First drive in the all-electric Porsche Macan

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Pronounced shoulders make the rear of the new Porsche Macan look more muscular and powerful.

Raoul SchwinnEditor Car & Mobility

If we look at the back of the new electric Macan, the predecessor, which is still available, looks very old. Thanks to the pronounced shoulders, the new model looks more muscular, powerful and modern. Porsche chief designer Michael Mauer says: “The design makes it clear: The Macan is also the sports car in the electrified segment.”

Compared to its predecessor, the wheelbase has increased by almost nine centimeters, but the overhangs of the body remain short. With a front hood with a flat slope – important for a good value of air resistance of 0.25 and therefore more range – and pronounced extensions allow a height of 4.78 meters (+ 5.8 cm) and 1.94 meters (+ 1.6 cm ) with a height SUV of 1.62 meters. looks strong even when standing.

More Porsche design

Dynamic is the key word when we accelerate in the new Macan, which is available as Macan 4 (408 hp, 300 kW, 650 Nm) and the sportier Macan Turbo (639 hp, 470 kW, 1130 Nm). We’re doing this on our first test drive in the top-of-the-line model – and we’re impressed. It takes just 3.3 seconds to reach 100 km/h and the top speed is 260 km/h. However, according to WLTP, we should be able to travel up to 591 kilometers on a single battery charge in the Macan Turbo. However, not if we use the full energy reserve very often. On our quick test run, consumption dropped to 22.5 kWh/100 km (above the 18.8 to 20.7 kWh specified by Porsche), which would still be enough for a maximum range of 420 km. However, series manager Jörg Kerner promises: “In urban areas, journeys of more than 700 kilometers are possible even with a turbo.” We would like to believe him.

For the first time with optional all-wheel steering

Both Macan models have all-wheel drive. For the Turbo, there’s also optional rear-axle steering for the first time. It offers more driving stability during a test drive on the twisty, less-used mountain roads of the Côte d’Azur and, on the other hand, helps with maneuverability in the tourist-filled holiday resorts of Antibes and Nice . Thanks to the all-wheel steering, the Macan’s turning circle is reduced to a manageable 11.1 meters.

Like the Taycan electric sports sedan, the Macan also relies on 800-volt synchronous electric motors. The two electric machines are powered by a 95 kilowatt-hour (net) battery located under the body. And as quick as the new E-Macan is on the road, it’s also quick to charge – at least on the fast charger. There it draws up to 270 kW – so the battery charge rate can be increased from ten to 80 percent in just 21 minutes at properly powered fast charging stations. AC charging in a wall box, on the other hand, is currently 11 kilowatts – just average for a premium brand.

Electronic traction management

Porsche prides itself on its electronically controlled steering. It is said to be five times faster than a conventional 4×4 system and corrects any wheel slip in ten milliseconds. «The torque distribution varies according to the selected driving mode. But for rear-wheel drive vehicles, the rear engine always dominates, “explains Kerner. That’s why there are also different tires for the front and rear. Standard on the Macan 4 are 235/55/20 front and 285/45/20 rear. , and 255/40/22 and 295/35/22 on the Turbo. However, we wonder if they should really be 22-inch wheels, or if 20- or 21-inch wheels would be better? If necessary, there are still ways to ride sports more aggressively.

Be that as it may, the new, electric Macan is not inferior to the current combustion engine in terms of performance. That was not expected either. The promised range also seems to be sufficient in practice, especially since you can quickly “refuel” wherever you are using a fast charger. And lost voice? Anyone who installed a sports exhaust system on the predecessor to create more noise will miss the engine noise – and probably won’t be happy with the replacement synthetic sound (fortunately it can be turned off). But we think driving emotions requires more than just a roaring engine. And the new electric Macan certainly delivers on that.

But for good money. The Macan 4, which has been available to order since the end of January but will only be available towards autumn, starts at 95,800 francs. The Macan Turbo costs at least 131,200 francs. A price comparison with the current Macan and still available with a combustion engine (see box) is difficult because the Macan Turbo is no longer available as a combustion engine – “and because the standard equipment on the fully electric Macan is more extensive than the combustion engine current,” adds a Porsche Switzerland spokesperson.

Combustion Macan continues to race in Switzerland

From 1 July 2024, sales of the current Porsche Macan with a combustion engine will be discontinued across Europe. But not Switzerland. Why? Due to the so-called “General Security Regulation”, which is primarily concerned with cyber security, all vehicles that do not meet these requirements will no longer be allowed to be re-registered in the European Union from July 1. In areas where this EU law does not apply (including Switzerland), there will be no registration or sales ban for the Macan with a combustion engine from July, but only an import ban. Swiss customers can no longer configure the combustion Macan according to their personal preferences. Looking ahead, however, Porsche’s Swiss dealers have stocked and have a wide selection of stock cars – long beyond the summer. Why doesn’t Porsche just replace the current Macan platform with new safety regulations? “That doesn’t work. Not only would technical modifications be needed, for example in control devices, but basically changes in processes in the development phase. And it doesn’t work retroactively,” explains Macan range manager Jörg Kerner.

Sales of the current Porsche Macan (pictured) have been suspended in Europe. The flaming SUV will continue to be available in Switzerland.

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