First Drive: Porsche Macan T 2022 Review

The Porsche Macan has been on sale since 2014. It’s been updated a couple of times and it still manages to feel fresh almost a decade later. It’s a small SUV that sits right at the top of its class for many reasons. That Porsche badge helps, but it’s also a pretty good car to drive, certainly as good as anything else of this size. The Macan T is new to the range in 2022, and sits in between the standard Macan and the V6 Macan S. The T stands for Touring, and it mixes the chassis upgrades you’ll find in the S with the four-cylinder engine from the standard car. Our question is, was this a gap that needed filling?

Porsche’s compact SUV has been around nearing on a decade now, but with a few tweaks here and there it’s not aged too badly at all. It’s unmistakeably a Porsche thanks to those headlights, while the 911-esque tail lights with the bar extending across the car’s entire width conforms with the marque’s current design language.

The Macan T is set apart from the rest of the Macan range by some subtle styling details, namely the rear spoiler, wing mirrors and grille being finished in Porsche’s Agate Grey Metallic paint, along with that all-important Macan T badging. There are also 20-inch dark titanium alloy wheels as standard, plus a whopping choice of 13 colours to choose from.

It’s a little bulbous looking from the front or rear, but from a side-on perspective it’s not a huge departure from the lines of the Panamera – it’s actually quite streamlined. This smooth and rounded physique is a welcome departure from the pointy and angular aesthetic currently dominating the market.

Let’s cut to the chase, the Porsche Macan is a fantastic car to drive compared to virtually anything else like it, and this is still absolutely true of the T. As far as small SUVs go, Porsche has nailed the driving experience. It’s by no means intended to offer peak performance, the Macan S and GTS are still your go tos if you want to a more charismatic driving experience, but this Macan T still feels as though it has something to give.

In terms of what makes this car work, everything we see on the Macan T is comparable to the S, aside from the engine – more on that later. Among the many Porsche acronyms, the most important one here PASM, Porsche’s adaptive damping system which is adjustable through the three driving modes: Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus. Ride height is also lowered by 15mm, so altogether cornering does feel somewhat more stable than on the standard Macan.

Then there’s the ride, which is fantastic for the most part. The Macan T is smooth, quiet and composed on all but the harshest of surfaces, and that suspension really does work well to keep the car from rolling in the bends. At all times it feels planted, and that breeds confidence when you’re driving at speed. It’s almost possible to forget that you’re driving an SUV.

The steering is surprisingly heavy at any speed, to the point where it doesn’t feel particularly authentic, but direction changes are direct and the overall feel and connection to the road is satisfying enough. It’s far from sportscar levels of engagement but there is at least a sense that you can have some fun with this car. You can throw it into corners at decent speed and it will go with you without too much fuss, although you do start to feel the Macan’s near-two-tonne heft when you push the inevitably restrictive limits.

Now let’s talk about that engine. It’s the same 265PS (195kW) 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol unit found in the base Macan, but it’s been hit with Porsche’s Sport Chrono package for a 0.2-second reduction in the 0-62mph time –down to 6.2 seconds. The trouble is, it still just feels a little sterile. It’s fine, don’t get me wrong, the power delivery is smooth, and the torque is always there when you need it, but there’s no real noise to speak of, and any time you do ask for more power, the vocal response from those cylinders is flat and uninspiring.

It's combined with a seven-speed automatic transmission which for the most part saves the engine from any further disparagement. It’s slick, compliant and quick on the uptake when you need a burst of acceleration. Upshifts can be a little lax, which is a bit annoying when you want stretch the Macan’s legs.

The overall package makes life easy when you’re cruising the motorway, it will sit quite comfortably at steady revs, and overtaking is be a breeze, but in terms of fuel economy the difference between this and the V6 in the Macan S is far smaller than you’d think. If you’re concerning yourself with a balance between driving enjoyment and protecting your wallet, you might rather take the marginal financial hit.

Inside, the entire Macan range has been hit with a substantial refresh for 2022, of which the Macan T has also benefited. As standard, the cabin is swathed in leather, while any plastic that does exist is pleasant to touch. The seats in the T are a part leather, part an Alcantara-like material Porsche has dubbed ‘Sport-Tex’. Leather seats are optional, along with a smattering of carbon fibre additions.

The centre console has become an interesting board of touch controls. The fact they’re touch buttons does mean you’ll often have to look down to see what you’re pressing, which in our eyes is just annoying rather than fancy. Sure, with a bit more time to get used to their positions you’d probably learn to use them without looking, but having to learn at all while behind the wheel feels counter-productive. The control panel is saved by the physical chrome switches for the climate control and volume, which have a satisfying tacticity to them.

In terms of space, this is where we see the compromise for that slick exterior. The rear seats are cramped for anyone over six foot. Leg room is good, but a lack of headroom causes some comfort concerns, especially if you’re planning a longer journey. A panoramic sunroof is optional, and we found had little affect on the amount of headroom, so go ahead and tick the box if you fancy a bit more light in your cabin. The boot is a good size, too.

In some respects, the Macan T still feels like the original Macan that was introduced to the market all the way back in 2014. The analogue instruments don’t look to have changed an awful lot over the years, but in some ways we see that as a good thing. There’s never been anything more satisfying than seeing the rev needle spin, although it’s less satisfying here than it might be in something with a more excitable engine.

The 10.9-inch touch screen is excellent. It’s set into the dashboard and is sharp and responsive. There’s Apple CarPlay, but the lack of Android Auto is another giveaway that some elements of this car are close to eight years old. If you don’t have an Apple phone, the built-in sat nav works well enough that you can do without your favourite maps app. The standard 10-speaker sound system is good, too.

Supportive and comfortable sports seats set the Macan T apart from the standard model. They’re heated, with eight-way electric adjustment that allows you to hunker down quite nicely so that you can actually feel as though you’re sat in the car rather than on it – if that’s your preference. There’s also three-zone climate control and two Isofix mounts on the outer rear seats.

It’s difficult to know how the Macan T will fare when it comes to sales. Sure, it sits in the gap between the standard Macan and the Macan S, and brings all of those chassis improvements, but it’s only £1,000 cheaper than the S, and for that extra grand you’re bagging yourself a vastly superior V6 engine. The Macan is comfortable, good to drive and stylish, but if you’re going to buy one, the T is the one that probably makes the least sense.