This year marks the Porsche Macan’s second facelift, after which it will stay on the market for around ten years. The Macan 2022 line has three models (Macan, Macan S, and Macan GTS); it has been revamped both inside and out, with new colors, altered dynamics, upgraded equipment, and more powerful engines. The Macan Turbo has been obliterated, and the GTS has been installed in its stead.
We’ve lately seen the Macan S and Macan GTS on side roads, as well as on the motorway. To begin, the Macan should not be seen as an SUV aspiring to be a sports car; rather, the Macan should be viewed in the other direction. It is a sports car that wants to be a sport utility vehicle in terms of adaptability, space, and image.
The reality is that Porsche has achieved a great mix between the sportiness inherent in the brand’s DNA and the benefits of this sort of vehicle by spinning very fast and offering it in a relatively small body. There are two possibilities: the Macan is the greatest SUV in terms of performance, or it is among the best.
When seated in a Porsche Macan, the driver does not receive the sensation of being in a very elevated position. If desired, you may move the seat to a higher position, although this is not required. It has the appearance of a saloon, but benefits from the SUV body’s additional room.
The inside has undergone significant alterations, with physical buttons being replaced with tactile surfaces. When the contact is removed, they are concealed behind the standard piano black; but, when they touch, they are illuminated, giving an air of luxury and refinement. Our first impressions of the inside space and trunk remain relevant in comparison to the 2019 model, since they remain unchanged.
Porsche Macan GTS 2022, with black accents on the majority of the body save the bottom section. This variant comes standard with 21-inch wheels, while the others are optional.
Around 80% of Macan owners have never had a Porsche before or are replacing a second car from another brand – Porsche being the primary one. Since 2013, it has sold 600,000 units, putting it on track to surpass the one million mark set by the 911 and Cayenne in a significantly shorter period of time. Remain above the wave’s peak.
Porsche Ibérica executives agree that they are producing fewer Macans than the market requires, with around 900 units for the Spanish and Portuguese markets, with orders exceeding 1,200 units. After a full year, the manufacturer produces 10,000 Macans fewer than the demand globally, with a three- to four-month waiting list.
The Macan will cost 68,540 euros, the Macan S will cost 83,468 euros, and the Macan GTS will cost 102,427 euros. Porsche consumers, on average, pay an additional € 10,000-12,000 on extra equipment. Porsche’s pricing is far more than the norm for the D sports SUV sector, and rightfully so. It is available with any transmission as long as it is the seven-speed PDK with all-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
Indeed, when pushed to their limits on curvy roads with uneven tarmac, the Macan S and GTS provide remarkable performance. Gourmets of sports driving will immediately recognize what they are purchasing; it seems to violate the rules of physics, albeit this certainly does not occur.
For instance, during rapid support changes and hard braking, the car’s limitations become apparent, when it becomes a bit more sensitive, but still has space for maneuverability -on dry asphalt-. It adheres to the steering wheel’s route like a cat to a carpet, almost as if daring the driver to continue.
The dashboard of the Porsche Macan GTS 2022 shows signs of age, but the right dial display retains a good deal of detail.
The Macan series’ superior performance and handling are a result of a well-tuned suspension, steering, brakes, and platform, among other components. To ensure that this remains true throughout time, the chapter on revisions cannot be omitted; after all, it is a requirement. Indeed, as the vehicle comes to a complete stop after a number of curves, you can see how hard the brakes and tires worked – particularly on the nose.
The Macan’s standard suspension is non-adjustable steel springs; the Macan S adds adaptive air suspension with PASM (which is available on the Macan); and the Macan GTS takes things a step further with stronger adjustability and a ten-millimeter height decrease. Those who choose may purchase their Macan GTS without the height decrease – like the Macan S does – at no additional expense.
While the difference between the lowered air suspension and the conventional one is hardly evident while driving on excellent roads and regular asphalt, the difference is rather obvious when driving on broken or uneven asphalt. I was not alone in seeing the Macan GTS suspension colliding with leaps between fresh and ancient asphalt at highway speeds or during vigorous driving with lots of potholes during the presentation.
Backlit touch controls have replaced the buttons. This is where you may change the suspension modes, assistive devices, and air conditioning, among other things.
If we receive the impression when driving the Macan that the transmission is not responding appropriately to our commands or that the suspension is not reporting what it should, it is because we are in the improper driving mode. The “Sport” and “Sport Plus” models are not very attractive, and their operation is rather visible.
