2019 Porsche Macan

Since the Porsche Macan's introduction in 2015, we've enjoyed this small crossover SUV's appealing mix of utility and performance. Sure, it's not as roomy as Porsche's Cayenne or as lithe as the Cayman. But if you want a Porsche that's pretty good at providing both qualities, the Macan is the go-to choice. Now with freshened styling, suspension tweaks and upgraded technology features, the 2019 Porsche Macan becomes an even more desirable pick within the Porsche lineup.

Subtle New Looks

From the front, the 2019 Macan looks to be a bit wider and lower, but that's purely the result of some nifty restyling. The outer air intakes no longer have last year's integrated foglights. Instead, they sport longer horizontal strakes with an integrated marker light. Also contributing to the wider look are the new LED headlights. Mimicking the rest of the Porsche lineup, the headlight's central LED unit is flanked by four LED running lights. And the missing foglights? Their function has been integrated into the headlights. Porsche's Dynamic Lighting System (PLDS and PLDS Plus) is offered as an option, and it features increased brightness and adaptive high beams.

The side view of the new Macan differs from last year's model thanks to new wheel designs on the optional 21-inch wheels. Thankfully, 18-inch wheels are still available should you prefer ride comfort over maximum road-holding. The trim pieces just above the rocker panels — previously only available in black — can now be had in silver.

In the rear, the Macan gets the near full-width LED light bar that has taken up residence throughout the brand. It also serves to visually widen and lower the Macan and make the Macan look a little more like the Panamera and Cayenne.

More Refined Handling

As before, the 2019 Macan is best suited for blitzing backroads, not blasting over dirt and rocks. This year, Porsche has made tiny improvements to enhance the Macan's road-holding prowess. Fiddling with the design of a car's spring forks (they connect the spring and shock absorber to the front hubs while staying out of the way of the driveshafts) might not seem like a big deal, but Porsche has managed to shave more than 3 pounds by making them out of aluminum instead of steel.

Those weight savings have a knock-on effect, as Porsche says it further retuned the optional air suspension and stiffened the stabilizer bars. The result is simultaneously a more comfortable ride, better body control and more neutral handling — something you rarely associate with an SUV.

Our time in a Macan S equipped with the optional air suspension and Sport Chrono package had us routinely looking at the drive-mode selector switch to make sure we really were in Sport or Sport Plus mode. At low speeds, in particular, the Macan S glides over most road irregularities with ease. At higher speeds, the Macan behaves more like a big, powerful hot hatchback than anything else, flowing from corner to corner without feeling even slightly ponderous or sloppy.

Though we wouldn't mind a little (and we do mean a little) more steering feedback, the effort is spot-on and the confident, easy-to-modulate brakes make the Macan as easy to stop as it is willing to turn. And because the Macan is still a Porsche, carbon-ceramic brakes are available as an option.

New Engine Hotness

For power, there's a new-to-the-Macan turbocharged 3.0-liter V6. This engine is already put to good use in the Cayenne and the Panamera. The smaller and lighter Macan benefits the most from the 14-horsepower increase over last year's engine, which brings the total to 354 hp. Different from last year's twin-turbocharged V6, this engine has a single turbo placed in between the cylinder heads or in the "V" of the engine, rather than to the side or behind the engine.

Known as a "hot V," this placement does wonders for packaging and greatly improves response time from the turbo. This is something we experienced firsthand. The 2019 Macan provides solid, instantaneous power and forthright acceleration throughout the rev range. We expect even more power from the inevitable GTS and Turbo models, but Porsche is refusing to give up any details about those at the moment. A turbocharged four-cylinder continues to be the engine fitted to the base Macan.

While the tachometer gives you permission to spin the motor to 6,800 rpm, you might never have the need to go that far due to the savory power available right in the middle of the tach. Predictably, throttle response is excellent in Sport mode, and Sport Plus mode sharpens it further still without ever getting overly jumpy. Comfort mode deserves special mention, too, since it manages to relax the driving experience while retaining a responsive throttle and attentive transmission. As for that transmission, it's still Porsche's smooth and quick-shifting PDK automatic transmission.

Official figures were not available at the time of publication, but 0-60 should fall somewhere in the high 4-second range for the Macan S and high 5-second range for the 2.0-liter turbo Macan. We'll be sure to get our own numbers when we bring in a Macan for a full evaluation and ranking.

