All-Electric Porsche Macan Review: Can It Truly Replace Petrol Power?

Watch DriverReviews ambassador Vicki Butler-Henderson give her verdict on the new Porsche Macan 4 Electric.

When you think of Porsche and its range of SUVs, it's not very extensive. In fact, there are only two options. The Cayenne (the larger of the two) and the Macan (the smaller of the two). You could argue that there's no need for Porsche to offer more than the Cayenne and Macan because they've perfected their range with just two models. However, there is something worth noting. At the moment you can still buy the Macan with a combustion engine, but you'll only be able to do so until the end of the year as Porsche will only offer the next generation Macan as an electric vehicle. So, you might ask, why have they brought an electric version of their already popular Macan to the market?

Specifications

• Price: From £68,000 to £95,000 (specification dependent)
• Power: 408hp / 650Nm
• Acceleration: 0-62mph in 5.2s
• Battery Range: 368 miles (Macan 4)
• Boot Space: 540l up to 1,348l
• Tow Capacity: 2,000kg

Exterior

Longer. Wider. Lower. This is how the latest Macan differs from the previous one at first glance (aside from the obvious). Getting behind the bodywork though it shares a platform which has been developed in collaboration with sister company Audi. Vicki mentions that we can expect to see mass volume models being produced from this platform which is very promising.

Going back to the theme of first glances, the electric Macan is distinctively a Porsche. The ‘classic’ Porsche design flows throughout the entire car and features such as the headlights as well as the 3D lightbar at the rear help to characterise this car as belonging to Porsche. At the front there is storage space under the bonnet where the engine would usually sit, and you can fill this up to 84 litres. In the video, Vicki demonstrates that you could fit the charging cable as well as an overnight bag which would make this a great option for domestic travel.

There is plenty of boot space at the rear too, with 540 litres when the rear seats are up and in their usual position expanding up to a maximum of 1,348 litres when they are folded flat. A helpful point here though is that if you opt for the full Bose sound system then the space is reduced to make room for the subwoofer.

For customers looking to take the car off road, Porsche offers a design packed that has a different front end to the standard one and you get adaptive air suspension to help clear the ground more easily.

Charging and Battery

The Porsche Macan electric will take you an impressive 368 miles before it needs charging up again (368 miles is the figure for the model in the video which is the Macan 4). Vicki helpfully reminds us that if you have a heavy right foot or are towing a heavy load then this will quickly dwindle the range. There is two charging points on the car, with one being faster than the other and uses 800V technology meaning that charging capacities of up to 270kW are possible. A useful thing to know is that the caps to access the charging points are manually operated unlike in some other electric vehicles where they are accessed through the screen.

Wheels & Tyre Talk

The Macan 4 comes with a variety of choice when it comes to wheels ranging from 20 inches up to 22 inches. The Macan’s wheels in the video are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport EV tyres. They have been specially designed for Porsche which is shown by the ‘NEO’ marking on the sidewall.

The Pilot Sport EV is designed to withstand high power and extra weight (which makes it an ideal choice for electric vehicles) while delivering maximum grip, low noise, and reduced rolling resistance. 

Interior, Tech & Driving Position

The fact that the battery is so low down in the Macan, it means that the seating position can also be quite low down. This doesn’t have to be the case though as the electrically operated seats can push you up to perch on high. Vicki declares that the seat has curves in all the right places which would lend itself to those longer journeys being done in comfort. However, she does go on to mention a design flaw with the seatbelt in that the stopper for the buckle is too low down and consequently it can drop quite far down the belt meaning you have to go searching for the buckle.

Neat. Precise. Intuitive to use. This is how Vicki describes the dashboard, it is comprised of a 12.6-inch instrument cluster to display all your driving data, a screen in the middle to share controls with your passenger and a screen directly in front of the passenger. The Macan 4 gets bonus points from Vicki for its combination of real buttons and screen controls. In terms of tech, there is plenty of it including lots of driver aids such as lane change assist, warn and brake assist, lane keeping assist, and speed warnings to name a few.

The cherry on top is the Porsche app which will let you control many features with one of them being the ability to pre-warm the cabin from your home before you get in. You can also sound the horn, put the hazard lights on, or lock/unlock the car – three quite useful options!

Rear Seats & Practicality

Leg room is in abundance in the rear as Vicki tests whether a 6ft person can sit comfortably behind a 6ft driver, which they can! However, although there are 3 seats in the rear, the middle seat might be a tight squeeze if there are people sat either side. Porsche is open with this though as they call the Macan 4 a ‘four-seater plus one’.

Where lateral space might be lacking, quality isn’t. There is an armrest situated in the backrest of the middle seat which comes down and gives you two cup holders. There’s a panoramic sunroof which lets lots of light into the cabin and the rear passengers have access to two USBC ports to charge mobile phones. 

Model Line-Up & Performance

The electric Macan comes in a few guises:
• Macan Electric: 0-60 in 5.7s / 360ps / 398 miles range
• Macan 4 Electric: 0-60 in 5.2s / 408ps / 380 miles range
• Macan 4S Electric: 0-60 in 4.1s / 516ps / 377 miles range
• Macan Turbo Electric: 0-60 in 3.3s / 639ps / 367 miles range

A few things to note about the Macan 4 Electric which is the model in the video. It has 4-whel drive so you will feel more planted to the road when you are putting the power down. It’s also got launch control should you find yourself in a situation where you require it. Vicki does state though that the Macan doesn’t feel “that quick” at least not compared to the Porsche Taycan which might not actually bother you.

Ride, Handling & Driving Modes

The pedals according to Vicki are nicely weighted so there’s no need to stamp on them to get maximum output, she describes them as being nicely balanced which is what you would expect from a dialled in SUV produced by Porsche. Paired with this is Porsche’s Active Suspension Management System which is a £900 option and is well worth choosing in Vicki’s opinion.

There are a few modes to select with normal, off-road, sport, and sport-plus. These are selected by a turn-wheel attached to the steering wheel which gives a real F1 feel. When you do go through the different driving modes, the interior lights change to reflect the mode you have selected. We’d be keen to hear if you like the synchronisation between the interior lights and the driving modes so head over to our YouTube channel and let us know in the comments! The handling is another strength of the Macan Electric, Vicki drives it through plenty of corners in our review and the feedback is that the steering is accurate.

Vicki’s Verdict

“It is giving me a massive amount of hope that electric cars can be really engaging”.

Although one of its main rivals being the Audi Q6 E-Tron which shares the same platform as the Macan, Vicki says it isn’t as rewarding to drive as the Macan. Then there’s the BMW iX3 which has a smaller range of about 100 miles, so if you want an EV SUV that will do close to 400 miles and has a respectable 408ps then the Macan should be at the top of your shortlist.

We would love to hear your opinions on the Porsche Macan 4 Electric so head over to our YouTube channel and let us know in the comments. Don't miss out on future reviews and automotive insights - subscribe to DriverReviews on YouTube for the latest updates and in-depth analysis from our brand ambassadors!