Porsche Macan Electric review

Can the highly popular SUV retain traditional Porsche qualities as it enters the age of EVs?

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The new Porsche Macan Electric has an unambiguous task ahead of it: to become a worthy successor of the celebrated Porsche Macan, only powered by electricity.

If only this was as simple as it sounds. For many, the existing, combustion version of Porsche's junior SUV represents a class-dominating spider chart of performance, space, long-distance road manners and just enough fun to ensure you don't regret passing up that Cayman build slot.

And excellent as many electric cars now are, there can still exist some compromises in terms of range or weight and, perhaps most conspicuously here, for dynamic handling appeal compared with their combustion-engined peers.

Which means the Macan EV's biggest challenge may not be in defeating the imminent Polestar 4 or the new Hyundai Ioniq 5 N but simply matching for broad appeal the petrol Macan, which, despite having been discontinued in mainland Europe already, will soldier on in UK showrooms until a likely retirement in 2025.

So how has Porsche gone about evolving this model for the electric world? We've had a few occasions to find out so far, having now tested all four versions of the car (the base Macan, Macan 4, Macan 4S and Macan Turbo) briefly on European roads and a Macan 4 in more depth in the UK. Read on to find out what we've learned. 

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DESIGN & STYLING

Porsche Macan 4 2024 review pan 1165

Building the most capable zero-emission Macan possible has involved not shoehorning a battery pack into the floorpan of the ICE car but developing an entirely new platform.

It's called the Premium Platform Electric (PPE), and it means that while the Macan and Macan Electric appear closely related, in reality they're different cars from an engineering perspective. According to Jörg Kerner, chief of the Macan model line, not a single part - not even the badge on the bonnet - is shared between the two.

The 800V PPE architecture has been developed with Audi and is also used on the Audi Q6 E-tron. It will also underpin the upcoming electric Cayenne, which is now in testing before a likely 2026 launch. The full-size SUV will be only Porsche's third EV, but it will be another crucial car if 80% of sales are to be accounted for by EVs by 2030, as is the aim.

When you consider that the ICE Macan and ICE Cayenne are Porsche's two best-sellers, representing more than half of total sales, you realise how critical the PPE platform will be for the marque's bottom line in the years to come, and it makes its debut right here.

The Macan Electric is offered in four derivative guises: Macan, Macan 4, 4S and Turbo. All but the first feature an electric motor on each axle; all use a nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery of about 95kWh of usable capacity; and all of those derivatives that have a front-mounted motor use the same one.

But the particular specifications of the permanent magnet synchronous motors, transmission ratios and power electronics located at the rear of each Macan model do change with the badges on the bootlid. Both the entry-level, single-motor Macan and the Macan 4 use the same motor and gearing at the rear, the former making 356bhp of peak power, the latter 403bhp from a combination of front and rear axles. But from there on upwards, the models take bigger strides: the 4S bringing in a bigger, rigid-mounted motor for as much as 510bhp and 605lb ft, the Turbo upping the ante to 631bhp and 833lb ft.

Strip away the bodywork, as Porsche had done for a static exhibit at the car's launch in the south of France, and you will also see that all these motors are positioned conspicuously behind their respective axles, in a nod to the 911, in a move intended to pave the way for more expressive, rearward-weight-biased handling. The Q6 E-tron, by the way, doesn't do this.

The 100kWh NMC battery uses prismatic cells (unlike the Taycan's, which uses pouches) and has a maximum charging speed of 270kW for a theoretical 10-80% charge time of just 21 minutes.

Such capacity does not come lightly, mind; and so a Macan 4 weighs 400kg more than a petrol-powered Macan S. However - and get this - the centre of gravity for the electric model is 140mm lower.

As for suspension, the base Macan, Macan 4 and 4S all use steel coil springs as standard, where height-adjustable air springs are optional (the Turbo is furnished with air springs as standard). Four-wheel steering, meanwhile, and 'PTV+' torque-vectoring mechanical rear differential can both be added as options, but only on 4S and Turbo models. 

