- Agility and response
- Powerful twin-turbo V-6
- Upscale options and features
- Fine, quality feel throughout
- Prices skyrocket with options
- Small cargo area and back seat
- Console overrun with buttons
- Base turbo-4 just OK
- The 2020 Porsche Macan is a natural athlete in any form, so don’t go overboard with performance features you won’t need.
The fun-to-drive small crossover is accessible by Porsche standards, but the options will cost you.
The 2020 Porsche Macan is among the most rewarding crossover SUVs on the market, even as this design begins to show its age.
Originally launched for 2015, the $52,000 Macan is expensive for something so small and with such limited cargo utility, yet it somehow manages to feel like a bargain despite a price that skyrockets with options. Excellent handling and punchy powertrains tend to have that effect. We score the 2020 Macan at 6.8 out of 10 overall.
The base turbo-4 Macan and twin-turbo V-6 Macan S are joined this year by a sportier Macan GTS and a ferocious Macan Turbo. With a massive power spread from the base car’s 248 hp to the range-topper’s 434 ponies, there’s a Macan for just about everyone.
We’ve had little time behind the wheel of the base Macan, but the twin-turbo V-6 is an absolute gem of an engine. It hurtles power to all four wheels through a rapid-fire 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Every version handles as well as a Porsche should, while the optional adaptive dampers and the divine air suspension put it at the top of the performance crossover class.
The Macan has a luxurious interior that offers a pleasingly personal feel imparted by nice materials, good design, and, frankly, limited space. If you regularly haul the entire family around, keep shopping.
At around $52,000, the Macan is more accessible to buyers than anything else in the Porsche lineup. The automaker is stingy with features we think ought to be standard—automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and Apple CarPlay compatibility come to mind—but the wide degree of personalization reminds us that the Macan is more about custom-tailoring than appealing to a wide audience. Come prepared to spend big bucks for a little crossover with exceptionally balanced performance.
Styling
Porsche cues morph into a crossover SUV shape to create the 2020 Macan.
The 2020 Porsche Macan takes its larger Cayenne sibling’s design cues and shrinks them into a 3/5ths package. Though it may not be the most practical crossover you can buy, the 2020 Macan is attractive—especially with larger wheels and wide tires that hint at its performance. We rate the 2020 Macan 7 out of 10.
Up front, big headlights with complex bulb patterns sit high above a trio of wide openings, which is an appearance shared with the Cayenne and Panamera, not to mention Porsche’s iconic 911. Side blades that can be finished in black, silver, or body color accent the crossover’s sides, and its sloping roofline serves as a reminder that this is the Porsche of small crossovers, not a small crossover with a Porsche badge. At the rear, taut LED taillights and 3D lightbar help keep the aging model fresh. This year’s new Macan GTS has a distinct body kit, though it’ll take a true Porschephile to spot the differences.
The crossover’s interior is loaded with switches and screens, so don’t go looking for vintage Porsche simplicity here. The wide touchscreen measures almost 11 inches, and it incorporates a number of functions previously reserved for hard buttons; the look is still very busy. At least the all-business three-spoke steering wheel and clear, bold gauges are 100% Porsche.
A wide array of hides and trims help ensure that not every Macan need look identical, though dealers tend not to stock more adventurous shades.
Performance
The 2020 Porsche Macan is as polished a performer as most sports sedans.
There are few vehicles capable of hauling four passengers and their cargo in comfort with the 2020 Porsche Macan’s level of performance. It’s that good, topped perhaps only by far pricier sporty crossovers such as the Lamborghini Urus. We score the 2020 Macan at 8 out of 10 for the way it sways even the most ardent crossover haters with its excellent acceleration, taut handling, and all-around competence.
Base Macans use a 2.0-liter turbo-4 rated at a relatively mild 248 horsepower. We’ve not driven a base Macan, though that same engine does duty in the Audi Q5 with good acceleration. Still, the base turbo-4 is largely a lease special.
