In 2014, Porsche introduced the Macan. In 2018, they facelifted it. With an average lifespan of around seven years, you'd expect me...
to be next to an all-new Macan. But nothing is further from the truth, we'll have to wait until next year for that. And it will be fully electrical.
Anyway, to still be able to cater to petrol-enthusiasts, Porsche has decided to keep making the Macan, and they've slapped another facelift on it.
Both on the in- and outside, they've tightened things up.
Another car which has received a facelift was the Range Rover Velar, which received one last year. And this year, they added some small features as well.
So to find out which one has received the best facelift, we've put them next to each other.
In the Range Rover, they've kept all of the good things and improved the things that could be improved. The gear selector example.
Before, it was a big turning knob which allowed you to select the driving direction, and they've replaced it with a gear lever.
Other than that, they've updated the multimedia system which means it now works smoother and quicker. An improvement.
Remarkably, they've replaced the touchpads on the steering wheel with buttons, which works a tad better.
So it's all been improved in here.
Like I said, the good things have remained, so the used materials and finishing are still very good. A very clear instrument cluster as well.
Actually, it's one big digital screen, which you're able to configure all by yourself to include all of the wanted information.
All good.
In the front, there's more than enough room. In the back however, we've seen more spacious Range Rovers. And all the way at the back,
there's a big boot.
The biggest news from last year is the least visible, because we're talking about the engines.
You can't have any V6's anymore, instead you can only choose inline-engines. 4-cylinders, 6-cylinders, petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrids.
Right now, I'm driving the most powervul version available, the P400. And the name already gives it away, because it produces 400 horsepower.
The power comes from a 3.0-litre straight-six, which is a very nice engine. It's smooth, it doesn't feel nervous in any way,
responds to the throttle very nicely, but not too sharp. It exactly the way you want it to be in a comfortable car like this.
The drivetrain is connected to the well-known 8-speed automatic gearbox by ZF. There's not a lot to complain about in this drivetrain.
The engine has a nice growl to it as well. If you ask me, the sound of a straight-six might be the nicest engine sound in the world.
If you're just driving about, you won't hear it, but if you put your foot down, it will put up some noise.
This isn't a car that was meant to kill hot hatches, because it can, but it's purely meant as an incredibly comfortable car.
Knowing that you can go fast however, is one of the big strengths of this car.
This particular car has been fitted with air suspension, and you're able to use different settings for it. You can put them in Dynamic-mode,
Comfort-mode, you name it. However, in this car, the most dynamic setting will still be incredibly comfortable. This won't become a sporty car in any way.
On the contrary. That doesn't mean the car is only heaving about, because it feels very stable on the road.
It will feel stable off the road as well, because there are several off-road settings as well. I mean, it's still built by a company which has a reputation to uphold.
You've got Sand-mode, Gravel-mode, Mud-mode, you name it.
When it was updated, they've added some additional electronics. For example, it now has active cruise control which keeps its distance and controls the...
speed. Also, it comes with a lane assist, which keeps the car between the lines.
Another new feature is the air purifying system, which actually purifies the air in the interior and keeps the amount of CO2 in check.
It's all possible in here.
With the most recent update, Porsche seems to have done more with the interior than they have with the big facelift in 2018.
If we look at the middle console, they've removed all of the physical buttons and replaced them with touchpads.
I wouldn't really call that a step forwards, because buttons can be operated blindly. In here, you always have to look at what you're doing.
A big advantage though is that you don't have to dive into a touchscreen or anything. The functions are still down there and within reach.
The multimedia system itself has been changed as well. Especially the controls underneath, which now have different buttons.
The gear lever has been shortened and the steering wheel has received different buttons as well.
Other than that, it all works fine.
Porsche has kept the analogue dials, remarkable in this age of digitalization. Right in front of me is a rev counter, because this is a Porsche after all.
On the left side, an analogue speedometer and on the right, a digital screen which allows me to display all of the necessary information.
The finishing is immaculate, just like in the Range Rover. Everything you touch and feel is of very high quality.
In the front, I've got more than enough space. In the back however, it's less spacious than the Velar. A lot actually.
The Velar is longer, which shows both on the rear seat and in the boot, which is 80 litres smaller than in the Range Rover.
Then, the exterior. It's a facelift, so its face has been lifted. New front- and rear bumpers.
And if we look at the specs, there seems to have been a lot of changed. All of the performance has gone up.
Right now, I'm driving the Macan S which isn't powered by the turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 anymore. Instead, it now has a twin-turbo 2.9-litre V6...
producing 380 horsepower, just like the GTS used to produce. It's a very nice tandem with the 7-speed PDK-gearbox, which is...
Porsche's in-house automatic gearbox. The throttle response is very good and the gearbox knows exactly when to change gear.
It's a very nice drivetrain, and I'm only driving it in the Normal-mode. Porsche doesn't have a Comfort-mode, that's more a Velar-thing.
Next to that, you've got a Sport-mode and a Sport Plus-mode, and if you select those, you'll immediately feel that the Macan has a different...
personality than the Velar. The Macan also comes with an off-road-mode, as opposed to the many off-road-modes in the Velar.
When you change the drivetrain, the chassis immediately follows suit. This particular Macan has air suspension as well, and if you put it in Sport-...
or Sport Plus-mode, it becomes even tighter. Something you feel in the steering as well. It really tries to involve you in the drive.
The steering is as sharp as a knife, almost like it's on rails, that's how smooth it is. You can't get it to misbehave. By accident that is, because...
if you want it to, it loves to play.
Where Range Rover has an off-road-reputation to uphold, Porsche has a driving dynamics-reputation to uphol.d. And this Macan certainly delivers.
Everything put together, I think the Macan is set for a couple of more years to come, and as long as there are petrolheads who want one,
this car is very well able to exist next to the electric version.
Prices for the Velar P400 start at €113.000 and you can get five different trim levels. You can also get the P400e, which is the plug-in hybrid,
but that's over €30.000 more expensive. But that's a whole other machine. The Macan is available from €120.000, and it's only available in one version.
You can equip it with everything you'd like.
If the price difference is the selection criterium? I don't think so. I think it's the personality that counts here. The Range Rover is the more versatile...
whilst the Macan is the dynamic car of the two. Which one do you prefer?