2023 Porsche Macan T First Drive Review | Four-cylinder gets its spotlight.
Curated list of performance options is paired with the base engine
The base four-cylinder Porsche Macan might be easy to find on dealer lots, as plenty of people buy them, but finding a car reviewer such as yours truly who has actually driven one is awfully difficult. You see, when the 2.0-liter turbo was introduced, there was hardly the usual fanfare associated with a new Porsche variant – no first-drive events that we can recall, nor have any of our editors driven one since. Until now. The 2023 Porsche Macan T finally puts a spotlight on the base engine by showing that it’s good for something other than dramatically lowering the point of entry of both the Macan and the entire Porsche brand.
Immediately, it’s clear that the 2.0-liter turbo inline-four (versus the 2.0-liter turbo boxer-four in the 718), which produces 261 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, provides competitive thrust for the compact luxury SUV segment. It doesn’t wow you, but it’s also quick enough that you don’t stare at the steering wheel’s Porsche badge and go, “Really?” That said, the 0-60 sprint is clocked at 5.8 seconds, which is actually a tick slower than the Audi Q5 that uses a less powerful version of roughly the same engine.
Of course, the Audi doesn’t benefit from the Macan’s exceptional PDK transmission, which snicks through gears with precision, and typically upshifts and downshifts when you would. Should you actually want a taste of the old school, using the big-old paddle shifters is a tactile treat and brings about rapid reactions from the PDK.
Ultimately, the thing that most stands out about this engine is that it doesn’t stand out at all. It’s very quiet, as if Porsche’s engineers were just as reticent to put a spotlight on the 2.0-liter as Porsche enthusiasts are. A sport exhaust can be added, and although our test vehicle was not so equipped, it’s easy to recommend checking that particular option box even though it goes for $2,930. The Macan T could use a little (or a lot) of the audible drama those louder pipes would provide, since it seems like the missing piece to what is otherwise an exciting little SUV that provides far more enjoyment than the segment norm and absolutely feels like a genuine Porsche behind the wheel.
Like other Porsche T models, the 2023 Macan T takes that base engine and pairs it with a connoisseurs’ choice of performance-oriented features that would otherwise be options or available only on upper trim levels such as the GTS. The “PASM” adaptive damping system is standard (as it is on the V6-powered Macan S), along with the Sport Chrono package that adds a Sport Plus mode, launch control, the dash-top clock and a steering wheel equipped with a mode switch dial and Sport Response overboost button. Compared to the base 2.0-liter Macan, the all-wheel-drive and Porsche Traction Management systems have a greater rear-biased power distribution.
Optional enhancem