The Macan S is the most likely candidate for driveways and roadways. Starting just above $60,000, the S comes with a 348-horsepower turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 mated to a 7-speed dual clutch automatic.
All Macans have turbochargers, but there is only one Macan Turbo. Confused? Its 434 horsepower will vault you to 60 mph in just 4.3 seconds (4.1 with Sport Chrono), which should leave you merely dazed. The $85,000 asking price may as well.
Even in standard form, the Macan is an impressive handler. Its steering is sharp and direct, its ride taut without being overly firm even with optional 21-inch wheels, and its handling as impressive on track as it is navigating to work and back.
The optional summer tires are best for coaxing performance out of the Macan, though many drivers will be better of spending instead for either the optional adaptive dampers or the full air spring setup, both of which adjust the car’s ride at the tap of a button. The air suspension can lower the Macan by about an inch for even more optimal handling prowess.
Comfort & Quality
With its driver-focused interior, the 2020 Porsche Macan is pure sports car with a hint of added utility.
The 2020 Porsche Macan isn’t a great choice for big families with lots of need for utility, but it uses what space it has reasonably well and is decked out in luxurious duds inside.
We score the 2020 Macan at 7 out of 10 for its comfy front seats and its cargo space.
Up front, the standard sport seats accommodate a wide range of bodies and offer standard power adjustment. Grippier seats are available, though wider drivers will want to try before buying. Rear-seat riders will find adequate but not expansive room, as long as nobody sits in the middle seat.
With less than 18 cubic feet, the cargo space doesn’t impress, even when it expands to 53 cubes with the rear seat folded. At least that cargo is shuttled around in a nice, upmarket interior with good materials and attention to detail. Optional extras such as genuine wood, carbon fiber, and aluminum are available and should be seriously considered since sorting through Porsche’s extra-long options list is a bucket list item for most car enthusiasts.
Safety
The 2020 Porsche Macan hasn’t been crash tested yet.
Don’t look for the 2020 Porsche Macan to be crash tested any time soon. It sells in low enough numbers that neither the IIHS nor the NHTSA have assessed it.
Curiously, automatic emergency braking is optional—and it ought to be standard at these prices. Selecting it requires ordering adaptive cruise control. Lane-departure warnings are standard, while blind-spot monitors and active lane control are extras.
Features
The 2020 Porsche Macan is neither inexpensive nor sparsely equipped.
It’s unlikely that many 2020 Porsche Macan crossovers roll out of the automaker’s assembly plant and into dealers without a wide array of options selected. The 2020 Macan is far from a great value, though it offers a huge degree of customizability. We score it at 8 out of 10, for its standard and optional equipment and its wide-screen infotainment.
The Macan range comes in base, S, GTS, and Turbo trims. Skip the temptation of every option and the base Macan runs about $52,000 and includes niceties such as a 10.9-inch touchscreen, navigation, 10 speakers, power-adjustable front seats, leather and synthetic suede seats, a power liftgate, and more. None of those features are groundbreaking, and yet even a zero-option Macan is reasonably lavish.
The Macan S tosses in the far more powerful twin-turbo V-6 plus upsized brakes and wheels. The GTS is new this year with even more grunt and a buttoned-down suspension, plus the otherwise optional $1,360 Sport Chrono package that includes adaptive dampers, an extra sport driving mode, and a lap timer.
Fuel Economy
Porsche prioritizes performance over fuel economy in the Macan.
Performance doesn’t come cheap. The 2020 Porsche Macan with all-wheel drive isn’t efficient, though a stop-start system is standard fare. Overall, we rate the Macan at 4 out of 10 for its fuel economy.
Base cars with the 2.0-liter turbo-4 are rated at 19 mpg city, 23 highway, 21 combined.
Surprisingly, the twin-turbo V-6 scores a nearly as impressive 18/23/20 mpg even though it’s much more powerful. The EPA has not yet rated the GTS or Turbo. Notably, all Macans run on pricey premium unleaded—you didn’t expect otherwise, did you?
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