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2018 Porsche Macan Facelift Spied Undergoing Winter Testing

Porsche revealed the Macan back in 2014, which means it's still a relatively new vehicle. But since a brand new Audi Q5 the Mercedes GLC-Class have joined in, Porsche decided to start work on some updates.
2018 Porsche Macan Facelift Spied Undergoing Winter Testing 11 photos
Photo: CarPix
2018 Porsche Macan Facelift Spied Undergoing Winter Testing2018 Porsche Macan Facelift Spied Undergoing Winter Testing2018 Porsche Macan Facelift Spied Undergoing Winter Testing2018 Porsche Macan Facelift Spied Undergoing Winter Testing2018 Porsche Macan Facelift Spied Undergoing Winter Testing2018 Porsche Macan Facelift Spied Undergoing Winter Testing2018 Porsche Macan Facelift Spied Undergoing Winter Testing2018 Porsche Macan Facelift Spied Undergoing Winter Testing2018 Porsche Macan Facelift Spied Undergoing Winter Testing2018 Porsche Macan Facelift Spied Undergoing Winter Testing
Porsche are rather amazing at facelifting big cars. Just look at the current Cayenne and the Panamera that recently went out of production, the first one. But they are bad at facelifts for smaller ones, like the Boxster. However, the Macan never suffered from being ugly, so its updates are of the less extensive variety.

Our spies were able to snap very detailed photos of this 2018 Macan facelift prototype wearing camouflage over parts of the bumper, the hood and a section of its trunk.

The black prototype features slight revisions to the air intakes, repositioned indicators, and a restyled rear diffuser. As usual, some of the design elements are nearly impossible to describe. No doubt that under the wrap, the new headlights have that X-shaped design you see on the new Panamera.

A base body panel between the taillamps suggests it's possible Porsche will use full-width elements. The interior might also see a bit of de-cluttering, while the latest assistance and safety systems will bring the baby SUV in line with its rivals.

The Macan accounts for a fair chunk of Porsche's sales, but we don't know very much about this facelift at the moment. Our sources have told us the updates will arrive as early as next spring and might include a plug-in hybrid.

But let's not forget that Mercedes-AMG is almost finished developing the GLC 63 which should have 510 PS. Even with the Performance Package, the Macan Turbo can only muster 440 PS. And it's not like there's a quick fix to the issue, because the entire VW group doesn't have a V6 that can match Merc's V8. What it does have is the efficient turbo that went into the S4/S5.

Diesel remains a popular choice with Macan buyers in Europe, so we could see the S Diesel's 258 PS lump being upgraded to a twin-turbo like the one powering many Audis. Let's just hope they don't increase prices by €5,000 like they did with the 911.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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