Porsche Macan GTS 2021 UK review

Light refresh keeps the dynamic SUV at the top of its game until its EV successor arrives. Porsche used have a habit of keeping models around forever, giving them a big update every so often, but sticking with the same basic car. The original 911 ran from 1964 to 1989 and the 928 stuck around from 1978 to 1995. The brand is in considerably better financial health these days, so they tend to have normal seven-year model cycles, but the Macan has been around since 2014 and has just received its second facelift. The reason is that it must hold the fort until an all-new electric Macan arrives in 2023, and even then, it Porsche expects to sell it alongside the newer EV, until 2024.The exterior revisions are subtle, as is so often the way with Porsche facelifts. The main change is to the front bumper, which has a more horizontal style. The indicators have moved up and LED headlights are now standard, too. The GTS, meanwhile, appears to be entering a gothic phase and has also broken out the black lip gloss. At the back, there’s a redesigned diffuser.Inside, the Volkswagen Group’s war on buttons has found its way to the Macan, as the cascade of buttons in the centre console has been replaced by a touch-sensitive and fingerprint-attracting panel. It does look modern and haptic feedback ensures it’s relatively easy to use, but it’s no step forward for usability. The gear selector in the middle is still a physical lever, but it has lost its leather gaiter, exposing the naked plastic.The mechanical changes appear a lot more substantial. At first sight, at least. The Macan Turbo has been dropped, while Porsche’s press release talks about power boosts for the Macan S and GTS. What has actually happened is that the new GTS gets the old turbo’s 434bhp 2.9-litre V6, while the Macan S gets the old GTS engine – a 375bhp version of the same V6 – instead of the old 3.0-litre unit. At the bottom of the range, the plain Macan retains its 2-litre four-cylinder that’s derived from the Golf GTI’s, but gains 20bhp for a total of 261bhp, thanks to a new turbocharger.Chassis-wise, the adjustable air suspension that was previously an option is now standard on the GTS, putting the body 10mm lower to the ground, and making it 10% stiffer at the front and 15% stiffer at the rear.And if all that wasn’t enough, Porsche now also offers ParkAssist on the Macan, so it will park itself if you want it to.