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World premiere of the new Porsche Macan SUV in Shanghai

Porsche Macan | Photo: Porsche
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Derek Boshouwers
The "sports car masquerading as a compact SUV” gets midlife update

Porsche has just unveiled its new Macan SUV in a special world premiere presentation in Shanghai, China. The new edition is getting a midlife update and features notable enhancements that touch on design, comfort levels and driving dynamics.

On the outside, the new 2019 Macan has been fitted with standard LED elements in the headlights and a Cayenne-style three-dimensional LED taillight strip, and its overall look has been made sportier and more contemporary. The front end has been adjusted to appear wider, and the back end has been reworked.

Inside, buyers can choose an optional GT sports steering wheel, borrowed from the 911. The available Sports Chrono package brings with it a mode switch and a Sport Response Button integrated into the steering wheel. Porsche has also expanded the list of available comfort options, which now includes items like a heated windscreen, and a system for improving cabin air quality that uses an ioniser.

Visually Porsche has made the new 2018 Macan more personalisable than before thanks to new exterior colours like “Miami Blue”, “Mamba Green Metallic” “Dolomite Silver Metallic” and “Crayon” combined with new interior packages.

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Upgrades have been brought as well to the suite of safety and drive assist systems offered to owners of the new Macan, so that Traffic Jam Assist with adaptive cruise control is now included. This system functions at up to 60 km/h and offers partially automated acceleration and braking, as well as assisting with steering in a traffic jam or in slow-moving traffic

Through the new Porsche Communication Management (PCM), the Macan offers total connectivity and numerous digital functions. Above the typical Porsche rising centre console, a full-HD touchscreen enlarged from 7 to 11 inches has been incorporated into the newly designed instrument panel. Like in the Panamera and Cayenne, the user interface on the infotainment system can be customised using predefined tiles. The air vents have also been re-designed and are now positioned below the central screen.

Other notable features of the new Macan include the intelligent, all-wheel drive Porsche Traction Management (PTM) system and newly developed tires with improved performance characteristics that ride on new 20- and 21-inch wheels.

China, a crucial market
The specific version unveiled in Shanghai today will be sold only in China, a particularly strong market for Porsche’s compact SUV. In fact, of the 350,000+ units the company has sold of the model since it was introduced in 2014, over 100,000 of them were bought in China. Porsche says it will be introducing other versions and providing announcements on other markets in the coming months.

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Derek Boshouwers
Derek Boshouwers
Automotive expert
  • Over 5 years' experience as an automotive journalist
  • More than 50 test drives in the past year
  • Participation in over 30 new vehicle launches in the presence of the brand's technical specialists