Porsche has refreshed its big selling Macan SUV, giving every model a power boost, but in a testament to just how right Porsche got the design of the original car back in 2014, you might need to see old and new side by side to tell them apart. Porsche hasn’t released details about the upcoming Macan EV, which will use an entirely different electric vehicle platform, or the 2022 Turbo, so the headline act for now is the sporty GTS, whose twin-turbo 2.9 V6 gains an impressive 60 hp over the old model.2022 Porsche Macan Facelift
Thanks to its 434 hp output and accompanying 406 lb-ft of torque it can reach 60-mph in 4.1 seconds, 0.4 seconds quicker than before. A 169 mph top speed also makes the GTS 7mph faster than the old model, and even 2mph faster at the top end than the old Turbo, which also put out 434 hp. The mid-range Macan S, meanwhile, inherits the 375 hp and 383 lb ft V6 from last year’s GTS, dropping the 60 mph time by half a second to 4.4 seconds when equipped with the optional Sport Chrono package.
And even the base car didn’t miss out when Porsche was handing out the power-ups. Its 2.0-liter turbo four also gets a power boost from 248 to 261 hp, while torque climbs 22 lb-ft to 295 lb-ft. That’s enough to slash 0.3 seconds off the zero to 96 km/h time, which falls to 5.8 seconds when equipped with Sport Chrono. But all this extra poke doesn’t come free. The speedier 2022 Macans costs between US$ 2,800 and US$ 7,800 more than the cars they replace Speediest of the lot for now, and pitched as the driver’s car of the Macan range, the GTS rides on 21-inch gloss black RS Spyder wheels, plus adaptive air suspension that’s 15 per cent stiffer than before. Peek through those wheels and you’ll see Porsche Surface Coated brakes and red calipers, while black tailpipes, clear LED taillights and Sport Design side skirts complete the look.
But for those who want to push things even further, the optional GTS Sport Package includes the Sport Chrono Package, Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus, 18-way adaptive sports seats and various pieces of carbon fiber trim for an interior that now features sleek touch-sensitive console buttons like the Taycan EV’s, a shorter gear lever, and the once optional analogue dash-top clock across the range. Changes to the exterior include a new lower front bumper design plus slightly repositioned daytime running lights, while the side blade running along the bottom of the doors is now a 3D textured surface.
The clearest external changes though, are reserved for the rear, whose black diffuser section is now taller and runs the full width of the bumper, reducing the amount of painted surface visible and making the Macan appear lower. LED headlights and Sport Design mirrors are now standard, and the stock wheels are bigger across the range, meaning even the base Macan now rolls on 19s. In total there are seven new wheel designs and 14 new colors.
Inside, the refresh brings a redesigned center console inspired by the Taycan that offers haptic touch elements along with simpler and cleaner looks, a larger storage compartment and a shorter gear-lever. Porsche also offers new GT Sport steering wheels adopted from the 911 and newly available interior option packages with deviated stitching in Papaya, Gentian Blue and Chalk. All cars again come standard with all-wheel drive and Porsche’s seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission, while every cabin has a 10.9-inch touchscreen with navigation and Apple CarPlay. Lane Departure Warning and front and rear Park Assist is also standard but you can bet Porsche still has plenty of ideas for liberating you of extra cash, including options like Lane Keeping Assist, adaptive cruise control and blind spot monitoring, which really out to be standard on a premium car these days
European deliveries start in October with UK cars arriving shortly afterwards, but as usual the boat across the Atlantic is a slow one. The entry-level Macan (US$ 54,900 plus US$ 1350 for destination) arrives in the U.S. in early 2022, but the S (US$ 65,400) and GTS (US$ 79,900) won’t be here before spring.
