Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
Just like the Cayenne and Panamera before it, the Macan was something new for Porsche when it came out in 2014. But four years later, it’s time for the compact luxury crossover utility vehicle to get a mid-cycle refresh. And that’s a bit of a sensible topic for the Macan, which rides on the first generation of the MLB platform.
In other words, the underpinnings of the Macan are related to the first-generation Audi Q5. Given these circumstances, the rumors according to which Porsche will hybridize the Macan are starting to appear unfeasible for the German automaker.
Autocar.co.uk, which took a near-production prototype of the 2019 model year for a spin, claims the “rumors of a hybrid in this generation appear exaggerated.” As if that wasn’t enough of a cold shower, the 3.0-liter turbo diesel with either 211 or 258 PS is no longer available.
On the upside, the rest of the engine lineup sees gains in output across the board. The 248-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder now produces “close to the 300 horsepower the same engine generates in the likes of the Volkswagen Golf R.” The Macan S and Macan Turbo, on the other hand, boast entirely new motors.
The S receives the 3.0-liter V6 from the second-generation Panamera, featuring a hot-vee configuration and 355 horsepower from the previous 335. As for the Turbo, displacement goes down to 2.9 liters “because it needs a beefed-up crank to cope with the extra power and therefore has a shorter stroke.” But what you lose in displacement you gain in output, with Autocar reporting 434 horsepower (440 PS).
The suck-squeeze-bang-blow matches the 3.6-liter V6-engined Macan Turbo with Performance Package we have today, which is a lot in a crossover of this size. The Macan GTS is still some time away, with Porsche expected to introduce the fourth derivate later this year or in the first part of 2019 for the 2020 model year.
In addition to these changes and the Cayenne-inspired visual upgrades, the 2019 Macan also features aluminum uprights to the suspension, recalibrated steering, and optional tungsten-coated brakes. On that note, it’ll will be interesting to see how the refreshed Macan Turbo will stack up against the Audi RS Q5, with the latter packing the 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 of the Audi RS5.
Autocar.co.uk, which took a near-production prototype of the 2019 model year for a spin, claims the “rumors of a hybrid in this generation appear exaggerated.” As if that wasn’t enough of a cold shower, the 3.0-liter turbo diesel with either 211 or 258 PS is no longer available.
On the upside, the rest of the engine lineup sees gains in output across the board. The 248-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder now produces “close to the 300 horsepower the same engine generates in the likes of the Volkswagen Golf R.” The Macan S and Macan Turbo, on the other hand, boast entirely new motors.
The S receives the 3.0-liter V6 from the second-generation Panamera, featuring a hot-vee configuration and 355 horsepower from the previous 335. As for the Turbo, displacement goes down to 2.9 liters “because it needs a beefed-up crank to cope with the extra power and therefore has a shorter stroke.” But what you lose in displacement you gain in output, with Autocar reporting 434 horsepower (440 PS).
The suck-squeeze-bang-blow matches the 3.6-liter V6-engined Macan Turbo with Performance Package we have today, which is a lot in a crossover of this size. The Macan GTS is still some time away, with Porsche expected to introduce the fourth derivate later this year or in the first part of 2019 for the 2020 model year.
In addition to these changes and the Cayenne-inspired visual upgrades, the 2019 Macan also features aluminum uprights to the suspension, recalibrated steering, and optional tungsten-coated brakes. On that note, it’ll will be interesting to see how the refreshed Macan Turbo will stack up against the Audi RS Q5, with the latter packing the 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 of the Audi RS5.
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