UPDATE 8/4/22: This review has been updated with test results.
Life in the middle isn’t easy—just ask any child with older and younger siblings. When the others get all the parental attention, living in the middle can make you feel overlooked. In the middle of the 2022 Porsche Macan lineup, sandwiched between the 434-hp GTS and the 261-hp base model, is the Macan S. But Porsche hasn’t forgotten about the S—for 2022, the S gets a very desirable hand-me-down.
The gift from above comes from a shuffling of the Macan lineup. Last year’s Macan S had a 348-hp engine, but for ’22, the S inherits the 375-hp turbo V-6 from the old GTS. In our last test of the 375-hp Macan GTS, it hit 60 mph in a life-affirming 3.9 seconds. With the Sport Chrono package ($1220), which adds launch control, our new Macan S test car was even a smidge quicker, reaching 60 mph in 3.8 seconds. That’s also nearly a second quicker than the 2019 S model we last tested. Hit the drag strip and the quarter-mile passes in 12.5 seconds at 108 mph. The S also enjoys more standard equipment, including adaptive dampers (Porsche Active Suspension Management), the Porsche Dynamic Light System, and 20-inch wheels.
Changes to the exterior design make the Macan look more like the Cayenne. Inside, the button-filled center console has been swapped out for a new flush, haptic panel that requires a firm touch. Though not as tactile as its predecessor’s metallic switches and toggles, the surface does help simplify the interior. However, the plastic panel will inevitably be smudged with fingerprints—bring wipes.
The view from the driver’s seat is classic Porsche, with a large, centrally positioned analog tachometer with a speedometer next to it, just like you’d find in a 50-year-old 911. In the center console, there’s Porsche’s latest 10.9-inch multimedia touchscreen equipped with now-standard wireless Apple CarPlay.
There’s virtually nothing dull about how the Macan S drives. The steering enjoys an intuitive connection between the driver’s palms and the road surface below. Acceleration from the twin-turbo V-6 is brisk, turbo lag is minimal, and it snarls pleasingly. A strong shove is available throughout the rev range, as 383 lb-ft of torque are available from 1850 to 5000 rpm. When you dial into Sport mode, transmission and throttle response become more aggressive and the adaptive dampers stiffen up. Downshifts come sooner, upshifts later, and the buttery smooth gearchanges become a little sharper. Because we indulged in the Macan S’s newfound horsepower, our 18-mpg average fell short of the 19-mpg EPA combined rating. But the Porsche did return 26 mpg on our 75-mph highway test, beating its EPA highway estimate by 3 mpg.
We’ve previously driven the new Macan S on its optional air springs ($1390), which provide a supple ride that damps out most road irregularities yet firms up nicely when hustling through corners. But the standard coil springs on our test car did a fine job of balancing comfort and body control, despite the Macan’s inherently high seating position and tall roofline. That higher-profile SUV height is quickly forgotten, as the Macan handles so well that anyone trading out of a sports car or a sports sedan will feel at home. It has ample cornering grip, chest-cavitating acceleration when using launch control, and big brakes to bring it all to a fade-free stop. On staggered Michelin Latitude Sport 3 summer tires, we recorded a decent 0.91 of skidpad grip and a 160-foot stop from 70 mph. The GTS might be quicker and stickier still, but it’s also far more expensive.
A top-of-the-line GTS (it replaced the Turbo for 2022) starts at $81,250, which makes the Macan S’s base price of $66,750 relatively attractive; a modest-for-Porsche list of options upped our example’s tally to $73,040. And while the new Macan S is $5200 more than last year’s model, don’t forget about the increase in standard equipment and the 27 extra horsepower. The Macan S might be a middle child, but drive one and it’ll get your attention.
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