2019 Porsche Macan facelift: what to expect

Porsche has shown the facelifted update of its best-selling Macan SUV getting down and dirty in the mountains of Lesotho.

9

Undergoing final testing before its debut in China in next week, the Macan’s testing regime saw it trek up to an altitude of 3400 metres above sea level, after proving itself on neighbouring South Africa’s rough asphalt, gravel roads and mountain passes.

All components, new or old, were subjected to the high-altitude testing at the hands of the development crew. In the pictures we can even see Porsche’s “sports car masquerading as an SUV” traversing rocky inclines in a display of its off-road potential.

9

Porsche is expected to first show the new Macan at the end of this month at a market launch in China, before a European reveal in the coming months – most likely at the Paris Motor Show in early October.

The Macan is the German carmaker’s best-selling model, with 350,000 delivered worldwide since it was introduced in 2014. This latest version has some big shoes to fill.

In order to build upon its success, Porsche is expected to revise several aspects of the Macan to bring it in-line with its updated competition. All models are expected to gain power bumps, and with the diesel-engined offerings likely to be dropped with the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol donk taking its place as the most economical option.

9

Images don’t show what’s going on inside the car, but previous spy shots indicate that we’ll see a larger, revised infotainment system set inside an updated dashboard.

In true Porsche fashion, the exterior design is set to remain largely unchanged – save for a few design elements like the full-width tail lights that span the boot and updated headlights similar to those on the recently updated Cayenne.

9

With these latest teaser images showing a very thinly-veiled Macan, we’re sure to see a reveal very soon – so stay tuned for more details in coming weeks.