Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in. Well, the 911 is back, baby, and I think we鈥檙e (I鈥檓) going to stick with calling it 鈥渢he small-t turbo.鈥?Or maybe lil鈥?turbo. By now you鈥檝e heard: the entire 911 lineup is turbocharged, and the Carrera and Carrera S use two of them with the company鈥檚 new 3.0-liter flat six. We first drove the 2017 911 back in November on the international launch, and our man J.P. Vettraino broke down all the bits and pieces. Today we鈥檒l just quickly go over the big chunks. Visually, the small t Carrera gets bigger front grilles, black longitudinal strakes on the spoiler (instead of body-color transverse ones) and redesigned dimensional taillights with standard LEDs all around. The daytime running lights now have the four-dot signature in both front and back, though personally I don鈥檛 think I鈥檓 on board. I鈥檇 rather see dim projectors or something else entirely. It is distinctive, though.
Fresh out of the box with a revised look ealier this year, the new Porsche Macan is being assembled at the Leipzig facility ever since August. Four months after the new range was entered production, a new S version joins the range. Porsche announced on Tuesday the introduction of the S model for the facelift Macan, an S model which will come equipped with a new 3.0-liter 6 turbocharged gasoline engine. The new powerplant is tad punchier than the one available until now. It has a power output rated at 354 ps and a maximum torque of 480 Nm. These specifications account for an increase of 14 ps and 20 Nm compared with the previous model. Porsche says that fitting the optional Sport Chrono Package on this SUV brings the zero to 100 kph (62 mph) acceleration time down to 5.1 seconds, an improvement of 0.1 seconds compared to the model it replaces. The top speed of the car in this configuration is rated at 254 kph (158 mph). When compared to the outgoing Macan S, this new version also comes with newly tuned chassis, new spring forks on the front chassis and tuned sway bars. Braking power has been improved as well, with Porsche engineers working on every component of the system, from discs to brake pedal feel. At the interior, the Macan S benefits from all the changes made when the facelift was introduced, starting with the 10.9-inch full-HD touchscreen and ending with the Wi-Fi hotspot. The options list for the model is also extensive and includes the GT sports steering wheel of the 911, Traffic Jam Assist, and a heated windshield.
Maserati launched its first ever SUV last year, with the type of splendour normally reserved for a new Pope. Since then it has shifted 25,000 Levantes around the world - making it the best-selling Maserati for some time. But its appeal was always hamstrung by its confusing trim packages, so-so handling, limited safety equipment and just one engine option. However, for 2018, the Italians have given their SUV a fine going over, and the results should make the upmarket off-roader a little more tempting to buyers. You鈥檒l struggle to tell the revised Levante apart from its predecessor. Maserati hasn鈥檛 taken this opportunity to give the big SUV any tweaks in the styling department, so park a 2016 car next to a new one and it鈥檚 a tough game of spot the difference. The only real clue is a small chrome badge on the lower half of the front wing: it reads either 鈥楪ranLusso鈥?or 鈥楪ranSport鈥?depending on trim - and here we鈥檙e testing the new petrol-powered Levante S in GranLusso guise.
GranSport, as the name suggests, is the more sporting of the two, and can be recognised by gloss black trim, 20-inch wheels and red brake calipers. On the inside there鈥檚 lashings of carbon fibre and a sports steering wheel with paddle shifters. GranLusso is the more luxurious version, with body-coloured trim, 19-inch wheels, wood trinkets and the choice of full leather or part-Ermenegildo Zegna silk upholstery. Maserati has added a wealth of extra safety kit, too. There鈥檚 now adaptive cruise control with Stop & Go, forward collision warning, lane keeping assist, blindspot alert, highway assist, and traffic sign recognition bundled in as well. It鈥檚 a package that costs 拢1,500 - or 拢2,525 with an around view camera thrown in. Elsewhere, Maserati has ditched the Levante鈥檚 hydraulic steering for an electric set-up, which apparently makes the car more comfortable to drive around town without ruining the model鈥檚 sporting characteristics. But the old car鈥檚 hydraulic set-up was one of the Levante鈥檚 treats and delivered pleasing feel and consistent weighting. Now, though, the steering feels rubbery in the car鈥檚 Normal model, while in Sport it鈥檚 heavier but disappointingly numb.
The electric set-up makes the Maserati feel remote - preventing you from carving through tight, twisting corners with confidence like you can in the outgoing Porsche Cayenne. The result is a car that fails to bely its size, always feeling large and a little bit cumbersome. We also drove the car on the dunes of the Dubai desert, where it performed well - thanks to the Q4 all-wheel drive system offering plenty of traction. The Levante would be outclassed by a Range Rover Sport on the toughest off-road terrain, but even though it鈥檚 a road-biased SUV it showed plenty of strength on soft ground. But to add some appeal, Maserati now offers the car with a petrol engine. Up to now, the sole choice has been an off-the-shelf 3.0-litre V6 diesel bought in from VM Motori, but the petrol is more of a family affair. Badged 鈥楽鈥?it鈥檚 a 428bhp 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 built by Ferrari, no less, and promises to offer a tuneful engine note to match the Italian鈥檚 suave character.