First test of the new electric Porsche Macan Turbo

Red or blue? For fear of electrocution, we have all asked ourselves this question one day when handling the wires of an electrical appliance. With a vent on each of its rear wings to recharge its large 100 kWh lithium-ion battery (95 kWh useful), the new electric Macan also needs attention. To be sure, just look at its technical characteristics, which are based on the new 800 V PPE (Premium Platform Electric) platform, which is also used in the Audi Q6 e-tron. A complex piece of engineering dedicated to performance. But there is no doubt, the common thread, which gives you a bad shot of juice, is the right pedal.

With its 584 hp – and even 639 hp, guaranteed for 10 seconds in the “stop start” mode of Control – and, above all, With its 1,130 Nm (sic) of torque instantly available to all four wheels, this Turbo Macan sends a big jolt as soon as you put the accelerator to the carpet.. And since the current flows very well in this pedal under high voltage, we try, as every good electric driver has already experienced at least once, to leave in dragster style … There, look, a big chestnut. It’s definitely not painful, but it’s intense, and it’s more dizzying as it seems towards infinity., due to the transmission which, unlike the Taycan, has only one gear. Once on board, you are not behind the wheel of a sports SUV, but at the controls of a spacecraft leaving its base for a mission to the stars. Porsche advertises 3.3 s from 0 to 100 km / h and 11.7 s from 0 to 200 km / h: we’ll take their word for it.

A mastery lesson

This Porsche SUV is equally impressive when it enters the small roads of the Estérel massif, in the Var, the location of this contact. If its cannon ball-style recovery – only 2.2 seconds to go from 80 to 120 km / h – clear every straight line and put your neck in the headrests, like during an osteopathy session, its chassis seems to be magnetized when placed aside. Uvery stable, surprising with its rear-wheel steering allowing up to 5° of steering (€1,872 option), with unbeatable traction thanks to its four-wheel transmission that responds in 10 ms, this SUV of more than 2.4 tons looks , as if by magic, struck down. With its low center of gravity, due to the batteries placed close to the ground, it is difficult to even bend and pull a very small nozzle in the hair.

On the contrary, thanks to the Torque Vectoring Plus system (standard) which manages the torque on each rear wheel, it gets rid of itself by riding its big tires on the pavement with incredible power. All this, with a confusing ease of driving and forgiveness of many driving mistakes. In fact, when driving, you just need to remember to brake. Very strong. Which responds well, thanks to the bite pedal and always in the same position, unlike most electric cars.. But you will have to remain humble and not ask for the moon, considering its weight, especially on wet roads.

When you arrive at the port of Antibes, in the Alpes-Maritimes, to return the keys, you touch the accelerator pedal to sit in a row of watts, in the middle of traffic. Then we benefit from its softness, its fluidity but also the calmness and silence that reigns in its very beautiful cabin. Lots of dough, good at times, this Macan too. It still raises a few questions.

It is muted

The first, of a philosophical nature, is a matter of debate: yes, this Turbo disturbs the senses as before, even providing unexpected sports in an SUV. But does it still deliver the technical feel that makes up Porsche’s DNA? In our opinion, not at all, because it does not have a real sound. The one that comes from a real oil engine, capable of making hair stand on end. In any case it is not the online one that emits from the speakers and you turn it on with your finger in the sub-menu – an option called “Porsche Electric Sport Sound” and charged for €456.. Spellbound with its monotone sound, it is more reminiscent of an angry metro train than good old oil. It’s too bad because, with its Ioniq 5N, Hyundai achieves it.

Faced with such a level of performance, Second, we wonder if the Macan 4 version, the cheapest of the electric Porsches (€86,430, compared to €118,910 for our Turbo) isn’t even better.. 408 hp and 650 Nm are already more than enough to fill the senses. And it allows the same fast charging (up to 260 kW direct current), with a battery level that goes, according to Porsche, from 10 to 80% in 20 minutes at fast stations. This Macan 4 offers even greater range, with 613 kilometers compared to 591 for the Turbo. Even if there is no certainty that these data are decisive when choosing.