T for Touring! 2022 Porsche Macan T price and features: Stuttgart's sportier four-cylinder SUV revealed, putting BMW X3 xDrive30 and Audi Q5 45 TFSI on notice

Porsche has added another member to its family of mid-size SUVs, with the sporty new four-cylinder Macan T due in Australia mid-year.

The ‘T’ badge, of course, has previously adorned ‘Touring’ versions of the Stuttgart-based brand’s entry-level 718 and flagship 911 sports cars, but in a sign of the times, it’s now made its way onto a crossover.

Based on the entry-level Macan variant, the Macan T commands a $6700 premium, at $91,500 plus on-road costs. It, therefore, slots underneath the V6-powered mid-range Macan S and flagship Macan GTS, which are priced from $105,800 and $129,800, respectively.

So, what elevates the Macan T over the ‘regular’ Macan? Well, additional equipment includes the Sport Chrono Package, lowered sports suspension (-15mm) with adaptive dampers, and a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system.

And then there’s the Agate Grey metallic exterior accents, ‘dark titanium’ 20-inch Macan S alloy wheels, gloss-black window surrounds and quad exhaust tailpipes.

Inside, the BMW X3 xDrive30 and Audi Q5 45 TFSI rival gets a heated sports steering wheel, eight-way power-adjustable front sports seats with heating and embossed Porsche logos, black leather upholstery and ‘black aluminium’ model-specific scuff plates.

Air springs are optional, coming with a future 10mm reduction in ride height. Torque vectoring is another option, too, alongside a Race-Tex and carbon-fibre steering wheel trim, and Sport-Tex Stripe seat inserts, which form part of a bespoke interior package that also includes silver stitching.

Other standard equipment includes a space-saver spare wheel, auto-dimming mirrors, rear privacy glass, keyless entry and start, a 10.9-inch touchscreen multimedia system, satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay support, digital radio, blind-spot monitoring, surround-view cameras, front and rear parking sensors, and Piano Black interior trim.

The Macan T shares its 195kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine with the standard Macan. It’s mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which enables a zero-to-100km/h sprint time of 6.2 seconds.