More on MY16 vs MY12 dynamics

Following on from my recent thread about different steering...less feel, I thought it best to start a new thread as it morphed Into a Macan forum item...

My latest views on why the MY16 does not corner with such keen alacrity and intuitive steering on small - medium throttle as the MY12 did, relate to a possible change in the power bias front-rear. The MY 12 drove more like a FWD 'warm hatch', which felt like a 70:30 front /rear power split, where you tucked the inside front wheel onto your chosen line around a bend and the car hugged precisely that course. With the Adaptive Dynamics keeping it flat.

I gather that the new car has a much more rear biased power split? Tim, or others, any thoughts?

As far as I am aware there has been no change over the previous design regarding power split front rear - should be normally 95% to the front and 5% to the rear. The only thing that will cause a major change is if your car was specced with the "Adaptive Drive" system where once above 23mph all the drive goes to the front wheels and the rear transmission is disengaged BUT according to LR the system will revert to full 4WD faster than you can notice............. The other thing that is new on 2016MY over previous years is the Torque Vectoring by braking system. I have it on my RRS2 and cannot tell when it is working but there are people on the RRS forums who say that in certain conditions (and it seems to be long left hand curving motorway slip roads that can be taken at speed is the scenario where it occurs) where they claim that their cars handling becomes quite twitchy for a couple of seconds. Is it possible that you are noticing similar in your Evoque? Could it be that the lighter Ignenium engines are also causing this issue, there being less weight over the front wheels compare to the older cars?

I did read that the MY16 front suspension has been tweaked/reworked to compensate for the lighter Ingenium motor.

I did not spec Adaptive Drive' as I wanted to be in 4WD all the time, but Torque Vectoring is standard I understand. Maybe it is the EPAS which does seem significantly 'slower'/ lower geared now, with a slightly numb few degrees around the straight ahead position..maybe as the old steering was so sensitive it caught some people out if reaching for the touchscreen..!!

Just to close this out it appears to have been down to 2 software updates needed to make the Adaptive Dynamics work properly...see the 'different steering..less feel' thread for more info.
If you have a MY16 with AD option then I would urge a check at the dealers. Could get you an entirely improved drive!