Since the launch of the first-generation Macan, more than 90% of domestic consumers have purchased the entry-level 2.0t model, while globally In terms of consumer choice, entry-level models are also the absolute main contributor to sales. This phenomenon triggered Porsche's thinking: If consumers prefer the Macan entry-level model so much, why not launch more segmented models on this basis to give consumers in this budget range more choices? Finally, today, one year after the release of the third-generation Macan, the new Macan T based on the entry-level version is officially launched.

The tail mark T can be traced back to the first generation 911 model, and its meaning is Touring. But in fact, models with a T tail mark have little to do with travel in the usual sense. Its true meaning actually represents Porsche's unique dynamic driving experience: it is upgraded based on the basic model, without changing the powertrain and without significantly increasing the price, using a more sporty tuning style to provide consumers with It provides an excellent driving experience that is significantly improved compared to the entry-level model. In the past, the T tail badge has always been exclusive to two-door sports cars, and the Macan T, with a starting price of 618,000 yuan, has become the first four-door model among the T tail badge models.

In terms of appearance, compared with the entry-level model, the most important changes are the details. Onyx gray metallic paint accents. In particular, the color changes inside the front bumper make the already low and wide front face of the third-generation Macan more prominent. Other details using this color are the exterior mirrors, lower side skirts, roof rear spoiler and rear badge. At the same time, gloss black sports exhaust tailpipes are also standard, and there is also Macan T lettering on the decorative strip below the front door. In terms of wheels, 20-inch wheels from the Macan S are standard, and the color is dark titanium gray that echoes the body details. It can be said that there are still many elements that highlight the T model in appearance.

In the interior, the main changes are the standard use of genuine leather and sport-tax fabric materials. The spliced ​​seats are equipped with 8-way electric adjustment and heating functions, as well as the Porsche shield logo on the headrest. In addition, the popular GT-style sports steering wheel with heating function and sport chrono package are also standard, while carbon fiber interior panels and race-tax suede steering wheel are optional.

As a model with a T tail, the details inside and outside of the Macan T have not changed much.It is the focus of the model, and more importantly, the improvement of driving experience. However, it should be noted that the tuning style of all models with a T tail mark is limited by positioning and price. They do not focus on the pursuit of extreme track driving, but focus on providing more sporty driving in daily driving. experience. In order to verify this, a track test drive is obviously inappropriate. This time, we used the mountain road near Nice, France as the test drive section. This was also one of the most classic sections of the Monte Carlo Rally that year. It covers the uphill and downhill sections with countless changeable and thrilling bends. But it is a little regrettable that due to local regulations, the test drive model is still equipped with winter tires, which will obviously reduce the absolute grip. But this does not prevent us from experiencing the positioning and pursuit of this car: using a limited budget to enjoy superior driving pleasure.

First of all, I got the standard version with steel springs. It should be noted that this time the Macan T is the only model with a steel spring suspension equipped with the PASM active suspension management system as standard, and the body height is also 15 mm lower than the entry version, and the front anti-roll bar is also stiffer. It can be said that even the standard version is well prepared for mountain road driving.

Start up the mountain. The first thing you need to feel is the power: the 2.0t EA888 EVO4 engine, which is consistent with the entry-level model, has a maximum output of 265 hp, a maximum torque of 400 Nm, and an acceleration time of 0-100 in 6.2 seconds. The gearbox is the familiar 7-speed dual Clutch PDK gearbox. Within the Porsche brand, this relatively entry-level powertrain is obviously not very powerful, but compared with other models on the road, it is quite impressive. On the uphill section, the power of this engine cannot be said to be very strong, but it rarely makes you feel lack of power. According to my standards, on mountain roads, this engine is the most suitable for the word "sufficient" in my mind. Of course, if you take the scene of daily commuting in the city, the power of 6.2 seconds is not only "enough".

