First of all: It’s not an e-Macan and it’s not a Macan Electric either. Porsche only talks about the “new Macan”. No name suffix, just Porsche Macan. This should make it clear: the electric model is not just an addition to the combustion Macan that is still being offered for the time being. It is the replacement. “Our bestseller will be electric,” says Porsche boss Oliver Blume at the premiere in Singapore. In order to avoid confusion in sales, the new model has the addition “Electric” in the configurator.
As announced, the Macan will be available in two variants at market launch – but we were wrong on one point: Based on our impressions from the technology workshop on the Macan last year, we guessed that the two variants would be the Macan 4S and Macan Turbo come to the market. The top model is actually called the Macan Turbo. For the (provisional) base model, Porsche only opted for the Macan 4.
With its electric all-wheel drive, this model has an output of 300 kW and offers a maximum torque of 650 Nm. Since both Macan variants use the same battery with 100 kWh energy content, the slightly weaker Macan 4 is the longer-range version: It has a range of up to 613 kilometers in WLTP. With its equivalent of 408 hp, the Macan 4 can complete the standard sprint in 5.2 seconds and the top speed is 220 km/h.
Macan Turbo delivers 470 kW
The Macan Turbo uses the same engine on the front axle as the Macan 4, but a completely different version on the rear axle – more on this in our background article on the Macan. In the top model this means a system output of up to 470 kW in overboost (or 639 hp). The torque – also in overboost, which can be accessed for a short time – is 1,130 Nm; Porsche does not provide the “regular” values without overboost in the statement. With launch control (and the aforementioned overboost), the Macan Turbo can accelerate from a standstill to 100 km/h in 3.3 seconds. It ends at 260 km/h. Until now, Porsche had only spoken of “over 450 kW” of power.
Anyone who takes advantage of the acceleration or top speed will of course not be able to reach the standard range. However, if the Macan Turbo is driven according to WLTP specifications, it has a range of 591 kilometers. Despite the additional performance, the Macan Turbo is in a range that is probably negligible in everyday life compared to the Macan 4. The driving profile and personal driving style will have a significantly greater influence on consumption and range than a difference of 22 WLTP kilometers. But aerodynamics also have a big influence: According to Porsche, the final body design should mean an increase in range of 85 kilometers. However, the basis for comparison for this statement remains unclear.
And: Even if Porsche may launch further Macan drive variants in the future – based on the Taycan portfolio, a 4S or GTS would be conceivable between a Macan 4 and Macan Turbo – these should also have a standard range of around 600 kilometers . Macan series manager Jörg Kerner stated in a video at the event that all derivatives will have a range of more than 500 kilometers.
With this statement, it seems possible that a smaller battery could later be offered in a cheaper basic model. As mentioned above, a 100 kWh electricity storage system is used in both variants – there is more about the structure and the cell supplier in our background article. However, it is also possible that Kerner is referring to the WLTP range for the 500 kilometers: the Macan Turbo with the worst equipment from a consumption perspective still has 518 WLTP kilometers.
So far, Porsche has only talked about a battery of “around” 100 kWh. With the world premiere it is clear: exactly 100 kWh are installed in the vehicle, of which, according to Kerner, 95 percent can be used. The net energy content is therefore 95 kWh.
This 800-volt battery is recharged with a peak of up to 270 kW. The charging process from ten to 80 percent should take 21 minutes under ideal conditions. With a net energy content of 95 kWh, 66.5 kWh are recharged during this time, which corresponds to an average charging output of 190 kW. That’s something to be proud of. On the Macan, the DC charging port is placed above the left rear wheel, and there is an additional AC charging port above the right rear wheel. AC charging is possible with 11 kW.
There is a small change to a special function of the Macan battery, the so-called “bank charging”: If the charging station only offers 400 volts, the battery can be virtually divided into two banks, which are then charged in parallel. This should make “particularly efficient charging without an additional HV booster” possible with up to 135 kW. Previously, Porsche had spoken of up to 150 kW for this function.
3.5 million test kilometers
In order to test the new drive units, the battery, their charging behavior and also the chassis under all conceivable conditions, the prototypes and near-production examples covered a total of over 3.5 million kilometers – from 30 degrees below zero in Scandinavia to 50 degrees in Death Valley . “An outstanding vehicle that performs on any surface,” says Blume about the new Macan.