Then there’s the Porsche Offroad Design package, which can give your Macan a tougher appearance and bigger clearance angles if you prefer.

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INTERIOR

Porsche Macan 4 2024 review dash 1196

Inside, the Macan Electric takes its lead from the recently revised Cayenne (that is, the one that still has an engine).

There's no cowling for the 12.6in driver's display, and there are a further two displays neatly recessed into the dashboard: one of 10.9in in the centre and, optionally, another one for the passenger.

It's a lovely cabin, with a driving position that can be either surprisingly low-slung or usefully perched. We'd also option the 18-way Sports Seats Plus, which are fit to grace any 911 GT3, being so firm yet comfy and sculpted.

An extra 96mm of wheelbase compared with the ICE Macan gives rear occupants a touch more leg room, if still not enough to match some of the EVs you could easily afford for Macan money. Boot space is better, though – competitive with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV and Polestar 3 before you count the 'frunk' space.

In terms of tech, the car comes with four USB-C outlets and integration for both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, as well as the new generation of Google Android-powered Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system, with voice assistance and slick charging-network information.

There's also the option of an augmented reality head-up display, which projects sat-nav prompts at an effective distance of 10m ahead of the driver. Some will love this, but there's no doubt the graphics can feel overly dominant in your view forward – hardly suprising, given that that 10m distance corresponds to an 87in display.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

Porsche Macan 4 2024 review rear tracking 1166

The Macan Electric's drivability in everyday environments is first-rate. The combination of steering speed, weight and accuracy, the gentle heft in its intuitively sprung accelerator pedal and the way in which it takes up what limited roll is permitted result in a cohesive whole that does have the hallmark of a Porsche.

This makes the car, which is 103mm longer and 15mm wider (but also 2mm lower) than the ICE model, easy to place and control.

Those who bought the petrol Macan Turbo for its effortless mid-range shove will warm to the Turbo Electric. It makes 427lb ft – that is, an entire 911 Carrera GTS’s worth – more.
Richard Lane
Deputy road test editor

On the basis that most customers leave the switch well alone once set to their preference, the adjustable regenerative braking button is small on one touchscreen menu. You can preset a steering wheel button with it if you like, but easier access would give more interactivity.

This is a Porsche, though, so at some point, you will want to uncork the thing. How does the 883lb ft of the Turbo feel? Unsurprisingly quite lively, as the 3.3sec 0-62mph time suggests. It's not as discombobulating as you might expect, and there's little to no drama in the form of wheelspin or, even more impressively, torque-steer. The car's new electronic architecture allows the torque-split between the axles to adjust in response to wheel slip in just 10 milliseconds, and you can believe it.

A little bit of sterility about the electric Macan's performance character was probably unavoidable for Porsche. Many people trading up from the old car will miss the accompaniment of a powerful V6 engine here, which wasn't something Taycan owners were ever used to. But the ready poise and tactile polish of the steering and handling do just about swing the pendulum back in the car's favour and do make it drive like a true Porsche - even if all you can justify is the entry-level model. 

RIDE & HANDLING

Porsche Macan 4 2024 review rear corner 1161

Combine the peformance with remarkable discipline in terms of vertical body movements and wheel control, plus that accurate steering, and you have the makings of one a seriously fast and composed car.

For those who dream of Alpine switchbacks, the PTV+ differential in the Turbo (optional on the 4S) is worth having. In slower bends, it lends neatness and predictability to the car's accessible throttle-adjustable handling; but if you want a cheaper route to something comparable, stick with a single-motor car, whose sense of cornering balance and poise is as clear to appreciate without going so fast.

