- Porsche Macan Electric - our first review
- We test the all-wheel drive Porsche Macan 4 Electric
- Less is more when it comes to handling
- Expect to increase your monthly lease fee via the options list
Porsche is sprinting towards an all-electric future with the electrification of its biggest-selling model, the Macan SUV.
While the bigger Cayenne SUV is credited as the model that saved Porsche, it’s the Macan that brings in the big cash – it’s that important to the brand. Porsche has just updated its first full EV the Taycan (yes, already), but with some car makers slowing down with their electric plans, has Porsche gone too fast too soon with the Macan Electric?
The good news is that the Macan feels every inch like a modern Porsche. It’s got power aplenty – as you’d expect from an EV – and in most respects it brilliantly blends everyday usability with a driving appeal that many other SUVs miss.
We drove the Macan 4 Electric and the range-topping Macan Turbo Electric – Porsche simply using the Turbo name as a badge when applying it to its EVs. Somewhat surprisingly, it’s the lesser of the two cars that we much preferred.
The Macan comes in four flavours with the entry-level model, simply called Macan Electric, featuring a single electric motor delivering 355bhp to the rear wheels. It accelerates from 0 to 62mph in 5.7 seconds and reaches a top speed of 137mph.
Next up is our car, the Macan 4 Electric, which gets twin electric motors providing all-wheel drive. Combined they produce 382bhp, reducing the 0-62mph time to 5.2 seconds. Top speed remains at 137mph.
Then there’s the Macan Electric 4S (above) with a healthy power boost to 509bhp and getting from zero to 62mph in 4.1 seconds.
Finally, the range topping Macan Turbo Electric (below), delivering an impressive 630bhp for a zero to 62mph time of just 3.3 seconds and a top speed of 162mph. This performance is boosted by standard air suspension and optional rear-wheel steering.
An early word of warning here: although the range starts at a reasonable £68,500, you’ll have to plunder the options list to get the Porsche you really want. Our Macan 4 had the adaptive air suspension which brings with it Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system for £2,064 on top of the 4’s standard price of £71,200.
You’ll probably want the Sport Chrono package which gives you sportier settings for the chassis and powertrain – another £635. Any paint other than white or black will set you back between £741 and £7,536, while even heated seats add another £324.
In short, it will be difficult not to spend a fair few thousand pounds over the base price of any Macan – or any Porsche, come to that.
But Porsches are different and there’s a hint of the company’s flagship 911 in every car. That means the Macan drives like few other SUVs– the steering is crisp, fluent and communicative, while the battery low down in the car helps to keep the centre of gravity low for next to no body roll through corners. There’s also plenty of grip making the car feel connected and secure on the road. In short, it’s just great fun to drive and you can even opt for a slightly weird, electrically generated sound to give you the impression of speed – or slowing down – as a petrol-powered Porsche might.
But a word of warning on the dynamics: go for the Turbo and the ride, strangely, goes to pot. Or more precisely, jumps around too much over potholes. It’s just a bit too uncomfortable, so much so that we’d stick with one of the lesser models – which are plenty quick enough – on smaller wheels.
Inside, you get decent quality, although the piano black panel in the centre console still picks up finger marks too much, and we prefer proper buttons rather than the touch sensitive sort. Everything does feel very well made, though, but remember that to get the nicest bits of kit you’re going to have to plunder the expensive options basket.
You do get a really nice, curved display in front of the driver – very similar to that in the Taycan and the latest Cayenne – while the touchscreen infotainment at 10.4-inches is a decent size with crisp, clear graphics, and is responsive, too. You’re better off using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, though, as Porsche’s own system takes a fair bit of time to get your head around.
If you want to upgrade the audio, it’s £917 for a 14-speaker Bose system or £3,695 for a 21-speaker Burmester stereo.
The new Macan has a longer wheelbase than its predecessor, yet it’s still not the most spacious in the back – fine for most, just not overly generous, while the sloping roofline may be problematic if you’ve got someone tall in the rear seats. It’s Porsche leaving a bit of room (literally) for the bigger, more expensive Cayenne model, we assume.
The boot is a decent 540 litres, although that drops to 480 litres with the Turbo, while there’s another 84 litres in the frunk under the bonnet.
Every Macan has the same 100kWh battery under the floor and all share the same advanced 800-volt electrical system, which means fast charging at a rate of up to 270kW. To go from 10 to 80 per cent charge will take just 20 minutes.
Porsche claims a range of up to 387 miles for the entry-level two wheel-drive car, although that will drop as you move further up the range, or as you add in options that will increase the car’s weight and wheel size.
STEVE FOWLER'S EARLY VERDICT: 4/5
Porsche has done a brilliant job in keeping the essence of the brand – led by the 911 – intact in an all-electric SUV. The Macan feels like a Porsche to drive and sit in, which is good news for anyone who thinks EVs are dull and soulless.
We’d stick with the lesser models than go for the range-topping Turbo with its overly firm ride. But buy knowing that the list price is only the start (you’ll have to hit the options list to get the level of kit you want) and the space inside isn’t overly generous. If it’s just one or two of you up front for most of the time, though, we’d love to spend more time in a Macan 4 Electric.
SPEC
• Model tested: Macan 4 Electric
• Price to buy outright/rough cost to lease: £71,200/£864 per month*
• Powertrain/battery size: 382bhp four wheel-drive/100kWh
• Power output/torque/top speed: 382bhp/650NM/137mph
• Range/charging speed if it’s electric: 387miles/270kW
• Fuel economy/CO2 emissions: 2.9-3.6m/kWh/0
• Boot space in litres: 540
• BIK/road tax: 3% (2025/26)/£195 (plus expensive car supplement from April 2025)
• Standard-issue kit: 10.4-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, not much else!
• Main leasing rivals: BMW iX3, Audi Q6 e-tron
*Prices incude VAT. Credit is Subject to Status, Ts and Cs and Arrangement Fees apply. Excess mileage may apply. Stock levels and prices correct as of 02/01/25.
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