Porsche Macan duo debuts more power, fresh looks
The crossover Porsche power pairing of the Macan S and Macan GTS have received design refreshes, more power, and revised interiors for the new model year.
Jul 20, 2021
Updates to the exterior include a new front bumper with a distinctive body-coloured inlay, a more aggressive rear diffuser with a 3D textured surface, and a host of new wheel designs to choose from.
The Macan interior has also been brought into line with other Porsche models, and now features a new centre console that utilises haptic touch surfaces in place of physical buttons.
Compact in stature, the updated Porsche Macan still retains a distinct penchant for performance, augmented with refreshed looks and more power in its latest guise.
As the sporty flagship of the compact SUV line-up, the Macan GTS sits at the top of the range. Its 2.9-litre V6 biturbo engine now delivers 324kW – an increase of 44kW. With the responsiveness and power delivery typical of Porsche GTS cars, it completes the 0 to 100 km/h sprint in 4.3 seconds when fitted with the Sport Chrono package and reaches a top speed of 272km/h.
The Macan S is now also equipped with a 2.9-litre V6 biturbo engine that produces 20kW more power than before, for a total output of 280kW. This propels the vehicle from a standstill to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds, while the S has a top speed of up to 259km/h.
Porsche says the new Macan models also offer a wide suspension bandwidth, balancing maximum suspension comfort and dynamic sports car performance. The chassis has been optimised further, with the Macan now responding with even more sensitivity and more directly to the driving situation and road conditions, giving the driver even better feedback via the steering wheel.
For this purpose, elements such as the damper characteristics of the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) – standard on S and GTS models – have been re-adapted specifically for this model. It actively and continuously regulates the damping force for each individual wheel.
The Macan GTS now sets itself apart from the other derivatives more than before with the now-standard sport air suspension, which lowers the body by 10mm. The dynamic benefits of the new GTS are due to the fact that the air suspension is 10% more rigid on the front axle and 15% firmer on the rear axle compared with its predecessor. The optional GTS Sport package further increases the dynamic potential of the car, with 21-inch GT design wheels with performance tyres, Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus) and the Sport Chrono package.
Porsche has further sharpened the visuals of its compact SUV with a number of changes.
The redesigned nose with an inlay in the exterior colour emphasises the Macan’s width, making it look even more imposing on the road. On the new GTS, the centre of the nose section as well as other elements are finished in black. The rear is now rounded off towards the road by a striking diffuser in a particularly technical design. Here and at the front end it features a new 3D structure, which is also optionally available for the car's ‘side blades’.
The new Porsche Macan also offers an enhanced interior with a modern and elegantly designed centre console. Its new operating concept, which makes use of touch surfaces instead of tactile buttons, brings a clear structure to the cockpit. A new, shorter selector lever sits in the centre of the clearly organised control module. The analogue clock at the top of the dashboard is now also standard equipment.
The Macan continues to offer many online functions and services as standard, which can be controlled via the 10.9-inch full HD touch display of the Porsche Communication Management or by means of voice commands. The Macan adopts the new multifunction and GT Sport steering wheels from the halo 911.
Further details on the updated Porsche Macan range’s arrival in New Zealand will be available soon.