A single-motor Macan - with perhaps a simple mechanical locking diff, some regen shift paddles and just a little more power - could make quite an appealing Macan T. Make it light, simple and direct in its character and it might just be the best-handling model of the lot.
Matt Saunders
Road test editor

The 403bhp Macan 4 is less theatrical than the Turbo but for most people offers more than enough pace and composure. Overseas we tried one on air springs and 20in wheels and thought it a standout highlight.

Not possible to back-to-back test it with the Macan 4 we most recently tested in the UK, of course, which ran on steel springs and 20in wheels, but this too was composed and poised.

Porsche's people think air springs would improve the ride on poorer British roads, and it would certainly be worth trying one or other before you ticked the relevant options boxes, but the steel-sprung 4 is firm while staying away from being uncomfortable, and there is a pleasing honestly about the way steel-sprung cars ride.

If it's true that the Macan Electric's 2.3-tonne mass never truly leaves your consciousness, it's also true that this weight is supremely well-managed, and in the sensibly powered 4 especially you will find a car that can really be enjoyed and even goaded a little on the right road. It reminds us a little of the Audi RS3.

The 4S is feels a good deal quicker than the 4, and a shade more grippy and composed (PASM adaptive dampers come as standard here, but for the best outright body control go for that air suspension), but if it is any more involving depends a lot on how much you're spending on options. A 4S with optional air springs, four-wheel steering and PTV+ should certainly have plenty of tricks up its sleeve; but, in our experience so far, a purer single-motor Macan still feels decently brisk, can be just as much fun when cornering and is probably slightly more refined with it.

Porsche Macan news

Electric Porsche Macan launched from £67,200 with 398-mile range
Electric Porsche Macan launched from £67,200 with 398-mile range
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Porsche Macan to stay in UK as EU sales end
First drive: 2024 Porsche Macan prototype
First drive: 2024 Porsche Macan prototype
Porsche Macan EV delayed due to VW software woes
Porsche Macan EV delayed due to VW software woes

The steering is very precise and weightier than lots of rivals have. Models with air springs get new twin-valve dampers, provide outstanding body control and self-levelling. And whether you have that or not, grip is very well balanced and the handling poise you expect of a Porsche (but often simply don't get in a 2.3-tonne SUV) is present and correct, and a distinguishing factor in the sum total appeal of the car.

Further praise should be heaped on the brakes. They deliver lots of feel by EV standards, blending in the recuperation functions well without resorting to a decoupling of drive to the front axle, as some do.

"We don't talk about one-pedal driving at Porsche; we talk about one-pedal braking instead," says Meier, in reference to many EVs' heavy use of regenerative braking.

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MPG & RUNNING COSTS

Porsche Macan 4 2024 review front tracking 1168

With a maximum charging speed of 270kW, the Macan Electric doesn't quite match the 320kW of the revised Taycan. However, it has another trick up its sleeve: bank charging.

If the rapid charger in question is specified to only 400V (rather than the ideal of 800V), the car essentially splits its 100kWh battery in two, charging each half at 135kW.

Elsewhere, the Macan Electric deploys Porsche's Integrated Power Box (IPB). This combines the on-board AC charger, high-voltage heater and 12V DC-to-DC converter into one 19kg package squeezed between the rear seats and the battery below, freeing up space for the 'frunk' - something plenty of EVs don't have.

As for price, the Macan opens up at £67,200. The Macan 4 is actually less than £3000 more expensive, at £69,800, while the better-equipped Turbo Electric costs from £95,000 and the 4S slots in between.

That's a little pricey for what remains only a mid-sized electric SUV. As EVs in so many corners of the new car market finally begin to look that bit more reasonably priced compared with their ICE counterparts, the ones that don’t suddenly become more and more likely to be singled out and shot at.

And that, perhaps not for entirely fair reasons, is the position in which the Macan Electric finds itself. The UK is the only European country in which it’s being sold alongside the old ICE Macan, which itself is likely to make for some problematic, if simplistic, comparisons (the EV costs a little over £12k more).

