Slick, responsive Porsche Macan T

The Porsche Macan T embodies Porsche’s ethos with a potent blend of practicality and dynamic prowess, adding some sportiness to the make-up of the entry-level Macan, writes Car Magazine's Gareth Dean.

- Gareth Dean

Since its 2014 introduction, the Macan has been a vital cog in the machine that is Porsche's product portfolio, recently accounting for close to 30% of the company's global sales, and with good reason, too. As a package, this entry point into Porsche's line-up has a wealth of talents, combining a good degree of practicality with the dynamic capabilities for which the marque is famed.

Having undergone a substantial update in 2019, introducing significant cosmetic and tech updates, as well as a reworked chassis, and another refresh in 2021, the Macan now stands on the brink of replacement with a second-generation model line that will exclusively utilise electric vehicle powertrains.

Reports suggest that the present ICE (internal combustion engine) Macan will be discontinued in Europe this year and will endure in certain global markets for another year or so. This makes our drive with the Macan T something of an ICE last hurrah before one of Porsche's most popular models goes the all-electric route. Back in mid-2016, the Macan was the first Porsche model to mount a fourcylinder engine, just preceding the horizontally opposed units in the 718. The engine in question is a revised version of the Volkswagen Group's long-serving 2,0L EA888 turbo-petrol, versions of which have seen service in the likes of the Golf GTI and some of Volkswagen's R-badged performance models. Coupled with Porsche's PDK dual-clutch transmission, this unit develops 195kW and 400Nm of torque.

WHAT''S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MACAN AND MACAN T?