In the process of going up the mountain, I often encounter tourists riding bicycles. I need to slow down to a very slow speed and then look for Accelerate and surpass at a quasi-safe time. The Macan T can handle such acceleration requirements with ease. However, because the mountain road is narrow and there are few other vehicles, I did not have a safe opportunity to experience the scene of overtaking a car, which more tests the mid-range acceleration ability. However, I guess it should be no problem. When I test-drove the third-generation Macan in Norway last year, I was deeply impressed by the responsiveness of the EA888 EVO4 engine. This advantage is also maintained on the Macan TKeep. If the engine's power is considered to be above-average, then the power response performance can be said to be above-average. On mountain roads with changing slopes, you can fully experience the engine's comprehensive power output characteristics in the high, medium and low speed ranges and at different throttle depths. The responsiveness of this engine has already been achieved among four-cylinder models. Almost impeccable. Low speed, high speed, small throttle, large throttle, any arrangement and combination, it can respond to changes in the throttle very quickly. Correspondingly, after the optional sports exhaust is installed, it can also give you some exhaust sounds that are not rich but are enough to create a sporty atmosphere, and even have some backfire sounds. What’s even more interesting is that the sound of the pressure relief valve is clearly audible after releasing the accelerator. In terms of sound, the creation of a sporty feel is considered comprehensive and thoughtful.

The performance of the chassis can also be said to be excellent. The height reduction of 15 mm and the stiffer anti-roll bar have a very obvious effect on this medium-sized SUV. On the one hand, it slightly reduces the degree of roll, and on the other hand, it also makes the car more stable in continuous mountain road curves. The pace could be faster. Of course, the more obvious change is the exquisiteness of the roll, which is really amazing. In many SUV models that are not sporty, a very typical phenomenon is that as long as you enter a corner at a slightly faster speed, the entire car will tilt to one side as if it collapsed. As the cornering speed becomes faster and faster, it will roll. The degree of suspension has not increased significantly because the chassis support has reached its limit early. But this Macan T is different. First of all, it is very supportive. More importantly, its degree of roll is highly correlated with the speed and intensity of cornering. You can easily adjust this in subtle ways. time to determine the status of the vehicle. SUV models can do this, and the level of adjustment of this steel spring suspension can be imagined.

After a short lunch at the top of the mountain, on the other way down the mountain, I changed to an optional High-end models equipped with adaptive air suspension with PASM and upgraded version of PTV Plus torque vectoring system. The total price of the two main options is about 38,000 yuan. Of course, this high-end model also comes with optional carbon fiber interior panels and a race-tax suede steering wheel. As soon as you sit in the car, the sportiness is greatly improved.

Compared to the morning, this downhill road is even narrower, with continuous left and right bends. The roads are more tightly connected and have many 180-degree turns. In fact, I was thinking as soon as I set off that this would be a good location to shoot Initial D.

After just a few turns, I made a direct judgment: If you want to get the most extreme sports driving experience on the Macan T, then this adaptive air suspension is a must-have configuration. There is no possibility. Even if you don’t choose anything else for this reason, it is still worth it. As for PTV Plus, it is half recommended. We will talk about this in detail later. Let’s talk about the Macan first. The base height of the T air suspension is 5mm higher than the steel spring, but when the driving mode is switched to sport+, the body height can be further reduced by 10mm. We all know the benefits of a low center of gravity, but what is even more amazing is the support: I have Trying to push the tires until they squeal at almost every corner, although winter tires are absolutely perfect The limit is not very high, but this speed is much faster than normal mountain road driving. Even so, the roll of this car is almost imperceptible at this speed, which is not what an SUV should have at all. state, even for a sporty sedan, it is really difficult to achieve this. Such performance can even be compared with many It is comparable to many sports cars or high-performance cars. Another improvement is the steering feel. In fact, on the steel spring version, the steering feel has not changed much compared to the entry-level model, but after the air suspension is optional, The steering feel has also been improved to a certain extent, which is a bonus of this option. The steering becomes sharper and faster. The front of the car responds faster and more accurately to steering wheel movements, and this change can only be felt during relatively intense driving, and the car will not feel too sensitive during daily gentle driving. The important point is that Porsche mentioned one word in the information: lightweight, but in fact, the Macan Compared with the entry-level version, the T does not have many weight reduction measures, so I was a little confused about this before. But after driving this model with the optional air suspension, I instantly understood: the so-called lightweight is not. Compared with the entry version, but with the S and GTS models using V6 engines, the weight reduction of the front axle in particular has reached 58.8 kilograms, which is almost equivalent to a person. The most intuitive feeling brought by the weight reduction is that the front of the car has become more flexible, which cannot be compensated for by more power. It is also this that highlights the biggest feature of the T series models: relying solely on adjustment. The changes bring driving pleasure at the same level as the S model or even better. On the winding downhill road, no matter how tight the connection between the left and right continuous curves is, this Macan will be more comfortable. T can keep up with the pace, and the whole car does not feel sluggish at all. If you ignore the high sitting position, you will even have the illusion of driving a 718. Another advantage of air suspension is that it greatly improves sportiness. , comfortable for daily driving The adaptability is not compromised, and the texture is even better. This is especially true on uneven mountain roads. The more than 18,000 yuan option is really worth it. < /p>