Interior Technology Upgrades

Inside, the 2019 Macan gets a 10.9-inch touchscreen that's currently in the Cayenne and Panamera models. Along with the larger interface comes a redesigned dash. We think the new design looks great. While some vehicle's displays look like a tablet tacked on to the dashboard as an afterthought, the Macan's is flush-mounted and nicely integrated into the overall design.

The design accentuates the width of the interior and keeps things tidy on the dashboard. There is still a mass of buttons covering the center console, however. While it takes a while to learn what they are all for, they provide direct access to many of the Macan's functions. We found them to be more convenience-enhancing than clutter.

Hidden behind the new display is a host of new technology aimed squarely at keeping you connected with your Macan and the Macan connected to the rest of the world. There's new, more natural voice recognition software (Voice Pilot) that, thanks to its constant online connection, keeps itself up to date. With that constant connectivity, the Macan constantly compares live traffic patterns against preprogrammed route preferences to keep you on the quickest path. But if you still prefer to use your phone for navigation and music selection, it's worth noting that while Apple CarPlay is available, Android Auto is not.

2019 Macan Pricing and Release Date

We don't have official pricing information yet, but it's safe to say that the 2019 Macan will see a modest price increase over the outgoing 2018 model. Last year, it started at $48,850 (including destination) for the base model and $56,460 for the S. Expect availability to begin in early spring of 2019.

Overall, we think the Macan has become even more appealing thanks to its myriad well-considered design, technology and chassis enhancements. And it seems that Porsche has once again cornered the market on the truly sporty SUV, even when putting the Macan up against the best its (primarily) German rivals have to offer. If you're looking for all the fun of a hot hatchback, but with a bit more practicality and a lot more power, the 2019 Porsche Macan needs to be on your short list.

It's midcycle refresh time for the 2019 Porsche Macan, which sees tweaks to its driving characteristics and a mildly updated appearance both inside and out. But the biggest updates come in the form of new technology features. The Macan also gets Miami Blue and Mamba Green Metallic paint options, which are great colors and make the Macan worth considering if you like happiness.

Minor Face-Lift

The Macan's looks have been massaged to be more in line with Porsche's current design language. The exaggerated light bar across the rear tailgate stands out as the most dramatic visual change, but if you look closely you'll notice some nips and tucks on the front fascia. LED headlights are now standard, and new 20- and 21-inch wheel designs are available.

Also newly offered is the GT sport steering wheel from the 911, which includes the Sport Response button that sharpens powertrain response temporarily and induces LOLs. The GT wheel will come as part of the Sports Chrono package. Other than the added oomph that Porsche claims the Sport Response button can conjure up, there are no powertrain updates for the 2019 Macan. We're OK with that, though, as the Macan has always had plenty of motivation for a small SUV.

Major Tech-Lift

It's the technology upgrades that take center stage in the 2019 Macan. The one you notice first is the new 11-inch touchscreen, but adaptive cruise control with Traffic Jam Assist has also been added, as have new app and connectivity features such as live traffic and "intelligent voice control."

Even more intriguing is the "Here Cloud" connection, which makes the Macan part of the Volkswagen Group's swarm-based data system. Essentially, "swarm data" means that your Porsche will send road and traffic data (and potentially other information) to a central server. Think of it as a bit like your car joining Waze. For this system to be effective — in terms of both providing useful information for drivers and gathering valuable data for the company — it needs to be running in a large number of vehicles. To that end, it's already in several Audis and the new Cayenne. And we have to assume it will continue to roll out across Volkswagen's products. If every nav-equipped Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche on the road is gathering data, the service might just have a shot in a marketplace that has increasingly shifted toward smartphone-based solutions.

Of course, there's more than one way to create value with all that fresh, sweet data your car gathers, and most methods have nothing to do with giving you better traffic info. Just ask Facebook what user data is worth.

Am I Macan You Want One?

Well, we don't have official pricing or an on-sale date yet. The safe bet would put the 2019 Porsche Macan in showrooms sometime this winter. Stay tuned to Edmunds for more details, including our usual full rating and review. In the meantime, maybe get comfortable with the idea of being surrounded by a "swarm."