also equipped with air suspension. The Macan S and GTS have adjustable dampers, while the base Macan has Porsche Active Suspension Management or PASM as an option. Rigidity has also been increased by around 10% in the front and 15% in the back.
Pricing and Availability
European deliveries begin in October, while export to the United States may take longer. The entry-level Macan costs $54,900. It is expected to arrive in early 2022. However, the S, which costs $65,400, and the sportier GTS, which costs $79,900, won't be available until spring.
Conclusion
Porsche is following the industry trend, and the German sportscar manufacturer, like many others, will soon stop manufacturing new combustion models due to the growing popularity of EVs. Porsche is giving its aged baby SUV a new lease of life, seven years after its debut.
With this new facelift, Porsche appears to be extending the Macan's life cycle far beyond the industry normal. A new electric version of this Macan is already in the works and you can expect that life cycle to be extended even further before Porsche brings us a new SUV that will be designed as an EV from the ground up.