2024 Porsche Macan EV | Manufacturer image
Competes with: Audi Q4 e-Tron, Genesis GV60, Jaguar I-Pace, Lexus RZ, Mercedes-EQ EQB, Tesla Model Y, the internal combustion version itself (for now)
Looks like: Porsche Taycan, but taller
Power units: 402- (Macan 4) or 630 horsepower (Macan Turbo) twin electric motor and 100 kilowatt-hour battery; all wheel drive
Hits of the dealerships: Second half of 2024
The new 2024 all-electric Porsche Macan is here, now with more power than ever – 630 horsepower in the top trim, to be exact – and a drastic redesign inside and out to look more like the other electric vehicle of Porsche, Taycan. It’s the debut of Porsche’s new EV platform, the Premium Platform Electric, complete with a state-of-the-art 800-volt architecture, regenerative braking and a large 100-kilowatt-hour battery that the brand says can charge from 10% to 80% in about 21 minutes. All in all, this sets the bar high for Porsche’s future EVs.
Connected: 2022 Porsche Macan: 4 things you need to know about the refreshed compact SUV
New platform, much more power
2024 Porsche Macan EVs | Manufacturer image
The new Macan EV’s powertrain may be much quieter, but it’s also much more powerful with the top-spec Macan Turbo — there’s no real turbocharger on the Macan as it’s an EV — making a whopping 196bhp. more of the range-top Macan GTS with internal combustion. Both new versions of the Macan EV feature four-wheel drive with one electric motor per axle. The Macan 4 produces up to 402 hp. and 479 lb-ft of torque, but the real surprise is the top trim: the Macan Turbo develops a whopping 630 hp. and 833 lb-ft of torque. This is with 10 hp. less than a Lamborghini Huracan Performante crammed into a family-friendly compact SUV. As with the Taycan, maximum power output is only available using launch control, but given how quick the Taycan is and how similar many of its specs are, the Macan is likely to have plenty of power for regular driving. According to Porsche, the Macan 4 accelerates from 0-100km/h in 4.9 seconds, while the Macan Turbo does it in just 3.1 seconds – a powerful enough launch to scare or delight the whole family. Porsche also claims top speeds for the Macan 4 and Macan Turbo are 136 and 161 mph, respectively.
The Macan’s AWD system is managed via the electronically controlled Porsche Traction Management system, which the brand claims can detect wheel spin within 10 milliseconds and adjust power accordingly. The Macan has different drive modes that adjust how much power is sent to the front and rear wheels. It also features an electronically controlled differential lock on the rear axle, which should help with off-road or bad-weather traction.
2024 Porsche Macan Interior | Manufacturer image
Allowing the 2024 Macan to put that power to the ground is Porsche’s new 800-volt Premium Platform Electric, which underpins the SUV and will serve as the basis for the company’s future EVs. The new platform features a 100-kWh battery at the bottom with 95 kWh of available power, a solid upgrade from the 83.7 kWh available battery capacity of the top-spec Taycan. It also uses regenerative braking to recover up to 240 kilowatts while you’re driving.
The new platform also features a peak charging capacity of 270kW, which Porsche claims can fill the battery from a 10% charge level to 80% in approximately 21 minutes on a compatible DC fast charger – in line with charging rates for Taikan. If you need to use AC charging, the Macan will do that too at speeds up to 11 kW. The electric SUV also features a high-voltage switch that treats the battery as two 400-volt batteries when connected to a 400-volt charger, which Porsche says allows it to charge at speeds of up to 135 kW without needing an additional high voltage amplifier. Porsche has also combined its on-board AC charger, high-voltage heater and DC/DC converter into one smaller package, the Integrated Power Box, to save space and weight.
Additional Performance Tech
2024 Porsche Macan Turbo | Manufacturer image
Porsche fans won’t accept a new car as theirs if it doesn’t drive like a Porsche sports car, and the company has done a lot to improve the handling and handling of its sleek new electric SUV. After all, an EV’s low center of gravity can only do so much.
Air suspension and Porsche Active Suspension Management electronic damper control are standard across the Macan line, allowing drivers to adjust suspension stiffness to suit their driving style. Optional rear-axle steering is also available on the Macan for the first time, which may seem redundant for a small SUV, but it shortens the turning radius to 36.4 feet and helps stability at higher speeds. It also gets active aerodynamics: the Macan has a drag coefficient of 0.25, but it also uses active cooling flaps on the front air intakes, flexible underbody covers and an adaptive rear spoiler to cut through the air more effectively.
A fresh look
There are a lot of Taycan comparisons here because, well, look at it. How could we not? While there are some notable powertrain upgrades compared to Porsche’s first EV, early adopters of the brand’s EVs will no doubt find the new Macan as familiar as it gets. The proportions are still very Macan-like, with a fastback-style roofline and short front and rear overhangs. However, the headlights look very similar to the Taycan’s, and thankfully being an EV means the Macan’s grille has shrunk back down to a reasonable size. Those Taycan-like daytime running lights are a bit fake, though – the main night-driving headlights are a bit lower at the front.
The Macan also finally gets a trunk, just like the 911. At 2.9 cubic feet, it’s the same size as the Taycan’s trunk, but it’s big enough to be useful for smaller packages and loading equipment. Overall, the new Macan gains 4.4 cubic feet of additional cargo space over the last model, according to Porsche measurements, with 18 cubic feet of space behind the rear seat and 46.5 cubic feet of space in the back with the rear seats folded down. The SUV can tow up to 4,409 pounds.
Inside, a black panel the height of the car’s main 10.9-inch touchscreen dominates the full width of the dashboard – again, as in the Taycan. There’s a floating 12.6-inch curved digital gauge in front of the driver, and the front passenger can even get their own optional 10.9-inch touchscreen. There are still a few analogue controls in the name of usability – notably the air vents, climate controls and the volume knob for the radio – which is a step back from the Taycan’s polarizing touchscreen climate controls. The Macan’s infotainment system is based on the Android Automotive OS, but also has Apple CarPlay standard, as well as access to the Porsche App Center for additional applications.
The Porsche Driver Experience augmented reality heads-up display (not to be confused with the brand’s on-track events) may be one of the car’s best new tech features, with its ability to project navigation data and other virtual elements in real time , as if they were part of the driver’s view. According to Porsche, the display fits an 87-inch screen and can make its images appear to be 32.8 feet in front of the driver.
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Prices and availability
With serious upgrades comes a serious jump in price for Porsche’s base SUV. The lower-spec Macan 4 starts from $80,450 (all prices include a $1,650 destination charge), making it more expensive than all but the current top-spec Macan GTS. If you want the Macan Turbo’s sweet, sweet 3.1-second 0-60 time, you’ll have to shell out even more: $106,950. That’s also a price jump over most of the competition, but that’s the price you’ll pay for that Porsche crest on the front. Orders for the Macan are open now, and deliveries will begin in the second half of 2024.
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