► Latest updates on Macan SUV
► New T variant is all about handling
► Plus, spec details of regular, S and GTS versions
As Porsche starts to wind down its combustion engine Macan SUV, the brand is throwing a few new variants at it just for fun. The latest one to add to the mix is the Macan T.
This new version, which is all about ‘responsiveness’ sits alongside the petrol-powered regular, S and GTS variants. The new all-electric Macan will arrive in 2023, and the two will be sold side by side for some time to come.
The Macan’s manager of complete vehicle product line, Sebastian Staiger, said: ‘This will be the final petrol Macan. In terms of performance, it has come to an end.
‘There are also several other limiting factors. One is legislation. Another is emission laws. There’s no firm end date yet, but we assume this Macan will last until 2024.’
No Turbo?
That’s right. Porsche looks set to drop ICE-engined Macans as soon as 2024, and the Turbo has already gone. The GTS will instead combine the power of the Turbo with the sharpened chassis and suspension from the GTS.
Macan powertrain manager, Friedemann Heller, said: ‘It’s had a complete calibration. We’ve used these engines for a number of years and we know them very well. We’ve put all the knowledge and focus on dynamic response and engine behaviour.’
He added: ‘There’s no chance of another Turbo Macan. But there might be a Turbo electric Macan.’
It really looks like the old one
We promise, this is the new one. Porsche is keen to point out the mildly redesigned front end and a new ‘3D’ diffuser at the rear. More pertinently, Porsche says the Macan can be customised more than before with a fresh suite of paint colours and wheel designs.
The bigger news, on the design front, is the updated interior. Porsche’s favourite buzzword for the Macan’s new cockpit is: haptic. The new 10.-9-inch display uses haptic feedback and the centre console now mirrors the Panamera, 911 and Cayenne for its touch panel layout – rather than predominantly physical switchgear on the previous one. The new 911’s steering wheel is carried across, too.
Give me the Macan’s performance specs
For now, we know about the regular, S, T and GTS variants of the Macan. These still use combustion engines; an all-electric Macan is coming in 2023.
The standard Macan and latest Macan T have a newly-developed 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine making 261bhp (up by 20bhp compared to the previous generation), launching to 62mph in 6.2 seconds and capable of a 144mph top speed.
The S and GTS variants both benefit from a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6. Performance specs from the S variant include 375bhp, a 0-62mph sprint in 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 161mph. As for the GTS, power jumps to 434bhp, a launch sprint is over within 4.3 seconds and it tops out at 169mph.
PASM (active suspension management) is standard on S and GTS trims, and GTS now features air suspension as standard (that Porsche says is 10 and 15 per cent stiffer on the front and rear axles respectively), along with a 10mm lower ride height. The GTS sports pack throws in 21-inch wheels, performance tyres, Porsche’s Torque Vectoring Plus technology and the Sport Chrono package.
As for the Macan T, which is all about focusing on the Macan’s sweet handling and dynamics on the road, that’s lowered by 15mm over a standard Macan, but features stock steel springs interlinked with the PASM system – something Porsche says is unique as the others ride on air. Still, you can spec air springs if you like. Porsche also says the traction control system in the Macan T has been refocused to have a more rear bias with power deployment in the all-wheel drive system.
New Porsche Macan: price and release date
Porsche’s new small SUV is available to order now. Standard Macan trim starts from £47,780; S starts from £53,300; T starts from £53,970 and GTS starts at £64,770 in the UK. Expect to add a few grand in options – it’s the Porsche way.