Porsche makes a relatively short turnaround on its entry-level crossover model for 2019 with a redesigned version of its Macan just four years after the original was introduced.
True to Porsche style, the new version doesn’t look radically different from the outgoing car. Porsche calls out three-dimensional taillights as one of the key design updates, along with a new infotainment system grounded in a 10.9-inch touchscreen in the centre console.
Porsche is launching the 2019 Macan with a single, entry-level engine, a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 248 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque, which represents a loss of 4 hp compared to last year’s car. A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission is standard along with AWD.
If you want more power than that, you can move up to Macan S, GTS or Turbo models, but you’ll have to make do with last year’s car. Performance from those models ranges from 340 hp and 339 lb-ft in the S to 440 hp and 442 lb-ft for the Turbo with optional performance package.
Moving back to the new Macan, Porsche says its update includes an overhauled chassis that boasts better performance and more comfort and rides on staggered tires (wider at the back) with 18-inch wheels. Meanwhile, the new body was drawn to look wider at the front.
The latest infotainment system (called Porsche Communication Management, or PCM) makes a big move up with its 10.9-inch screen, replacing a 7.2-inch display in the old car. It comes standard with online navigation, Bluetooth integration, two audio interfaces and intelligent voice control. Also standard is Porsche Connect Plus with a wifi hotspot and, in Porsche’s words, “an array of Porsche Connect services.”
New driver assists include an adaptive cruise system with a traffic assist program to reduce stress on the driver in busy times; it will work at speeds up to 60 km/h. It features automatic acceleration and braking and a lane-keeping assist that turns the Macan into a semi-autonomous crossover.
Options include air suspension, torque vectoring, sport exhaust, auto-dimming mirrors. As you move up through the models carried over from last year’s Macan, things like carbon ceramic brakes join the options list along with things like extended leather interior and Porsche’s active suspension management system.
As of this writing, Porsche hadn’t published fuel consumption estimates for the new Macan, but we suspect they’ll be similar to 2018’s 11.6/9.3 L/100 km (city/highway) ratings for the four-cylinder model. See our 2018 Macan buyer’s guide entry for estimates for the engines carried over for uplevel models.