As for PTV Plus, the reason why it is recommended to a half degree is because with the upgraded torque vectoring system, the car's cornering dynamics have changed significantly. In order to ensure safety, I almost always choose to turn on the gas relatively late when exiting corners on mountain roads. On the low-end car in the morning, even if I use this exit method, the rear of the car will tend to be a little outward. However, because the power is relatively small, it is very comfortable to control. Even if you directly try to open the gas after passing the apex, it is easy to drive and very fun. As for this high-end model, you can clearly feel that more power can be distributed to the outside front wheels, and there is an action to straighten the front of the car at once, instead of straightening the rear. Theoretically, the rear end of the car will be easier to swing when going downhill, but it is very stable on this car. This can indeed drive safer and faster, but I personally prefer a more direct and flexible rear end. But this is just a personal preference, so I recommend half of it. You must try it yourself to know which one is more suitable for you.

Another key to going down the mountain is braking. Of course, for the sake of safety, after a period of slightly intense driving, I will try to let the car slide for a certain distance in a low gear, and use the engine brake to control the speed to dissipate heat from the brakes. But overall, even the standard braking system is still very easy to deal with such moderately intense driving. For this car, the standard braking system is enough.

Driving this Macan T on the one-hour mountain road, we soon reached the foot of the mountain. . And throughout the driving process, I actually couldn't help laughing from time to time. As for the last SUV that made me laugh on the mountain road, I haven't thought about it for a long time. Suddenly I remembered the Cayenne Turbo GT that I tested last year. It was Porsche's most powerful SUV model and is still the holder of the New Orleans SUV lap record. But after a day of test driving, I feel that if the scene is limited to narrow, winding, tight mountain roads, and the evaluation dimension is not speed but just fun, then the Macan T, especially the version with the optional air suspension, seems to be fine. Beat the Cayenne Turbo GT.

But is the Macan T perfect? Not really. After arriving in Nice at the foot of the mountain, I discovered a very obvious problem: the performance of this car's gearbox in daily urban driving conditions is indeed not very good. In fact, when driving on a mountain road in a relatively sporty manner, the performance of this 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox is still excellent. Whether it is the shifting speed or logic, including the feeling of the entire shifting process, it is still very good. . but comeIn the city, especially when switching between 123 gears and frequently starting and stopping, there are still a lot of frustrations and fragmentation, and there will be a little abnormal noise under certain special working conditions. After all, this gearbox is quite old. It has been used since the first-generation Macan was launched. Although there have been various forms of optimization during this period, it is still a bit old. But considering that the Macan will be purely electric soon, there is really no need for Porsche to invest a lot of money and manpower to update this gearbox at this point in time.

The last interesting thing is that after the test drive, I had a discussion with another teacher from Tongdong exchanged. Unlike me, who rated the air suspension version more favorably, he preferred the steel spring version. Because he feels that this is an SUV after all, not a sports car, so there is no need to overly pursue the chassis feel of a sports car or high-performance car. In such a model, it should show some characteristics of a more family car, such as a little bit of roll. In particular, this kind of roll is moderate, clear, and can help the driver sense the status of the vehicle. It can be regarded as a very good adjustment. But I still think it is even more rare for an SUV to use air suspension to create an experience close to that of a sports car. It is true that different people have different views on cars. We can drive and see even subtle differences between different models and versions, but it is completely possible to draw the opposite conclusion about the choice we prefer. For example, sour and sweet are two flavors that are easy to taste, but different people have different opinions on which tastes better. So, which one do you prefer, steel springs or air suspension? But after our test drive, we have reached consensus on one thing. As the first four-door model with a T tail mark, the performance of the Macan T can definitely reach the same level as its predecessors as a two-door sports car.