New 2019 Porsche Macan lands in Paris: 2018 Paris Motor Show

Porsche has brought its latest Macan mini-SUV to the Paris motor show, and it promises a marked improvement design, comfort, connectivity and handling.

Featuring a tweaked, cleaner design and uprated chassis, the new Macan comes after 350,000 orders of the SUV since its release in 2014 – it’s a hugely important model car for the sports car brand.

Latest news from the 2018 Paris Motor Show

This isn't the Porsche Macan's world debut; it was shown at the 2018 Shanghai auto show, tellingly just hours after the unveiling of another new Volkswagen Group SUV - the new Audi Q3.

So what’s new on the 2019 Porsche Macan?

As you’d expect from Stuttgart, the design of the facelifted Porsche Macan represents a ‘light tidy-up’ more than a sweeping redesign.

The overall look of the car is pretty similar, though Porsche says it’s carried over elements of the 911 and 918 design to make the Macan look a little sportier. We'd say it's a pretty modest refresh.

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With that in mind, you’ll find LED headlights as standard, and at the rear the new model retains the three-dimensional LED light strip that’s becoming a hallmark of the current Macan. As expected, all lights use the four-point design we’re seeing sweep through the company’s road and race cars.

By changing the placement of the air intakes, Porsche has made the front of the Macan look wider than before, helping to give it a squatter, sportier look.

It’ll come in four new colours, too: Miami Blue, Mamba Green Metallic, Dolomite Silver Metallic and Crayon. Suitably silly paint names? Check...

Finally, 20- and 21-inch wheels are now on offer, to lend that gangster swagger.

And inside the cabin of the facelifted Porsche Macan?

The interior of the Macan sees a similar amount of change, with new styling updates designed to bring the car slightly closer to Porsche’s halo 911 sports car range.

An optional GT sports steering wheel is the most obvious nod to Stuttgart’s most iconic sports car, while an integrated Sports Response Button mirrors the one you’d find on a the latest Cayenne SUV.

Porsche has hiked up the levels of comfort, so this time you’ll find a heated windscreen and air-improving ioniser on the options list. A traffic jam adaptive cruise system has finally arrived in the Macan too, though it’s only functional at speeds up to 37.2mph (60kph).

That screen!

The most striking thing in the new Macan interior – besides the swarm of switches by the gear selector, which we’ll get to later – is a new full-HD infotainment system. Measuring a massive 11 inches corner-to-corner, the new screen features the same tile-based user interface as the Panamera and Macan. Such is the size of the new screen that Porsche has redesigned air vents around it, so they’re now below it.

Just like the current model, the new Macan will ship with a Connect Plus module, allowing for a more connected driving experience. That means you can expect voice control, and real-time traffic information powered by BMW, Daimler and VW Group’s Here maps service.

As you can see from the pictures, there's also a tonne of switches, which is a change from the smudgy glass surfaces we're now seeing dominate most VAG cars' dashboards...

What’ll the new Macan be like to drive?

Porsche says the new Macan has an optimised chassis, so it should feature an even more engaging ride than the current model. As with the current car, the new 2019 Macan will feature mixed tyres to bolster its handling, and a new all-wheel drive system should increase the levels of grip - especially mid-corner.