SHANGHAI - Porsche has updated its Macan crossover with a fresher design, improved handling, as well as more comfort and connectivity features.
Handling is improved by new tires that Porsche claims offer better lateral dynamics when cornering. The vehicle retains its unusual mixed tires with different widths for the front and rear.
The Macan's touchscreen display on the console has been enlarged to 11 inches from 7 inches previously.
Porsche unveiled the Macan in China, the model's biggest market, on Wednesday.
Porsche said it reworked the front end of the Macan to make the vehicle appear even wider while overhauling the rear, which now has a three-dimensional LED light strip. In the interior, customers can order a heatable windscreen and even an ionizer to improve cabin air quality.
A new Traffic Jam Assist including adaptive cruise control is also being introduced. This enables the car to steer, accelerate and brake in slow moving traffic at speeds of up to 60 kph (37 mph).
The Macan will have a standard online connection via its Connect Plus module. This also offers real-time, swarm-based traffic data based on a cloud server operated by parent Volkswagen Group’s partially owned unit HERE. Intelligent voice control and online navigation are also equipped in every car.
A new Offroad Precision App allows owners the opportunity to record and analyze off-road driving experiences in the vehicle.
Other new features include an optional GT sports steering wheel borrowed from the 911 and standard LED front beams.
Porsche has sold more than 350,000 Macans since the model launched in 2014. About 100,000 were sold in China.