2022 Porsche Macan T review

Wondering what the ‘T’ in the 2022 Porsche Macan T’s name stands for? 

It’s Porsche’s model designation for ‘touring’ – and the Macan T represents the first time this designation has appeared on a four-door Porsche. Traditionally, it’s been reserved for 911 and 718 models, but Porsche’s medium SUV broke the mould and underwent the ‘T’ treatment in late 2022.

So what does it all mean for the popular – albeit ageing – model, which ranks as Porsche’s best-selling car so far in 2022 (by a long shot)? In a nutshell, the Macan T receives the same powertrain as the base-spec Macan, but gains some performance-focussed extras as standard.

This includes the standard fitment of Porsche’s Sport Chrono package – which adds launch control, four drive modes, motorsports-inspired gear shifting, and a stopwatch on the dash.

It also allows the car to accelerate from 0–100km/h in 6.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 232km/h (on a racing circuit, of course). 

The Macan T also gains active suspension management, a 15mm lower ride height, 20-inch wheels (up from the base grade’s 19-inch wheels), some gloss black and grey metallic exterior accents, and sports tailpipes and sports seats.

In short: it’s a base-spec Macan injected with some serious sports car DNA. 

The Macan T sits one step above the base Macan and starts at $92,700 before on-road costs – $3400 more than the base Macan.

That’s certainly better value than opting for the base Macan and adding the Sport Chrono package ($1880), active suspension management ($2180) and 20-inch wheels, which can add between $3000–$6500 depending on your chosen colour. 

All three features come standard on the Macan T. 

Under the bonnet of the Macan T is the same engine as the entry-level Macan – a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine capable of outputting 195kW and 400Nm at its peak. That drives all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch sports automatic transmission. 

While the Macan T sits on the lower end of the Macan pricing range, the many options fitted to my test car amounted to a dizzying total of $25,860. The most expensive of these options included a $3280 black leather package, a $3110 panoramic roof, and a $3080 sports exhaust system. 

As such, my Macan T amounted to $134,072 drive-away when configured for a Melbourne postcode.

All of a sudden, that drive-away price has entered the realm of larger luxury SUVs like a base-spec BMW X5 or Audi Q7, or even a higher-spec Jaguar F-Pace.

Before options and on-road costs, the Macan T competes with other premium medium SUVs like the BMW X3, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, the Mercedes-Benz GLC or the Audi Q5.

The only difference is that spending $92,700 before on-road costs in any of those model ranges will get you into a slightly higher spec grade than it will in the Macan line-up.

In terms of performance, the closest competitors are the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce, which has a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine capable of 206kW and 400Nm, or the BMW X4 xDrive30i M Sport, which offers sporty styling and 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo petrol engine with peak outputs of 185kW and 350Nm. 

Of those, the Macan T sits in the middle in terms of price, above the Stelvio at $80,950 before on-road costs, but below the X4 at $99,900. 

Hopping into the Macan T’s front seat, there are so many switches and dials adorning the dash, driver display, steering wheel, centre console and roof that I felt like a fighter pilot. 

Call sign: Mum-erick. 

The dashboard and displays certainly lean a little more analogue than those in some premium rivals, with an old-school instrument cluster and a dash-mounted stopwatch. 

To make room for all those buttons and switches, it feels as though some storage has been compromised.

There’s no wireless charger and the wide centre console only contains one small dish next to the two cupholders to take your phone and keys, plus a small storage compartment with a lid that also houses two USB-C ports.

I found I was constantly looking for natural, easy-to-access spots to put my iPhone, my two sets of keys, my extra coffee cup, my son’s dummy, and other stupid knick-knacks I like to have handy. 

The seats are finished in a full black leather upholstery, which adds $3280 to the purchase price. As standard, the upholstery is a combination of black leather and Sport-Tex fabric.  

While the leather felt nice, it wasn’t particularly sumptuous; however, the sports seats themselves were supportive, comfortable and heated, with eight-way electric adjustment offered as standard (my test car featured 18-way adjustment for an additional $2410). I particularly loved the fabulous orange seatbelts, which were perfectly coordinated with the car’s exterior.

The sunroof, a costly extra, is tinted and doesn’t allow much glare to enter the cabin, plus it opens up nice and wide – making for a particularly fun childcare pick-up on a rare sunny day in Melbourne. 

Three-zone climate control and privacy glass are also both standard inclusions across the entire Macan range.

In the back seat, the sloped roof reduces headroom to a degree, and I found my head would lightly touch the roof when sitting fulling upright. 

Legroom isn’t expansive, but it was adequate for me (I’m 178cm tall), although I’d imagine it could get cramped quite quickly with someone taller in the driver’s seat. 

Fitting anything more than two adults in the back seat would be a squeeze – and the middle occupant would have very limited legroom due to a raised section of flooring. 

