The Porsche Macan T receives the Touring treatment
The Porsche Macan T receives the Touring treatment
Porsche’s best selling vehicle is back, coming in the form of the Macan T. That’s “T” for Touring, a moniker that’s typically been reserved for Porsche’s coupes. Purists may take umbrage with the fact that the Touring badge has been allotted to an SUV.
As a matter of fact, we think it’s kind of cool. And it’s good news for Porsche too, having seen record sales in 2021 with over 300,000 thousand vehicles delivered to customers. In the realm of performance SUVs, it makes perfect sense for Porsche to expand the Macan range to suit the needs and wants of their customer base.
Now, time for the nitty-gritty. In terms of performance metrics, the new Macan T slots between the base Macan and the more powerful Macan S (which boasts a 2.9-litre V6). The Macan GTS still reigns supreme within the Macan family tree.
The Macan T uses the same 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder you’d find in the “standard” Macan. Power output remains the same at 265 horsepower and 400Nm of torque. However, the Macan T does 0-100km/h in 6.2 seconds, a fifth of a second off the Macan’s 6.4 second sprint time but 1.4 seconds slower than the Macan S.
But the devil is in the details. We’re told that the powertrain in the Macan T weighs 58.8kg less than the V6-powered Macan S, which helps take some pressure off the front axle and endows it with improved cornering attributes.
The Macan T comes fitted with Porsche’s Active Suspension Management (PASM) as standard, which lowers the car by 15mm. The traction management system (PTM) has also been tweaked to give the Macan T a rear-wheel-drive bias.
In addition to that, the anti-roll bars have been stiffened and optimised to match the powertrain, which makes the Macan T more agile with sharper steering. Customers can also spec the car with Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus) and adaptive air suspension, which further lowers the car by 10mm.
The Porsche Macan T is distinguished from other models in the Macan family tree by several exterior trim pieces painted in Agate Grey Metallic; mirror caps, door trim, rear badging and side blades (which sees a “Macan T” motif etched into the surface). High gloss black window frames, dark titanium 20-inch rims lifted from the Macan S and sport exhaust tips also come as standard on the Macan T.
In the cabin, other standard features include a multifunction GT sports steering wheel, a Sport Chrono stopwatch on the dash, contrast silver stitching on the seats and steering wheel, headrests embossed with the Porsche logo and upholstery based on Porsche’s Black Leather package.
The Porsche Macan T is priced at S$267,888, which is just over 7 grand more pricey than the entry-level Macan, but over 30 grand less than the Macan S which nudges the S$300k mark. Any takers?