The Macan Electric’s headlamps and raised fenders are distinctive, but aft of the B-posts it’s a bit bulbous.Jeremy Sinek/The Globe and Mail
Long reputed to be the world’s most profitable mass-market luxury car brand, Porsche may be entering a more challenging era. The automaker is re-inventing one of its bestsellers, the Macan compact crossover, as a battery electric vehicle (BEV). The 718 Boxster and Cayman sports cars will do the same next year. And all this while some governments and automakers are back-pedalling on mandates and commitments for future BEV sales.
At least in the Macan’s case, the current gas-powered model will remain available for a while alongside its BEV “replacement.” That’s unlikely to happen with the 718s.
The electric Macan was subject of a technical deep dive two years ago and recently we drove the first two production models, the Macan 4 and the Turbo, both dual-motor all-wheel drive. Now, Porsche has released the single-motor base Macan, plus a 4S that “sweet-spots” between the Macan 4 and the Macan Turbo.
The no-suffix Macan is the most affordable and promises the greatest range. Affordability, however, is relative. With the same substantial 100-kilowatt-hour battery and 800-volt architecture as all Macan EV’s, the base price is $94,900 – a steep hike from a base gas-powered Macan’s $67,000.
The Macan’s single rear-mounted motor delivers 250 kilowatts (265 with launch-control over boost) and 415 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels, for a claimed zero to 100 kilometre an hour time of 5.7 seconds. Respective numbers for the 4S are 380 kilowatts, 605 lb-ft and 4.1 seconds.
I’d be happy with the base Macan, which is the most affordable and the most energy-efficient – which is the whole point of going electric, isn’t it? Acceleration to 100 kilometres an hour in 5.7 seconds is plenty quick, especially when it’s delivered with the effortless immediacy of an EV.
The digital gauges can be configured various ways, but one thing Porsche traditionalists won’t get is a centre-mounted tachometer.
The 10.9-inch main screen has been reworked and we found it mostly user-friendly. A second screen is available for the passenger.Jeremy Sinek/The Globe and Mail
Range? My drive started with a fully charged battery and 452 kilometres of predicted range – a low figure probably based on hard driving by the previous driver. After our somewhat spirited 168-kilometre drive through the hills south of Stuttgart (including about 30 kilometres of Autobahn), it showed 67-per-cent state-of-charge and 312 kilometres of range remaining, which extrapolates to about 465 or 480 kilometres total, depending how you do the math. Consumption averaged 19.4 kilowatt hours per 100 kilometres.
Porsche claims the electric Macan is still the sports car of its segment, and while some other brands could justifiably challenge that claim, I’d be pressed to think of any other compact crossover that can equal the Macan’s blend of agility and civility.
Adaptive air suspension and variable damping are both standard, and I was struck first by the Macan’s serenity. Of course, electric motors run near silently, but that sometimes means tire and wind noise intrude all the more; in the Macan’s case, however, there’s remarkably little of either. A tautly cushioned suspension (on, admittedly, congenitally smooth German pavement) seals the civility deal.
One option you can decline without regret is Porsche Electric Sound: it adds $560 to the bottom line and adds nothing to the drive. Tougher to evaluate, however, are some other options on the test cars – rear-wheel steering and power steering plus. Thus equipped, the Macan’s steering and handling are terrific, but how much less so would they be without those options?
Climate controls remain a mixture of hard buttons and touch-sensitive switches.Jeremy Sinek/The Globe and Mail
As usual, Porsche’s extensive and expensive options lists can make a mockery of value evaluations. How long is a piece of string? But focusing on just MSRPs, there are some surprises: the base model’s $94,900 is out of reach for most, but for those who can handle a six-figure bottom line, the price walk through the model line is not that steep. The Macan 4 asks $99,300, the 4S starts at $106,900 and the range tops out at $127,800 for the Turbo. That’s quite a modest spread, when you consider range-topping Cayennes and 911s are more than twice the price of their respective base models.
Macan Electrics are available to order now, with deliveries beginning before year’s end.
Tech specs
2024 Porsche Macan Electric
- Base price / as tested: $94,900 / $131,400 plus $2,950 for freight and pre-delivery ispection plus fees and taxes
- Powertrain / battery: Single rear motor / 100-kilowatt-hours (gross)
- Horsepower / torque (lb-ft): 355 (overboost) / 415
- Transmission / drive: One-speed / rear-wheel
- Energy consumption (kilowatt-hour per 100 kilometres) / range: 17.1-19.8 / up to 654 kilometres
- Charging time (10-80 per cent, at 150/270 kilowatts): 33/21 minutes
- Alternatives: Acura ZDX, Audi Q6 e-tron, BMW iX, Cadillac Lyriq, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Genesis G70 Electric, Jaguar i-Pace, Lexus RX450e, Mercedes-Benz EQE
Looks
The Electric is 100 millimetres longer than the old gas-powered Macan and has an exceptionally svelte 0.25 drag coefficient. Still, this writer prefers the look of the gas-powered Macan. The Electric’s headlamps and raised fenders are distinctive, but aft of the B-posts it’s a bit bulbous.
Interior
As in most Porsches, the driver enjoys clear sightlines and generous at-the-wheel adjustability (up to 18-way seat adjustment available), which is so important to feeling at one with the car. In Porsche tradition, the start button is still left of the wheel while a newer tradition is the effete gear selector toggle on the dash right of the wheel.
Up to three screens – curved digital gauge cluster, centre-dash main screen and optional passenger-side display – are user-friendly and subtly integrated into a relatively traditional-looking dashboard, with separate hard buttons for the climate control. A fourth “screen” is the optional, configurable head-up display with augmented reality. It can project navigation instructions on the windshield, but doesn’t emulate some rivals’ actual images of the upcoming intersection.
For second-row riders, the extended wheelbase provides more legroom than the gas Macan, but many less-expensive crossovers are still much roomier.
The Macan Electric comes with an optional passenger-side display.Courtesy of manufacturer
Performance
Even the base Macan is more than quick enough – though if you want more pace, it’s there for the paying. Given the inadequacy of the optional Electric Sound, we were happy to just embrace the effortless, quickly quietly style of electric propulsion.
The base car’s rear-heavy weight distribution can be felt if you corner provocatively – the 4 S is ultimately better balanced – but the baseline experience is defined by exquisitely precise, communicative steering and a best-of-both-worlds blend of agility and stability. You may miss the sound of a tuneful gas engine playing scales through a multi-speed gearbox as you deke along a serpentine road, but the chassis dynamics are thrill enough on their own.
Technology
Standard driver-assist tech includes adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking and rear cross-traffic alert. Active lane keep is a relatively affordable ($1,100) option that not only steers automatically but also adjusts the speed for curves, changing speed limits and traffic circles. Active automatic parking is also available. On the infotainment side, the Android OS offers a “blended ecosystem” of Porsche technology and the customer’s devices.
Cargo
The 84-litre frunk accommodates the charging cable with room to spare, though the shape is irregular.Jeremy Sinek/The Globe and Mail
The cargo area is functional, with flush-folding 40/20/40 backrests and a useful under-floor cavity (if not filled with optional audio). Cargo volumes of 540 litres seats-up and 1,348 seats-down are respectively greater and less than in the gas Macan, and on the low side among its peers. Most rivals, however, don’t have an 84-litre frunk.
The verdict
The base price is too high to help democratize EVs, but for Porsche prospects the Macan Electric is a practical yet polished piece that can either soothe or stimulate as the mood takes you.
The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.
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