Overall, it’s not a particularly roomy back seat, but kids will be fine and child seats are accounted for with two ISOFIX tether points, plus three top-tether points over the back of the seat.

As an added bonus, the bright orange ISOFIX tether points are particularly easy to find – painted the exterior colour of the car, but a standout against the surrounding black trim. 

There are also two sizeable air vents and two USB-C ports, plus buttons to tweak the rear temperature as part of the three-zone climate control system. 

Storage-wise, the back seat also features small, deep door bins and two cupholders in the armrest, but no map pockets on the seat-backs.

Helpfully, the second row folds in a 40:20:40 split to offer maximum configurability for those contending with car seats. 

The Macan’s boot provides 488L of storage space, or up to 1503L with the rear seats folded. While it lags behind more spacious rivals on paper, in person it’s actually a fairly accommodating space, with a good amount of width and depth on offer, although height is decreased by the curved roof line. 

There are hooks to tie down your load, a hard cargo cover that can be removed, a 12-volt outlet and a small storage net, plus a temporary-use spare wheel under the floor. 

A power tailgate is also standard, although there’s no hands-free access and the boot must be opened via a sneaky button hidden on the rear wiper.

Porsche’s in-built infotainment system, called Porsche Communication Management (PCM), operates out of a 10.9-inch touchscreen offering up-to-date, online satellite navigation (with a handy key to the closest petrol station), DAB digital radio, wireless Apple CarPlay and voice activation.

Unfortunately, Android users will be left wanting, with no Android Auto available across the Macan model range. 

In the glovebox, there’s a SIM card reader, an SD card reader and two USB-C ports. 

Porsche’s Connect Plus system enables remote access to the car via the My Porsche app, which allows you to synchronise your destinations and calendar appointments with your car.

The majority of the screen’s graphics are basic and black and white, but the native satellite navigation display is expansive and colourful, and some of the driver assistance screens feature more detailed graphics.  

I found pairing my phone to use the wireless Apple CarPlay took a few attempts and, when it eventually loaded, it bizarrely only filled out two-thirds of the screen, leaving a black rectangle on the left-hand side. Additionally, the icons on the touchscreen were quite small and sometimes tricky to hit while driving.

The climate controls, meanwhile, are managed out of the centre console via a combination of physical and touch buttons, but the latter are frustratingly hard to activate, and I often had to jab at them with my finger several times in order to trigger a response.

A mostly analogue instrument cluster offers some old-school charm, but incorporates a smaller 4.8-inch colour display that shows tyre pressure monitoring, a trip computer, mini map info and a music view.

Unfortunately, the only thing resembling a digital speedometer is a set of small numbers beneath the tachometer that can be hard to read while keeping your eyes on the road. 

Additionally, there's no head-up display on offer, even as an option.

Finally, a 10-speaker sound system is offered as standard on the Macan T, but my test car was equipped with a $2230 Bose surround-sound system offering 14 speakers and a subwoofer. This wasn’t a particular standout, at least not to my ears. It could well be the quality of my Spotify to blame, but I occasionally found the sound lacked definition. 

My colleague Justin, however, found it worked particularly well on “bigger and more ambient tracks” and was one of the better examples of a Bose stereo he’d experienced in a car.

The Porsche Macan has not been tested by local safety body ANCAP, and even its Euro NCAP rating has expired because it was last tested in 2014.

Additionally, some active safety features you might expect on a car of this price point are missing. 

For example, autonomous emergency braking – which is now commonplace on most modern cars – is only offered as standard from the Macan S grade and up.

If you want AEB on the Macan T, you’ll have to pay extra for the adaptive cruise-control option, which costs an additional $1620 and includes AEB. 

Lane-keeping assist is also an optional extra and a rear cross-traffic alert is not available. 

The Macan T features eight airbags, including front driver and passenger airbags, side airbags for first- and second-row passengers, and full-length curtain airbags. 

The standard safety technology list for the Porsche Macan T includes lane-change assist, a lane-departure warning, cruise control with a speed limiter, tyre pressure monitoring, ABS (anti-lock brakes), an automatic hold function, and seatbelt reminders for the front and rear. 

For parking, there are also front and rear parking sensors, a reverse camera with surround view, and mirrors with a kerb-view parking aid – all of which combine to make the parking experience extremely straightforward. 

As mentioned, autonomous emergency braking is only available if you add the $1620 adaptive cruise-control option, while lane-keeping assist, which was fitted to my test car, is an extra $1100. 

The lane-keeping assist system offers both an audible alarm and steering assistance if you veer out of your lane, while the active cruise control is managed out of a stalk on the steering wheel that is, in my opinion, an inferior alternative to simpler steering-wheel buttons. 

I found I missed the inclusion of a rear cross-traffic alert, which is almost becoming a given on most modern SUVs, but otherwise the combination of standard and optional safety tech worked effectively and wasn’t overzealous.

