roule

Question about the grille on the Macan:

As you can see from this picture of the Macan Turbo, there's a big round sensor/camera thing right in the middle of the grille. It looks like an absolutely ridiculous afterthought stuck there in the rectangular grille bars.

I assume that this is optional and comes only as part of the Lane Assist feature. Is this correct?

In other words, what option(s) should a potential buyer NOT order to ensure he doesn't get the ugly black hole in his grille?

RESP

I do believe this is the sensor for the advanced speed control.

Adaptive Cruise Control Including Porsche Active Safe (PAS)

Don't order this to avoid the sensor in the grille.

RESP

Oh, and the Lane change assist uses the sensors in the park distance warning for it's warnings.

RESP

And:
Lane Keep Assist
Lane Keep Assist uses a camera installed in the front end to detect divider line markings on the road

That sensor in the grille may have the camera lens in it as well.

Better find out which things are in the grille before ordering

rpilot

Probably not. That is the housing for the Radar equipment for the Adaptive cruise control. The LKA feature is available without the ACC and the camera is probably either somewhere in or around grill (they are very small these days like the ones on your laptop) or the camera is on the rearview mirror or near there inside the car.

To the OP: Don't want that round blob, don't order ACC. Simple enough.

roule

So, Adaptive Cruise Control is the key one to avoid for sure; Lane Change Assist as well as Lane Keep Assist are both possible causes for the ugly sensor too?

It's a shame the Porsche configurator isn't accurate enough to show these options for certain. It won't show black window trim when selected, either.

But I get the idea. The way I look at it, wouldn't a driver prefer to avoid all the automation features that take the human out of driving. They all add weight and cost while decreasing driver involvement. Why order a Porsche if one doesn't actually want to drive himself? And in the case of the black hole in the grille, such options diminish the appearance of the car in subtle but substantial ways. Sure would like Porsche to offer a Macan RS with about 500kg of unnecessary electronic gadgets and fluff luxuries removed....

KeninBlaine

I believe LCA and LKA sensors are incorporated into the side mirror housings, not the center of the grille. Just avoid ACC if you don't want that ugly center sensor.