Als to temporarily activate the car’s greatest responsiveness with a single button push, we may do so by hitting the center of the satellite control’s bottom right corner, which activates the «Sport Response» mode. For a few seconds, this switches the automobile to its most sporty mode.
When the driver and the vehicle are integrated, the gearbox may be handled without the use of paddles and just via accelerator demands. This is not your normal behavior change where you must say yes or no to using cameras in order to maintain a sufficient level of conduct. The gear knob, in place of the paddles, is always in sequential mode.
Also, the brakes are outstanding. Those in the Macan S and Macan GTS sustain a remarkable amount of abuse without fainting, even while driving at high speeds on very twisting roads; another option is to join a circuit to set timings. The variations between braking systems are mostly in terms of resistance; stopping power and excellent touch are determined by the series combination.
In normal and civilized driving, fuel consumption stays between 11 and 12 liters per 100 kilometers, which are not insignificant statistics but also not overstated. After all, we’re talking 2.9-liter turbocharged V6 engines that produce 380 horsepower in the Macan S and 440 horsepower in the Macan GTS. It accelerates rapidly in almost every setting. If the foot is heavy, averages might exceed 20 l / 100 km.
Is the almost 20,000 euro price difference between the Macan S and Macan GTS worth it? To adequately address the issue, you must discuss not just your spending power, but also how much you want to get out of the automobile and the image you want to give to others. The great majority of drivers will be satisfied with the Macan S; for gourmets, the Macan GTS is a plus ultra.
Remember that the differences between the Macan S and GTS -in favor of the latter- are aesthetics, increased engine power (+80 CV and +30 Nm), more powerful brakes – Porsche Surface Coated Brake (PSCB) -, sports exhaust, standard 21-inch wheels (instead of 20″), lowered air suspension by 10 mm, thicker stabilizer bars, and increased suspension rigidity (+ 10% front, + 15% rear).
The sports exhaust system is the ideal companion to these engines, as it transfers significantly improved sound to the passenger compartment with the push of a button, without resorting to fake or synthetic sound. In the reductions, you may even get gurgling. It’s a must-have accessory for enthusiasts of sporty driving, and it comes standard on the Macan GTS.
At the limit, finding an understeer character is difficult, despite the fact that a portion of the engine is suspended in front of the front axle, somewhat increasing the polar moment of inertia. When leaving slow corners and pressing on the throttle hard, an oversteer tendency is sometimes felt, although the electronic aids adjust appropriately without the driver knowing.
Even a driver who views SUVs with distrust and scorn will feel at ease in the Macan if he compares it to vehicles with comparable proportions, weight, and power. With the creation of the 2022 model, there is already minimal space for improvement. Pirelli PZero tires homologated by Porsche provide unmatched performance.
Regarding its off-road capabilities, it continues to defend itself in ‘Offroad’ mode, constantly keeping in mind the vehicle’s limited suspension travel and road-optimized tires. It is capable of resolving several problematic situations gradually and on a positive note, but it must be understood that it is not an all-rounder.
In some ways, the Macan is one of the last “traditional” automobiles, since it lacks hybridization, non-functional aesthetic components (decoration), and does not isolate the driver from the road in order to integrate him with his phone.
It has needles on the dashboard and is less connected – particularly with Android. It’s preferable to place the phone within the center chest or glove compartment, since in certain instances of rapid driving, my phone pretended to fly away, but the drink holders seem to be built for that as well.
I was missing a G-force meter, which is not uncommon in a modest Nissan Juke, but it is morbidly intriguing to see one in a vehicle capable of such powerful longitudinal and lateral accelerations, and it is not exactly a racing car.
Also, I will admit that at times throughout the test, my stomach pleaded with me to be more composed behind the wheel, since the Macan accelerates as it strikes the road. Fortunately, the seats are optimized for the car’s performance requirements and properly support the driver. Having saying that, this is not another SUV.
Within two years, the electric Macan will be available on the market, built on the present platform and serving as a bridge between the current generation and the next, which will be powered by electric motors and have an optimized platform. Automobiles such as the Porsche Macan with a gasoline engine will never be produced again; the countdown has already started.
In conclusion, individuals seeking the most athletic behavior in an SUV body will be hard pressed to be disappointed with the Porsche Macan, particularly those who dispute the heavy technical burden of recent releases. In any case, further assistance would be beneficial, or they would be more effective. As an aside, the lane maintaining helper and blind spot warning are completely ineffective.
Keyword: Porsche Macan S and Macan GTS 2022, Updated Sports SUV