Electric Porsche Macan gets 380-mile range and 630bhp
Taycan its inspiration from big brother
Porsche’s acceleration towards becoming an electric vehicle (EV) specialist continues apace with the full announcement of its second zero-emissions model— the all-new Macan SUV.
Having shifted more than 800,000 examples of the internal combustion-powered Macan since it launched in 2014, Porsche must get things spot on with the second-generation machine as the crossover is the company’s best-selling model globally.
Advanced 800-volt electrical technology will allow ultra-fast charging, while as much as 630bhp and an official range of up to 380 miles ought to help this Macan EV to similar success once it goes on sale in the UK later this year.
Large battery pack brings the range
There will be two initial launch models of the electric Macan, called the Macan 4 and the Macan Turbo.
Both sit on newly developed, EV-specific underpinnings called the Premium Platform Electric (PPE), which means the Macan family is not using the same underpinnings as Porsche’s first EV, the Taycan.
Nevertheless, this system still allows for 800-volt DC rapid charging capability, meaning the sizeable 100kWh lithium-ion battery pack (95kWh of that is usable) in the Macan models can go from 10-80 per cent charge in just 21 minutes in optimum conditions at compatible chargers.
The battery powers “permanently excited” electric motors (PSMs) in the Macan launch models, with a motor on each axle ensuring these vehicles have electronically controlled all-wheel drive.
In the Macan 4, the maximum output is a healthy 300kW, which equates to 402bhp and a chunky 480lb ft of torque. Such outputs allow this SUV to run 0-62mph in 5.1 seconds, with a limited top speed of 137mph.
Those looking for even more punch will approve of the Macan Turbo, with a maximum output of 630bhp and 834lb ft of torque. That reduces the 0-62mph time by nearly two seconds, to a 3.3-second official figure — the same as a 911 Carrera 4 GTS — while the top speed raises to 161mph, which matches the “v-max” of the most potent Taycans.
It’s not just speed that marks out the Macan EVs; range between charges does too. Porsche claims that the Macan 4 can go up to 380 miles on a single charge of its battery pack, based on the official WLTP economy test, while the Turbo isn’t too far behind with 367 miles.
Visual nods to Taycan
In terms of the styling, the new Macan takes much inspiration from the Taycan — including the four-point daytime running lamps (DRLs) mounted high at the front and with a full-width light strip incorporating a 3D Porsche logo at the rear.
What appear to be the headlight clusters at the front are in fact just the DRLs. The main forward illumination is handled by LEDs housed in units which sit in what look like the Macan’s lower, outer “air intakes”.
As with many a modern car, the new Macan has grown (slightly) in all dimensions when compared to its predecessor. This includes a wheelbase — the distance between the centres of the front and rear wheels — that has lengthened 86mm to 2,893mm overall.
Despite its larger frame, Porsche says that the electric Macan’s bodyshell — which has much more of a distinct coupé profile than the model it replaces — is one of the most streamlined SUVs on sale, with a coefficient of drag of just 0.25; amazingly that matches the streamlined Honda Insight hybrid of 1999, though of course falls short of the lower Taycan (0.22Cd).
Spatial awareness
The external expansion of the Macan has resulted in increased practicality within. Porsche says occupants sit 28mm lower in the front seats than they did before, with rear-seat passengers in a 15mm-lower seating position with added legroom.
Boot space at the back has swelled from 458 litres in the old internal-combustion-powered Macans to 540 litres in the new electric variants, augmented by another 84 litres of storage space found under the bonnet of the SUV.
Inside the new Macan, while Porsche has gone for a mainly digital interface it hasn’t completely dispensed with a few sensible physical controls. Both the air vents and the climate control functions are still handled by “analogue” switchgear.
Elsewhere, the Taycan’s obvious influence seeps into much of the Macan’s fascia. A 12.6in instrument cluster is the most overt shared feature, while a central 10.9in infotainment screen can also be paired with another 10.9in touchscreen Passenger Display as an option in the Macan for the first time.
Android Automotive OS powers the main infotainment display (Apple and Google phones can still both be paired), while a fancy augmented-reality head-up display overlays helpful navigation commands into the driver’s field of vision.
Meanwhile, on the flip side of all the advanced technology, much of the Macan EV’s make-up is from ecologically sound materials, including various elements of the cabin architecture.
Advanced chassis hardware
As with any self-respecting Porsche model, it’s not enough for the electric Macan to be quick and long range — it must be fun in the corners, too.
Sitting its passengers lower will undoubtedly help with a feeling of a strong connection to the road, but an array of Porsche’s best dynamic equipment should further help the EV to be as engaging as possible for its driver.
As standard, the Macan 4 has conventional steel-spring and fixed-rate-damping suspension. Optionally, it can be fitted with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) adaptive dampers, or even PASM plus full air suspension on all four corners.
The Macan Turbo gains air springs and PASM as standard, as well as Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus), a system that control power, braking and slip to individual wheels to boost the handling characteristics of the SUV further.
Any model fitted with PASM gains the latest two-valve technology for the suspension’s damping system, as recently deployed to good effect on the larger of its SUVs, the facelifted Cayenne. The result is a greater range of ride quality from comfort to sporty in feel.
Four-wheel drive, four-wheel steering
Another first for the Macan will be Porsche’s optional rear-axle steering, which can turn the rear wheels up to five degrees in either direction to aid with the car’s low-speed manoeuvrability — reducing its turning circle to a compact 11.1 metres — as well as high-speed stability when enacting lane changes.
Its four-wheel-drive system, meanwhile, is claimed to react five times faster than a conventional set-up, responding within ten milliseconds to any detected slip at the wheels. It also allows the Macan to tow up to 2,000kg of braked trailer, making it a practical SUV as well as an environmentally sound one.
Full prices and UK specifications for the new, pure-electric Porsche Macan will be released in due course.
Related articles
- If you were interested in the all-electric Porsche Macan, you might also like to check out what we had to say about the updated Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid
- And don’t miss our review of the 718 Cayman GT4 RS
- Keen to go electric? Here are the top 10 longest-range electric cars
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