Porsche spices the four-cylinder Macan engine with the new T-variant

Since its introduction, Porsche’s Macan CUV has been the brand’s best-selling vehicle worldwide. Sharing a platform with the Volkswagen Tiguan and Audi Q5, the Macan has managed to be sportier and more configurable than any of its stablemates, standing head and shoulders above anything else in the segment. If you want to buy a Porsche right now, the Macan is the least expensive to enter the market. It’s clearly not a sports car, but it still has some of that branding.

The standard Macan offers all-wheel drive 261 hp in a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. This is usually seen as a disadvantage, as it drops 114 horsepower on the Macan S-powered V6. In the Macan T, which shares the 2.0T as the standard model, Porsche is spinning this option out as a lighter, more agile option. He gets 129 pounds From the front axle, don’t you know? So is this the modern-day equivalent of 912, then?

With 261 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque on hand, the Macan T is barely slow with 5.8 seconds from 0-60. That’s a tenth of a second faster than the base model, as the standard Sport Chrono package with overboost “sports response button” has been added to the T model as standard. As usual, the all-wheel drive system, nicknamed Porsche Traction Management, helps the Macan rocket out of the hole.

The largest change between base and T is found in the structure. Porsche wanted to make this option sportier, and added Porsche Active Suspension Management (comprising 15 mm lower steel springs) and Porsche Traction Management as standard. The rear-wheel drive system has been tuned to help the Macan T accelerate out of corners. If you order the optional adaptive air suspension, the Macan T gets special stiffer anti-skew bars to sharpen the chassis and reduce body roll. The Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus is also optional if you want a more sporty drive.

The Macan T exterior has been painted in Agate Gray Metallic to distinguish it from other Macan models. This includes mirrors, front grille, side trim “blades”, roof spoiler and rear decals. Other parts, such as the window surrounds and exhaust pipes, are painted gloss black. It’s a nice effect, frankly. 20 inch wheels are standard.

Inside the standard heated sport seats are trimmed in a way unique to the T. The center front and outer rear seats are decorated in ‘Sport-Tex Stripe’ like a pin-striped suit, and both front headrests have an embossed Porsche logo. The stitching on the seats and steering wheel is contrasted in silver for a fun effect.

US customers will have to wait until spring to order the Macan T, and prices haven’t been announced yet. Meanwhile, the order books are already open in Germany with the delivery date in April, the price of the T at 69,462 euros including VAT and country-specific equipment. Here in the US, the Macan starts at $54,900 and the Macan S runs $65,400, so expect the Macan T to split the difference.