Test Car Specifications
Model: 2024 Porsche Macan Electric
Price: TBC
Motor: two electric motors
Transmission: two-stage, single-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Battery: ~100kWh lithium-ion battery
Power: 611hp
Torque: >1,000Nm
Emissions: 0g/km
Range: TBC
0-62mph: ~3 seconds (estimated)
Top speed: TBC
Boot space: TBC
Styling
It's hard to tell exactly how the new Macan will look when all you've seen is a disguised test mule, but there are some features of note. For a kick-off, the front end is likely to look fairly similar to that of the current car, albeit with slightly less need for grilles at the front. But given the current Macan's nose is inspired by other models in the range, we can expect similar inspiration from the Taycan and Panamera models in the next Macan. At the rear, meanwhile, Porsche has shown us a much more coupe-like rear window. At first, we thought the company might be launching a coupe version of the Macan, but it seems there will be just one body style for the time being.
Interior
While Porsche remains tight-lipped about the final exterior design, we know more about the interior. Sure, the car we rode in was a pre-production prototype, but Porsche confirmed the interior was more or less complete. With a big central touchscreen and a digital instrument display lifted from the Taycan, it’s more or less as you’d expect, with impeccable quality on display and some really tactile materials in evidence.
We didn’t get to play with the on-board tech much, but Porsche says there’s a massive uplift in tech compared with the ‘standard’ petrol-powered Macan. Not only does the touchscreen operate using a new operating system, but there’s a massive augmented reality head-up display that can pick out vehicles and hazards, as well as showing navigation turns and speed readouts – all overlayed on the real world. There’s an on-board games console on offer, too, allowing passengers to play while charging.
Practicality
Porsche hasn't really gone into great detail when it comes to the Macan's interior space, and we haven't had a chance to try the rear seats for size. From the front, however, the Macan felt spacious enough, with lots of seat adjustment and a nice, low seating position we've come to expect from Porsche products. The roofline at the rear may be a concern when it comes to rear headroom, although we can't yet pass judgement on that, and Porsche hasn't told us how big the boot will be, either.
Performance
Porsche has not yet confirmed all the details of its new Macan powertrains, but we are expecting every car to come with a two-motor all-wheel-drive system. Every variant will utilise much the same front motor (although we don't know how powerful it will be), while the rear motor will vary depending on the version chosen. In the case of the top-end variant we rode in, however, we have been told of more than 600hp and more than 1,000Nm of torque. And every model is expected to get a battery of around 100kWh capacity, which is allowing Porsche to target a range of more than 300 miles in its most efficient models.
That also means pretty spectacular performance, and our passenger ride around Porsche's Leipzig test track certainly showed that. Although Porsche has not yet published a 0-62mph time, it's definitely fast enough to hurt. Although it's almost silent, the car forces you back into the seat and your stomach churns, unused to the acceleration. It's far faster than you ever need to go.
Ride & Handling
Because the Leipzig test track is effectively a greatest hits album for the world's best race circuits, we got a pretty good idea of how the car will cope in corners. Obviously, we couldn't test the new steering, which claims to dial out unwanted feedback while keeping useful information flowing to your fingertips, but the car's body control and agility were plain to see.
More telling, however, was the off-road course. Even on the rutted gravel track leading to the course, which our driver took at immense speed, the Macan was outrageously comfortable, soaking everything up in a way no performance SUV has any right to. Admittedly, it isn't quite as smooth at slower speeds, but this looks set to be an incredible motorway cruiser, as well as a more practical facsimile of a hot hatch.
It's a faux hot hatch that can cut it off-road, though, with the ability to wade through a foot of water without an issue and climb 30-degree slopes. Obviously, the torque helps, but the Macan has plenty of traction and the option of all-wheel steering to get it around tight bends.
Value
No prices have yet been announced for the new Macan, but we expect the electric car to cost a fair bit more than the standard petrol models, which will be sold alongside the newcomer. With the basic Macan coming in at £53,400, and the higher-end GTS version costing more than £70,000, we expect the electric car to be £80,000 or more. Top-of-the-range models may well pass the £100,000 mark, particularly with the range-topping 600-and-odd-horsepower model.
Verdict
The Macan's switch to electric power presented something of a banana skin for Porsche, but the company appears to have pulled it out of the bag. Obviously, it's difficult to draw firm conclusions from a passenger ride, but the Macan's comfort and capability is all too clear to see. And from our sneak peek of the interior, it seems the cabin quality will be every bit as impressive as we expect. As a result, price and range will likely be the limiting factors, and we'll have to wait and see the finished product before we can come to a proper verdict.