Porsche offers a three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty on its vehicles, and service intervals for the Macan T come every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

Porsche’s service pricing varies by state and dealership, but according to my closest Porsche dealership in Melbourne, servicing will cost roughly $2690 over three years or $4685 over five years. 

It has to be said that Porsche is one of the few remaining manufacturers to offer a three-year warranty term, with most of its premium rivals – including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Alfa Romeo and Jaguar – moving to a five-year term in recent years.

Servicing is also costly compared to competitors. For its base F-Pace, Jaguar charges $1920 for five years of servicing – which significantly undercuts even Porsche’s three-year servicing costs.

The Macan T will cost $2637.01 to insure per year based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

The Porsche Macan T has a 75L fuel tank that requires premium 98-octane unleaded petrol. At current prices, you’re looking at a minimum of $150 every time you fill up from empty. 

Porsche quotes 9.5L/100km of fuel consumption on a combined cycle, but given my week of driving was urban-based, a more appropriate figure to quote would be the urban claim, which is 11.4L/100km.

My real-world figure was almost bang-on that claim, clocking in at 11.5L/100km. 

That consumption figure is not out of the question for a car with performance leanings, but there’s no way you could call it 'fuel efficient' – particularly in a daily driver sense – so just be aware of ongoing petrol costs.

Fuel efficiency, cabin space and safety aside, let’s be honest – the real reason you buy a Porsche is for the driver experience, and that’s where this Macan T excels.

From the moment you start the car by twisting the ignition fob (a far more tactile experience than a push-button start), you get the sense this isn’t your average medium SUV. 

The slim steering wheel belies a direct, precise and satisfyingly firm steering feel that immediately differentiates the Macan from the usual medium SUV suspects, but without sacrificing ease of use in smaller side streets. 

The best bit about opting for the Macan T over and above the base Macan is the inclusion of some adaptive driving features that allow you to modify the car’s ability to either blend in, or stand out, from the commuter crowd.

Hitting the exhaust button amps up the grumble from the optional sports exhaust system, but it’s actually surprisingly demure otherwise. 

The $2790 adaptive air suspension with levelling system can lower the car’s ride height by a further 10mm, on top of the 15mm it has already been lowered compared to the regular Macan.

You can do this independently with a button in the centre console, or you can switch the car into sport or sport plus mode, both of which automatically lower suspension.

Doing this at the traffic lights is a bit of a flex, and you’ll immediately notice more engine vibration and noise in the cabin – sort of like the car becoming its own evil twin. 

With the suspension lowered, you’ll also feel and hear the road more than you can when it’s at its usual height, with patchy road segments resulting in clunks in the cabin.

Still, the ride is supple enough to counteract any roughness resulting from the lower stance, and it’s a good all-rounder in the normal drive mode too. 

I was more aware of road surfaces and vibration from the engine than I have been in other more traditional, cosseting medium SUVs, but it was always at a level that felt appropriately matched to the car and never overly bothersome. 

Rear visibility is also a little more limited than in other medium SUVs I’ve driven, with a rear windshield that is wide but lacking in height – plus the back-seat headrests can reduce this visibility further. 

Still, despite lacking the more powerful engine available on higher-spec variants, the Macan T’s outputs are ample and even feel heightened thanks to the sharp-shifting seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The only thing that has the potential to blunt this buzz is a less-than-perfect idle-stop system, which incorporates a little messily into the powertrain and results in a lag from a standstill. 

The lowered ride height, all-wheel-drive capabilities, and the fact the Macan T is lighter than higher-spec variants, all combine to give it a beautiful sense of balance, agility and surefootedness on the road.

As implied by the ‘T’ in its nameplate, the car would be ideal for a jaunt up the snaking hillside roads you’d likely see in an Italian tourism ad. 

In terms of nailing its brief, the Porsche Macan T certainly does a convincing job of keeping one foot firmly planted in the sports car world, with the other in SUV land. 

I’ll happily acknowledge I’m possibly not in the right life stage or headspace to appreciate the unique perks of the Macan T, which are mostly centred around performance-style driving, with its racy revisions further enhancing the car’s inherent Porsche DNA. 

I can also comfortably say that shoppers simply hunting for a run-of-the-mill luxury SUV or upmarket family car might find their needs better met elsewhere in terms of safety, ownership costs, standard equipment and practicality.

However, I’d hazard a guess that anyone buying this car is unlikely to be doing much cross-shopping outside of the Macan range, as Porsche really has nothing left to prove on the performance front.

As advertised, this is a practical Porsche with a slightly more palatable entry price – a grown-up hot hatch of sorts.

To that end, if you’re a reluctant SUV shopper unwilling to sentence themselves to a lifetime of boring commutes and top-heavy family haulers, the Macan T makes for a pretty enticing compromise.