IN THIS era of sustainable mobility, one in which the automotive world seems obsessed with electrified vehicles, the notion of an exclusively ICE-powered performance-oriented medium SUV may seem slightly tone-deaf, if not downright passé. One could still make a business case for asphalt-shredding large SUVs, which will be bought by affluent buyers irrespective of what we may think of them or their vehicular choices, but, below that, probably not.
As an increasing number of manufacturers introduce sportily styled, crossover-flavoured petrol-electric and (rather quick) battery-electric contenders into the upper-end of the medium SUV segment, the three-derivative Porsche Macan, with its line-up of 2.0-litre four-cylinder and 2.9-litre V6 turbo-petrol powerplants, seems a bit, well, stale. The Macan may be Porsche Australia’s top-selling model, but it’s still seven years old, despite undergoing its second facelift.
Porsche, it needs to be said, offers electrified derivatives in its entire line-up, apart from its sportscars – and the Macan range. However, the Zuffenhausen-based brand is preparing to unveil a battery-electric Macan (based on Porsche’s Premium Platform Electric architecture) in the not-too-distant future, and that product will be offered in conjunction with these ICE-based versions of the existing model in a few years’ time (it’s still a while away for the Australian market, though). This revised line-up, therefore, will tide Porsche over until that happens.
“Tide over” might not be completely appropriate, however, because the facelifted version of the Porsche’s medium SUV, replete with cosmetic, equipment and performance upgrades, offers something rather obvious that many of its rivals no longer do – inherent sportiness.
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