Compared with the entry-level Audi Q6 E-tron, meanwhile (to which the car is closely technically related), the single-motor Macan is a little over £7000 more expensive (although, if you compare like for like - or as close as you can - on battery capacity and motor power, the gap is more like £4000).

VERDICT

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Porsche Macan 4 2024 review front static 1210

The Macan Electric is seriously complete and capable electric SUV – one that hits real high notes in many of the areas you'd expect. It's also one that, just like the flagship Taycan, has a reassuringly deep-seated Porsche feel about it - in spite of what mechanical character and richness its electric powertrain may lack.

The kind of dynamic competitive dominance that’s been enjoyed by the Taycan over the last few years does look set to elude it, however - as much as that would have been near-impossible to repeat on a car like this. The Macan certainly has plenty of Porsche's dynamic hallmarks about its balanced, composed handling, taut body control and tactile, enticing steering. But it doesn't completely redefine dynamic benchmarks - among cars like the Polestar 3, BMW iX3 and Q6 E-tron, which are all comparable for driver appeal - in the way some might have expected, of a Porsche first and a Macan a close second.  

Even so, even the cheapest Macan should have enough of a sporting selling point to keep the Porsche faithful at least mildly entertained - and, like the Taycan, it will reward plenty of savvy customers who suspect that less may be more.

Meanwhile, derivatives like the 4S and Turbo will mix greater outright sporting grip and purpose with near-astonishing outright performance for those who can afford them - even if they don't quite entice, excite and engage with the richness and charisma of ICE Porsches we've known.

Richard Lane

Richard Lane, Autocar
Title: Deputy road test editor

Richard joined Autocar in 2017 and like all road testers is typically found either behind a keyboard or steering wheel (or, these days, a yoke).

As deputy road test editor he delivers in-depth road tests and performance benchmarking, plus feature-length comparison stories between rival cars. He can also be found presenting on Autocar's YouTube channel.

Mostly interested in how cars feel on the road – the sensations and emotions they can evoke – Richard drives around 150 newly launched makes and models every year. His job is then to put the reader firmly in the driver's seat. 

Matt Saunders

Matt Saunders Autocar
Title: Road test editor

As Autocar’s chief car tester and reviewer, it’s Matt’s job to ensure the quality, objectivity, relevance and rigour of the entirety of Autocar’s reviews output, as well contributing a great many detailed road tests, group tests and drive reviews himself.

Matt has been an Autocar staffer since the autumn of 2003, and has been lucky enough to work alongside some of the magazine’s best-known writers and contributors over that time. He served as staff writer, features editor, assistant editor and digital editor, before joining the road test desk in 2011.

Since then he’s driven, measured, lap-timed, figured, and reported on cars as varied as the Bugatti Veyron, Rolls-Royce Phantom, Tesla Roadster, Ariel Hipercar, Tata Nano, McLaren Senna, Renault Twizy and Toyota Mirai. Among his wider personal highlights of the job have been covering Sebastien Loeb’s record-breaking run at Pikes Peak in 2013; doing 190mph on derestricted German autobahn in a Brabus Rocket; and driving McLaren’s legendary ‘XP5’ F1 prototype. His own car is a trusty Mazda CX-5.

Matt Prior

Matt Prior
Title: Editor-at-large

Matt is Autocar’s lead features writer and presenter, is the main face of Autocar’s YouTube channel, presents the My Week In Cars podcast and has written his weekly column, Tester’s Notes, since 2013.

Matt is an automotive engineer who has been writing and talking about cars since 1997. He joined Autocar in 2005 as deputy road test editor, prior to which he was road test editor and world rally editor for Channel 4’s automotive website, 4Car. 

Into all things engineering and automotive from any era, Matt is as comfortable regularly contributing to sibling titles Move Electric and Classic & Sports Car as he is writing for Autocar. He has a racing licence, and some malfunctioning classic cars and motorbikes. 

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