The Porsche Macan has been facelifted for a second time, ahead of the debut of the largely unrelated, new electric Macan next year. The SUV has been treated to performance enhancements, styling tweaks and an entirely overhauled cabin to keep it fresh until the end of its life. The facelifted range now comprises of the standard Macan, the Macan S and the Macan GTS, with the Macan Turbo no longer available.
2021 Macan S now gets 2.9-litre V6 in place of older 3.0-litre V6 petrol unit
Updated Macan GTS now develops 440hp from tuned 2.9-litre V6
Cosmetic updates include revised bumper, LED headlamps and larger alloy wheels
2021 Porsche Macan facelift: updated engines
The facelift brings with it tweaks for the engines, with the standard Macan, the S and the GTS now more powerful than before (the Turbo has been discontinued). The entry-level Macan keeps its 2.0-litre turbo four, but with a boost from 245hp to 265hp, while the Macan S has swapped its 3.0-litre V6 for a 2.9-litre V6 that pushes out 26hp more, at 380hp – the same as the outgoing Macan GTS. Both also receive slight torque uplifts and therefore reductions in their 0-100kph sprint times.
Meanwhile, the Macan GTS has had its 2.9-litre V6 tuned to almost match the output of the old Macan Turbo, at 440hp and 549Nm. Porsche says it can sprint from 0-100kph in 4.3sec and reach a top speed of 272kph.
As before, the GTS’ focus is on dynamic performance, so it gets torque vectoring, a 10mm suspension drop, and stiffer air springs at each end in pursuit of quicker turn-in response and improved stability.
2021 Porsche Macan facelift: exterior, interior changes
The updated Macan receives subtle styling changes across the line-up, including a reshaped front grille, a revised rear diffuser, new standard-fit LED headlights, and larger wheels (available in seven new designs) ranging from 19-21 inches.
The GTS variant follows Porsche tradition in gaining an array of black trim elements and a bespoke rear diffuser.
The visual refresh is the most pronounced inside, however, where a redesigned centre console and control stack bring the Macan in line with its larger sibling, the Cayenne, and the newer Panamera fastback.
The most obvious change is the removal of the physical buttons and switches that ran the length of the centre console, on both sides of the gear selector. They have been replaced by a touch-sensitive panel with illuminated haptic icons that, together with a smaller gear selector, make for a cleaner and less cluttered setup.
The 10.9-inch infotainment display remains and though there is no confirmation, it is expected to be upgraded to Porsche’s sixth-generation infotainment software platform, while the Macan remains on sale in its current form.
Elsewhere, a host of new personalisation options “significantly expand the design freedom” for the SUV. The seat stitching can now be specified in a range of bright colours and the analogue clock in the centre of the dashboard, previously included as part of the optional Sport Chrono package, is now standard on all models.
2021 Porsche Macan facelift: India launch
Porsche previously launched the facelifted Macan in India in 2019, with the model available in standard and Macan S spec. While there is no confirmation yet as to an India launch, being a CBU import, one could expect Porsche to launch this updated Macan in India sometime in the near future.
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