Porsche has unveiled the new Macan EV, that is set to replace the ICE Macan in Porsche’s lineup. Porsche’s second EV, the electric Macan, is the brand’s first electric SUV and has been unveiled in two variants – the Macan 4 and the Macan Turbo – with prices starting at $80,450.
Both the Macan 4 and the Macan Turbo will get 100kWh batteries with an 800V architecture facilitating charging rates of upto 270kW, taking it from 10 to 80 percent in just 21 minutes (if you can find a charger that supports those speeds). The Macan EV is based on Porsche’s Premium Platform Electric architecture that’s co-developed with Audi. WLTP (combined) range numbers for the Macan 4 and Macan Turbo are upto 613km and 591km respectively.
Both the variants get dual motors, and as a result, all-wheel drive. The Macan 4’s motors will output 408PS of power and 650Nm of torque, to propel it from zero to 100kmph in 5.2 seconds. The Macan Turbo will produce 639PS of power and 1130Nm of torque, to hit 100kmph in just 3.3 seconds.
Both the Macan models will get the brand’s popular Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) electronic damping control as well as air suspension as standard. There’s optional rear wheel steering as well, a first on a Macan. The Panamera E-Hybrid’s ‘Active Ride’ feature that tilted the car based on steering inputs, seems to have been given a miss here.
The Macan’s incredible range figure seems to be a direct result of the EV’s impressive aerodynamics, with the SUVs having a drag coefficient of 0.25. There are active cooling flaps on the front air intakes, covers on the underbody, and air curtains on the bumpers to help it achieve such aerodynamic efficiency.
While it does seem to have a similar overall silhouette to the current ICE Macan, the upcoming model has a longer wheelbase (by 3.4 inches) and gets 22-inch wheels as an option. The design of the new electric Macan is an evolution and seems to follow the script that new Porsches seem to stick to. Gone are the large black grilles, replaced by sleeker air intakes and Taycan-inspired headlights. The side profile maintains its sportiness, now enhanced with new alloy wheel designs, the largest being 22 inches. The rear, too, mirrors the Taycan’s simplicity, and gets the LED bar which looks neatly integrated to the whole design.
Inside, you can expect upto three screens (with one for the passenger) and a familiar layout if you are coming from something like the Cayenne. There are a number of physical toggles and buttons, in what is a departure from other recent luxury electric SUVs. The tech suite is impressive, with a 12.6-inch curved digital driver’s display, an 10.9-inch central touchscreen with smartphone integration, and optional passenger-side touchscreen (also a 10.9-inch unit), reminiscent of the new Cayenne.
Augmented reality head-up display adds to the high-tech feel, projecting crucial information onto the windshield, while Porsche retains its signature blend of digital and analogue elements, like the dashboard-mounted stopwatch. A Google-powered infotainment system (one of the few cars to get it) completes the tech package on the inside.
The Macan 4 starts at $80,450, while the Macan Turbo will start at $106,950 in the US. Pre-orders start today with deliveries to begin in the second half of 2024.
