Much has been said about the next all-electric version of the Porsche Macan, which is due to arrive in the UK in 2023. Company officials have been hinting at it for over a year now and we recently received a series of photographs which exhibit prototypes of the new model.
But Porsche hasn’t neglected the existing petrol Macans. Far from it, as we discovered during a drive of a restyled Macan prototype, a model now in its seventh year of production.
Seven years. For most automakers that would represent a full generational cycle and a great time for a brand new model. Not for Porsche, however. Sticking to an evolutionary approach that he followed for decades, he reworked the Macan, giving it a refreshed appearance, a reworked interior, updated functions and revised gasoline engines. The line-up has also been reduced in number.
When order books for the restyled Macan open in the UK in July, there will be three models: Macan, Macan S and Macan GTS. The Macan Turbo has been phased out, partly replaced by the Macan GTS, which like all 2021 models receives a power boost.
Style changes are gentle. A new front bumper incorporates an air duct shape intended to accentuate the width and the trim elements in the lower part of the doors acquire a different texture. At the rear, a new bumper has a more prominent diffuser. There’s also a revised wheel lineup, including the 21-inch RS wheel on the Macan GTS prototype we’re in, and three new colors, details of which will be released in late July.
Like the exterior, the changes inside are relatively minor, but they make the driving environment more pleasant. Some of it was hidden during our time with the prototype and we weren’t allowed to photograph it in detail. However, there’s a shortened shifter, a different multifunction steering wheel, new digital instruments and a 10.9-inch touchscreen as part of what Porsche calls its Advanced Cockpit.
The subtle updates extend to the engine compartment. The entry-level Macan’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine has been reworked and horsepower increases from 20 hp to 261 hp, with 22 lb-ft of torque at 317 lb-ft. Mid-range, the Macan S drops the 3.0-liter V6 turbocharger for a more powerful 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 that produces an additional 26 hp, at 375 hp, and an additional 29 lb-ft, at 383 lb-ft. .
It’s the new top-of-the-line Macan GTS we’re driving here, though. It receives a more powerful version of its existing 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6, whose reserves have been brought to the same level as those of the outgoing Macan Turbo. With 2.3 bars of boost pressure and a new ECU, there’s now an additional 59 hp, to 434 hp, while torque climbs from 22 lb-ft to 405 lb-ft.
More about this article: Read More
Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-06-13 22:01:25
