The Porsche Macanalready offers excellent acceleration, and it's highly capable off-road. But Porsche is looking to improve the formula for the refreshed version that launches globally in the coming weeks. In this video, Porsche takes Macan prototypes to southern Africa to test their capabilities off-road and in very high altitudes.
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In South Africa, the test crew evaluates the performance of the Macan over gravel roads and other harsh surfaces. They also travel to Lesotho for extreme high-altitude testing. Here, the Macan proves its worth battling a tricky combination of rocky roads, heat, and dust at around 11,155 feet above sea level.
Porsche says the mid-cycle refresh will bring updated engines. We don't know the exact changes, or which will make it to the U.S. Here, we currently have a number of options including a 2.0-liter turbo-four with 252 hp, and a 3.6-liter twin-turbo V-6 with either 340 hp, 360 hp, 400 hp, or 440 hp depending on the trim. When equipped with the most powerful engine option, we've clocked the Macan hitting 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds.
Autocarreports the 2.0-liter turbo will receive an upgrade to around 300 hp. Other global models will also get a power bump.
The updated Porsche Macan goes on sale in China at the end of this month. The automaker has delivered more than 350,000 copies of the compact SUV worldwide since it arrived on the scene in 2014.
Source: Porsche, Autocar
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