2020 Porsche Macan Turbo Review: More Boost, but Where’s the Urgency?

Porsche’s best-selling SUV keeps the drama at a distance

What does the concept of a Porsche Turbo mean to you? For me, it's about nailing the throttle and experiencing acceleration so mind-bending that I can't breathe. Turbo pins you back in your seat, scrambles your synapses, makes you laugh while you cry. You gasp for air because at full throttle, the engine has removed all of it from the atmosphere. Turbo plays with your emotions so thoroughly that the thought of spending a $50,000 premium over an S model seems totally justifiable.

Nobody knows this better than Porsche itself, which has recently defied all conventional logic by affixing this storied moniker to the decidedly non-turbocharged Taycan. And in doing so, Porsche is reminding us that if you're looking for no-holds-barred performance, go for Turbo.

It's a curious conundrum, then, that the 2020 Macan Turbo doesn't instantly create this level of desire. Yes, it's quicker than the previous model, and a 0-60 time of 4.1 seconds places it just a smidge behind a base 911, but somehow it fails to deliver on the chest-bursting exhilaration of its more expensive (and admittedly more powerful) brethren.

So what's the discrepancy? Perhaps it's less a question of thrust than it is a lack of character. After it sat on the sidelines for 2019, the Macan Turbo returns this year with a new heart in the form of a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V-6, an engine that also sees duty in the Cayenne S and Panamera S. Here, the motor pumps out 434 horsepower, 34 more than the previous 3.6-liter V-6 it replaces. Torque is down a negligible 1 lb-ft, to 405, but it's also delivered on an impressively flat curve from 1,800 to 5,500 rpm. Top speed has increased 3 mph, to 167 mph. So far, so good.

Give it the ol' Turbo test, however, and that's when the Macan delivers the goods without managing to rearrange your organs. Thanks to that flat torque curve, there's impressive shove available practically anytime you ask for it. The recalibrated seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and standard all-wheel drive work seamlessly together in putting down the power. Yet all that effortless punch of momentum is delivered with a cold, anodyne efficiency, and I'm left wanting for drama.

It's not for lack of trying, however, as the 2.9-liter exhales through a new, standard sport exhaust, and its note is further digitally amplified in the cabin. But neither of these audible enhancements helps to overcome the fact that the engine, while righteously powerful, simply fails to forge an emotional connection with the driver. It's missing the lusty bark of, say, the V-8 from a Panamera Turbo, or the frenetic wail of a 911 Turbo's flat-six. Probably its most un-Turbo-like characteristic is that it simply sounds too similar to the 348-hp twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 found in the Macan S (read our Macan S First Test here).

Although the drama might be missing, the Macan Turbo is still one of the best handling SUVs out there. The electric power steering is nicely weighted and does a commendable job of transmitting just the right amount of road feel to the driver. Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) is now standard, and its adjustable dampers offer three settings: Comfort, Sport, and Sport Plus. There's a good distinction between all three, and each serves a worthy purpose depending on your style of driving. Comfort, as the name implies, delivers a supple ride and is ideal for freeway cruising, though there's a bit too much rebound on dips in the pavement. Sport eliminates that whiff of floatiness, and the driving experience is far more buttoned up as a whole. As expected, Sport Plus ratchets down the ride even further, allowing you to hustle the Turbo through tight, fast sweepers with the agility of, well, a Porsche. What's most impressive is that even on this firmest setting, the ride is still tolerable save for the harshest of pavement imperfections.

Our tester also featured Porsche's Torque Vectoring Plus ($1,500), which can vary the torque distribution at the rear wheels through a combination of a locking electronic differential and by applying brakes to the inside rear wheel in a turn. It's a system you can really feel in action; it allows for crisper rotation through a corner and provides the sensation of a rear-wheel-drive car when you accelerate out of it.

Speaking of brakes, the 2020 Macan Turbo also comes standard with the Porsche Surface Coated Brake system (PSCB), introduced last year on the 2019 Cayenne. PSCB features cast-iron rotors coated with tungsten carbide, giving them a mirror-like finish. The coating helps to simultaneously increase friction and rotor life and reduce brake dust—so much so that Porsche is confident enough to paint the calipers white. Although the Cayenne suffered from an overly aggressive initial bite, this issue has thankfully been resolved on the Macan Turbo. Pedal modulation is progressive and linear, and it remains firm even after several high-speed stops. Rotor size measures 15.6 inches up front and 14 inches in back, and 20-inch wheels are now standard.

In terms of styling, the 2020 Macan Turbo builds on the refresh of the 2019 Macan lineup and adds its own bit of flair. Out back beneath the full-width taillights you'll find the sport exhaust system, identifiable by its fat-rimmed pipes; the lower fascia, side skirts, Macan "blade," and mirrors are all body color. Up front is a Turbo-specific nose with three large air intake openings massive enough to give Sully Sullenberger pause.

Inside, the most noticeable change is a new 10.9-inch infotainment screen. Standard Porsche Connect services provide real-time mapping and traffic information as well as a Wi-Fi hotspot. To make room for the new screen, the center dash-mounted vents have been relocated to just above the center console.

Other than that, the interior of the Macan Turbo soldiers on with the same basic layout it's had since 2015. Admittedly, the button-heavy console and analog gauges might lack the sleek digital panache found in the newer Cayenne and Panamera, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Those old-school buttons make quick work of adjusting climate and drive mode settings simply by feel. Standard 18-way front sport seats are decked out in leather, providing snug support without feeling too constricting.

Like the rest of the refreshed Macan lineup, the 2020 Macan Turbo benefits from an upgraded suite of active safety features, thanks to more powerful sensors and image processing underneath the virtual hood. Most notably, there's a new traffic jam assist feature, which adds steering capability to the adaptive cruise control at speeds up to 37 mph to make the morning slog a bit more tolerable.

One area in which the Macan Turbo lives up to the Turbo name is its price. The more powerful engine, standard PSCM brakes, sport exhaust, and PASM all contribute to a $6,400 increase over a 2018 Macan Turbo, which now starts at $84,950. Our tester featured a dizzying array of options, elevating the cost to a gut-twisting $105,370 (the Macan Turbo goes on sale in early 2020).

The base price of a Macan Turbo is also a hefty $24,200 premium over the 2020 Macan S. Porsche is quick to point out that if you were to option a Macan S with all of the Turbo's standard features, the price difference between the two is only around $4,000. Is this Porsche's idea of a value play? Perhaps, but a closer look at some of those options reveals it's mainly visual candy. Skip the rash of cosmetic upgrades, and a savvy buyer can spec a well-equipped Macan S in the mid-$70K range. That ballpark price includes many of the Turbo's functional bits mentioned above, as well as niceties like ventilated seats ($670) and keyless ignition ($800)—both of which are not standard on the Turbo. And if you absolutely must have an Alcantara headliner ($1,550), that's the beauty of the Porsche option sheet. What you lose in a second from 0 to 60 you make up for in creature comforts.

As it stands, the Macan Turbo is 20 percent quicker than the Macan S, yet it carries a staggering 40 percent price premium. All this, of course, would be a moot point if the Macan Turbo provided a face-flattening, giggle-inducing visceral thrill like the rest of the Turbos in the Porsche family. That alone would be worth the price of admission.