Porsche’s smaller SUV, the Macan, is being prepared for a 2019 update that will bring the sporty high-rider more up to scratch with the some of the innovations already seen in Zuffenhausen’s most recent releases.
Though the Macan, in and of itself, still seems like quite a fresh product, Porsche is expected to spruce it up with a slightly revised exterior which concentrates its alterations around the front and rear fascias.
The deeper improvements lie with its capabilities, which have been broadened according to the automaker. Seen here undergoing high altitude off-road trials in South Africa, the new Macan is said to benefit from enhanced a more robust multi-terrain traction control system.
This is likely to have been developed alongside a recalibrated adaptive suspension, explaining why they have been deliberately testing the 2019 Macan on a mixture of terrain from rough asphalt to dusty gravel roads to hostile mountain passages.
On-road dynamics are also purported to be improved over the outgoing version and Porsche has apparently made its latest connectivity features available as well. It’s pretty much a sure thing that the new version will feature the latest widescreen PCM infotainment system and digital instrument cluster along with optional integrated LTE and smartphone integration.
It’s also probable, given they don’t mention it, that they’ve left much of the powertrain untouched, meaning that the range will start with a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine and top out at a 3.6-litre twin-turbo.
The 2019 Porsche Macan is due to have its official debut at the toward the end of the month in China, followed by a global rollout shortly after. All these will surely make the Macan a more rounded product than it already is, but we aren’t expecting anything we haven’t seen before from Porsche, though it does provide the Macan with stronger arsenal to face off against the new BMW X4, the Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe, Jaguar F-Pace, and the Alfa Romeo Stelvio.
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