Porsche reveals new electric Macan with supercar-like performance

Porsche has lifted the veil on its new fully electric Macan, introducing us to 911-rivalling performance and Taycan-inspired looks.

The new model’s arrival comes ten years after the first generation was released, of which over 800,000 units have been sold worldwide. Now comes the new blood in EV flavour which hopes to emulate the original model’s roaring success.

Two variants of the electric Macan will be available from launch, the 4 and Turbo, both of which promise a new level of performance. We’ll come back to that later though.

No matter what trim you go for, it’ll measure 4784mm long, 1938mm wide, 1622mm high, and have a 2979mm long wheelbase, 86mm longer than the old model.

As for its design, it looks a bit like a Taycan dressed up in a taller and stubbier body which we think works quite well. The headlights have been divided into two parts, an upper portion with Porsche’s distinct four-point daytime running light and a lower LED matrix unit that sits on the bumper. The rear of the Macan is almost a carbon copy of the Taycan thanks to a full-width lightbar that disappears into the car’s outer flanks.

Thanks to the advent of electrification, the new Macan features more luggage space, with up to 540 litres (1348 litres with the rear seat folded down) now able to be stored behind the rear bench seat. There’s also a front luggage compartment, or frunk, which can hold 84 litres of stuff. Added up, the new Macan features 136 litres more cargo capacity than the outgoing model.

In addition to its newfound spaciousness, there’s also a tech-fest inside as customers can option their Macans with up to three screens, a 12.6-inch curved instrument cluster for the driver, a 10.9-inch central infotainment display, and a 10.9-inch passenger display. A head-up display with augmented reality technology for the driver also features, allowing them to see virtual elements like navigation arrows without having to peer down at the gauge cluster.

The electric Macan is built on Porsche’s new 800-volt Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture which is home to a 100kW (95kW net) lithium-ion battery. Driving range comes to 613km in the Macan 4 and 591km in the Turbo, while both are capable of recharging with DC at up to 270kW.

The two variants feature all-wheel drive as standard, with the Turbo being the hotter of the two thanks to its impressive 470kW and 1130Nm of torque output; enough to accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in 3.3 seconds. That’s faster than a 911 GT3 with a PDK. As for the Macan 4, it produces 300kW and 650Nm which is still enough zest to reach 100km/h from a standstill in 5.2 seconds.

Rear axle steering and air suspension also feature, the former being offered for the first time on a Macan, allowing it to perform a full turn in 11.1 metres.

Order books for the new electric Porsche Macan are now open, with pricing for the 4 starting at $166,500 and the Turbo at $223,000. Porsche New Zealand expects the model to arrive in the fourth quarter of 2024.