Exclusivity and driving pleasure: a new, fully electric chapter begins

Porsche's new SUV is totally new while displaying a design language consistent with the brand's tradition. It is 4,784 mm long (6 cm longer than the old thermal generation that can no longer be marketed in Europe from next spring due to cybersecurity regulations), 1,938 mm wide and 1,622 mm high, while the wheelbase has grown by 86 for a total of 2,893 mm.

Macan electric, versions

The car is available in two versions: Macan 4 and Macan Turbo. The former packs 408 hp and the latter 584 hp, which becomes 639 hp in overboost mode delivered in total by two synchronous electric motors with permanent magnets, placed on the two axles and giving rise to all-wheel drive. In addition to the PASM Porsche Active Suspension Management suspension (optional on the 4, which costs almost 3,000 euros but is advisable), the Turbo also boasts a steered rear axle. And this, as well as giving tight hairpin stability taken at speed, makes it very agile in traffic. And we saw this in our brief road test around Nice.

The total maximum torque of the '4' version is 650 Nm while the Turbo delivers an impressive 1,130 Nm. The manufacturer has obviously focused on super sports suv performance with 0-100 km/h acceleration in 5.2 seconds for the Macan 4 and 3.3 seconds for the Macan Turbo.

In short, even in these parameters the zero-emission Macan aims to be a killer T esla even if there are no truly comparable cars in Elon Musk's range in terms of brand image and type.

Top speed is limited to 220 and 260 km/h respectively. The two variants rely on a 100 kWh gross battery (95 nominal) and use an 800 volt architecture (now standard for high-end vehicles). The range is around 600 kilometres (613 for the 4 and 591 kilometres for the more powerful Turbo (WLTP homologated data).

From the very first metres, the Macan 2 full electric confirms that in Stuttgart they wanted to create a real Porsche. The car, even without the thermal sound and the rhythm of the pistons, is satisfying in dynamic driving. Scorching acceleration and speed on the mixed road make it extremely fun, well beyond the zero-to-one-hundred "teslaro" shot on the straight. The Macan feels good on fast autobahn-style bends, in traffic it is not a pachyderm and, thanks to externally poised steering, it is 'very Porsche' and fantastic in the mixed. In fact, the electric power steering is 15 per cent more direct than the current thermal model.

Much of the excellent driving feel is also down to technology. In fact, at the service of handling and road holding we also find, depending on the version, air suspension with the Pasm system of electronic regulation of the shock absorbers. At the rear, a five-point multilink system and a double wishbone front axle work. In addition, the rear axle is steered with a maximum steering angle of five degrees, which translates into a reduced turning diameter of 11.1 metres in urban traffic.

Porsche Macan, life on board

The new Porsche SUV is comfortable: the driver's seat, thanks to the standard 8-way power seat, makes it easy to find the right position. Space is plentiful and even the passengers enjoy limousine-like space thanks to a wheelbase of around 2.9 metres. Luggage compartment, an important parameter when buying an SUV, offers a volume of 540 litres but there is also the frunk (front trunk), a second luggage compartment under the bonnet with a capacity of 84 litres. This makes 127 litres more than the previous model (but you still have to accommodate the charging cable) .

By folding down the rear seat back completely, the rear luggage compartment capacity increases to 1,348 litres; for comparison, the thermal version goes from 488 to 1,503 litres.

Electric Porsche Macan, on-board technology

The dashboard of the new Macan is modern, but without wow effect. There are three displays (the 10.9-inch passenger display is an optional extra costing almost 1,500 euros. Nice is the 12.6-inch Taycan-like curved screen that is paired with the 10.9-inch infotainment with Android Automotive operating system but lacking full Google services. For example, there's no Play Store but a proprietary Porsche app store, the maps are Google's but the interface and graphics have been tweaked to make them more like Here's. And frankly, there was no need for that given the overall poor usability. There is also a voice assistant (Hey Porsche) that, like similar proprietary systems from the manufacturer, leaves something to be desired.

Luckily there's Android Auto and CarPlay to integrate your smartphone: everything else is unnecessary. The ergonomics of the secondary controls, however, are excellent, with the separate climate control dashboard with physical controls taken on a par with the Cayenne's. Innovations include a head-up display with Augmented Reality. Virtual elements, such as navigation arrows, are visually integrated into the real world virtually seamlessly. The image appears to the driver at a distance of 10 metres and corresponds to the format of an 87-inch display.

Porsche Macan, charging and consumption

Particular attention is paid to the charging technology: the Stuttgart battery suv; in fact, it accepts direct current energy up to 270 kW: in about 21 minutes it goes from 10 to 80 per cent. In the 400 Volt charging stations, a high-voltage switch inserted in the battery allows charging using the Bank Charging system, which splits the 800 Volt battery into two batteries, each with a nominal voltage of 400 Volts. In this way, up to 135 kW can be recharged particularly efficiently. Alternating current charging up to 11 kW can be carried out via wallboxes for domestic use. Porsche engineers have worked on efficiency, both from an aerodynamic point of view (with a cx of 0.25) and in terms of components such as the high-voltage heater.The consumption figures correspond in essence to those declared: 17.9 - 21.1 kWh/100 km for the basic version and 18.8 - 20.7 kWh/100 km.

The two versions do not differ much in fuel consumption, but obviously these figures are difficult to adhere to in the real world, especially when talking about a Porsche that you certainly don't buy to win the zero-emission economy run.

Porsche Macan, prices and how much optional extras cost.

The price list of the electric Macan is saltier than that of the old thermal version. At the very least, the basic version, the Macan, 4 starts at over 88,000 euros, while the turbo starts at around 121,000 euros. Prices that go up quite a bit if you turn on the extensive list of optional extras. On the Macan 4 it is easy to touch 95 to 100,000 euros: the colour range only includes white or black at no extra charge and the PASM suspension costing around 2,700 euros is a must, as are the surround-view camera (also optional on the turbo) and the intelligent lane keeping system. The Turbo offers more colours at no extra cost and richer equipment. And if you want (and you can) the customisation possibilities go into details such as the key lining (700 euros) and include alloy wheels, even exaggerated ones such as the spectacular Exclusive Design with carbon fibre Aeroblade costing no less than 8,000 euros. It is precisely the vast customisation possibilities and the possibility of creating your own bespoke example that makes the Macan a different and elite proposition in a panorama of standard and somewhat boring electric cars even in the premium area.