[MUSIC PLAYING]
KURT NIEBUHR: We're here with the 2019 Porsche Macan.
And if you look at it, it kind of
looks like the 2018 Porsche Macan.
It's received a very mild refresh, both inside and out.
But it is the highest-ranked car in its class on Edmunds.
And so we're here to see if the refresh has made
it any better or any worse.
Before I go any further, don't forget to click and subscribe.
And visit Edmunds.com to help us help you buy your next car.
Right away, you can see the brand new headlight
on the 2019 Macan.
And also, if you look at the front end,
it looks to be wider.
But that's because they've redesigned
the front fascia, and specifically this area
right here.
If you walk with me around the back,
you'll see the other major change,
and that is this full-width, horizontal light bar.
Now, this incorporates design language
that Porsche uses on the Panamera and on the Cayenne--
[ENGINE REVVING]
--or on the road, which is what the Macan does best.
I'm happy to say that the little tweaks that Porsche has made
have not changed anything about the way this car drives.
I'm going to keep referring to this thing as a car
because that's the way it feels.
This does not drive like an SUV at all.
SUVs tend to try and straddle--
some off-road, some on-road.
The Porsche goes mainly for the on-road,
and it goes for solid handling.
And this car has it.
I'm in Sport Plus mode right now,
and the ride's still really agreeable.
I like it.
It's not too harsh.
If I go back into normal mode, it's great.
This is not a smooth road either.
So there's good compliance from the suspension.
This car is rolling on 20-inch wheels, which I like.
I like sidewall.
Porsche lets you have some sidewall.
And the steering is still really good.
It's nicely weighted-- slightly on the heavy side,
but that's OK because car's got handling chops.
Brakes feel really good.
They're confident.
There's a nice amount of pedal stroke to it.
It's a Porsche.
And also because it's a Porsche, carbon brakes are optional.
Carbon brakes on a Macan.
I like that.
More about those brakes.
Porsche re-engineered the brake pedal to save 300 grams.
I think I ate more than 300 grams for lunch.
This car has that 3-liter V6 with a single turbo
in the middle of the V. So it's a hot V
setup, is what it's called.
And this is the same V6 that they put in the Cayenne
and in the Panamera.
We like it in those applications.
And I got to say, in the Macan, it feels right at home.
[ENGINE REVVING]
That sounds really good, too.
Ooh, that's fast.
A lot of other vehicles in this class
tend to offer a high performance version.
And the Macan will offer a turbo coming up.
They haven't really talked about that yet, but we have heard
it's on its way--
for the refresh version, I should say.
The major change for the 2019 Macan on the inside
is this big screen.
This is [INAUDIBLE] makes no difference--
an 11-inch touchscreen interface.
And as you can see, it's quite bright, crystal clear,
high resolution.
I like it quite a bit.
It changes the character of the car--
makes it look very modern.
Of course, to put the screen here,
they had to move the air vents.
They've moved them from the side down to the bottom.
But it hasn't affected airflow at all.
All of these buttons can look a little intimidating.
But once you figure out what they're for, they're fine.
And it saves you from having to scroll through
menus and submenus just to change a simple setting.
It can be tough for a manufacturer
to upgrade the tech in the car and not ruin
the interior of the vehicle.
I actually think Porsche has made this car better.
I like the big screen.
I like the way it fits in.
I don't mind that the air vents are lower.
And it really makes this car very modern.
But inside, the Macan stays driver-focused.
This is still very much a Porsche when you look at it.
The instrumentation-- very Porsche.
The center-mounted tach--
There's a lot to like about this car.
And I'm very impressed with the refresh,
because it's tough to change the inside of a car,
and change it well.
And I think they've done a great job.
That was our time with the 2019 Porsche Macan.
And I'm happy to say that it still drives like the old one.
It drives like a Porsche, feels like a Porsche, inside and out.
And it kind of looks like a Porsche.
More importantly, on the inside, the new technology,
the connectivity, the live traffic--
all of that stuff comes into play--
and not just for individual Porsche owners,
but across the entire brand, and probably for the rest of us
in the future.
SPEAKER 2: Check out the full First Drive
on Edmunds.com/roadnoise.
And for more videos, click Subscribe.