The testing phase was not only so extensive because Porsche places a lot of emphasis on the extreme tests and the driving dynamics typical of the brand, or because the Macan is the first model on a new platform. The Macan will again be available with the typical Porsche surcharge list. Customers can therefore (depending on the model) choose between different technologies, for example for the chassis and brakes. All of these components and combinations must be tested and coordinated beforehand. A basic Macan with steel springs and steel brakes is almost a different car than a Macan with adaptive air suspension, ceramic brakes and the Turbo model’s “performance rear end,” which means a completely different rear axle design.
The event in the Gardens by the Bay with the iconic Marina Bay Sands hotel in the background was less about individual furnishing details. Porsche placed particular emphasis on design – the world premiere took place as part of the Singapore Art Week there. There are few surprises in the design itself: The new Macan has all the features of the brand’s current design language, from the four-bar LED daytime running lights at the front to the typical Macan side line to the continuous strip of lights at the rear.
However, some of the elements are reinterpreted. The aforementioned daytime running lights were placed as a design element in the typical headlight position. The actual headlights are in their own unit underneath. But that’s actually no longer a surprise; this design feature was already evident in the numerous prototypes. However, the light strip at the rear is more noticeable than before, as it, together with a dark area around the Porsche lettering, represents one of the defining design elements of the rear view – and not just a narrow, red light across the entire width of the vehicle.
“The new Macan is clearly recognizable as part of the Porsche product family through its brand identity. The typical Porsche proportions have been further developed and optimally adapted to the challenges of an electric vehicle,” says head of design Michael Mauer. “This further sharpened the sporty, modern and dynamic appearance of the Macan. The design makes it clear: the Macan is also the electrified sports car in the segment.”
Briefly the most important data: The Macan is 4.78 meters long, 1.94 meters wide without exterior mirrors and 1.62 meters high. The wheelbase is 2.89 meters, 8.6 centimeters more than the previous combustion engine model. Despite the sloping roofline, the trunk behind the rear seat bench should hold up to 540 liters (depending on the model and equipment). If the rear seat backrest is completely folded down, the rear cargo space volume increases to up to 1,348 liters. As with the Taycan and combustion engine sports cars like the 911, the electric Macan also has a second loading compartment under the front hood: The Frunk holds another 84 liters and should be able to hold either the charging equipment or a small travel bag. The maximum towing capacity of the new Macan is a whopping two tons.
The interior is typical of Porsches – if you’ve ever sat in a reasonably current Porsche, you should quickly find your way around the Macan. But beneath the surface, a lot of things are new. The Macan is available for the first time with an augmented reality head-up display. And much more important: Porsche now uses Android Automotive OS as the operating system for infotainment.
The user interface of the standard Porsche Communication Management (PCM) looks very similar, but is technically based on a completely different basis. According to Porsche, the Macan will reach “a new dimension” in terms of computing power. This should not only be reflected in the response time of the voice assistant, but also in route planning including charging stops. In addition, the switch to the Android Automotive OS enables an app center for third-party apps. There’s more about this – you guessed it – in our background article.
Prices start at 84,100 euros
Since 2014, Porsche has delivered more than 800,000 Macans worldwide. “The all-electric successor, which is produced in a carbon-neutral manner at the Porsche plant in Leipzig, is intended to continue this success story,” says Porsche.
What is somewhat unusual for a world premiere is that Porsche immediately published the prices for the new model. In Germany, the Macan 4 is available from 84,100 euros; the Macan Turbo costs at least 114,600 euros. In the UK the base prices are 69,800 or 95,000 pounds, in the USA the Macan is on the list at 78,800 or 105,300 dollars. But it shouldn’t stay at these prices; Porsche boss Blume also highlighted the Macan’s high degree of customization at the event. For an additional charge, of course.
So only one question remains unanswered at the premiere: Will the Macan also be the customer’s first PPE model? With the premiere, Porsche was at least ahead of its sister model Audi Q6 e-tron, which will probably be presented in March. According to Porsche, the first new Macans will be delivered “during the second half of the year”. So now the ball is in Audi’s court.
porsche.com (Notice), porsche.com (configurator)