What is it?
When Porsche resurrected its 'T' touring specification for the 911 Carrera T in 2017, and followed it up with the 718 Boxster T/Cayman T combo two years later, we started asking the inevitable: when would a four-door model get the same treatment?
There wasn’t long to wait. The Porsche Macan T (which in Porsche speak means Touring) arrives this summer with a sharper dynamic brief than the vanilla Macan, along with sportier styling and an extended equipment list as standard.
The entry-level car's 263bhp four-cylinder petrol engine is retained, meaning it sits below the V6-powered Porsche Macan S on performance, but a recalibrated chassis, stiffer anti-roll bars and a 15mm ride height reduction (25mm with optional air suspension) promise greater driver appeal.
Visual tweaks include an Agate Grey Metallic front splitter, mirrors and side blades, along with a roof spoiler and 20in alloy wheels in exclusive colours. How prominent they look is colour dependent, but all help set it apart from the standard car.
Inside, the sports seats get Soft-Tex inserts with silver striped stitching and are heated as standard. The Sport Chrono package is also included. Were you to spec a standard Macan to the same level, it would eclipse the pre-options price of a Macan S.
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But the 2.0 engine, despite the figures, feels a bit of a wind bag in this.
And if you want an SUV, why lower it 15mm with the T? The Macan doesn't sit particularly high in the first place. Makes no sense to me.
And Porsche, stop taking the p**s and put Android Auto in. It's getting embarrassing.
Also agree but Porsche are pretty influential on road tests and the days of journalists saying it as they see it are long gone and even more so for those manufactuers that provide a lot of cars for content. It sounds a bit underwhelming to put it mildly, I suspect nearly 2 tonnes it would make it feel fairly gutless. It also seems pretty dirty for a 2.0 with mpg is as bad as the performance versions.
As a Porsche fanboy, Porsche owner, including a Macan, I must disagree with this article. Nobody with 'sporting' pretensions chooses an SUV and a 'base' version at that! This is just a marketing attempt to move more base (4cyl) Macans at an elevated price. Nothing wrong with that, makes perfect sense for Porsche. But for Autocar to not call this out as a 3* car and highlight the oxymoron of its rationale is dissapointing. I love Porsche but this and the 'Platinum' editions should be called out for what they are.
Tend to agree. Any article that uses the line "the sports seats get Soft-Tex inserts" as if everyone knows exactly what that means, is nothing more than reformatted PR fluff. Having said that I'm not so down on it, viewing this as anything other than a nice well built car, and the Macan, in all its forms, "seems" to be quite good value, relatively speaking.