Porsche Macan review

Porsche’s mid-sized SUV, biggest-selling UK car and general gateway sustance to Porsche ownership re-invented as electric-only. Cayenne a little too big? Then this is probably the most versatile Porsche-badged daily driver you can buy. And the big news is that the jump to EV hasn’t dulled the Macan’s edge. In fact, it’s sharpened the prospect.

What’s on offer?

A whole new breed of Macan, based on the new Premium Platform Electric shared with the rest of Porsche’s peers in the VW pantheon. So it’s the same stuff as underneath the Audi Q6 e-Tron and forthcoming A6 e-Tron. Except more dynamic, because Porsche. There are changes to the positioning of the rear motor, different electronics and sharper steering, plus the rest of a suite of Porsche traction and delivery aids that offer a more feelsome experience.

There will be two models initially, Macan 4 and a Macan Turbo, both dual motor (and therefore all-wheel drive), both bellied with a hefty 100kWh battery. The 95kWh of useable capacity from that set of cells yields 380 miles of possible range for the 4, only a touch less for the Turbo at 367. Which is still probably very high 200s in the real world; useful enough for most.

Neither are particularly slow, with the 4 hitting 62mph from rest in 5.2 seconds and the Turbo knocking out the benchmark in 3.3s. Just for reference if you’re into Top Trumps, that’s as fast as a 911 GT3. Interestingly, both of those sprints are only during full-on launches: the Macan 4 makes about 385bhp under light duty running, 408bhp during a launch or full-throttle.

Similarly, the Turbo produces 580bhp-ish tootling around and 635bhp/833lb ft when you floor it. Both have the same front motor, with the Turbo adding a much more powerful rear unit to produce the gains.

Both are capable of 800-volt charging with a 270kW max with a 20-ish minute 10-80 per cent time, and the pack can ‘bank charge’ or split the battery unit into two on a 400-volt charger, meaning more efficient top-ups, and no need for the Taycan’s (expensive) high-voltage booster.

That’s… comprehensive. What else is new?

Well, the interior is pretty straightforward, but now features baked-in Android, a huge head-up display, an app centre, very fast interfaces and many, many screens. There’s more space, the seats are 28mm lower than the ICE variant, the boot is a generous 480 litres and for the first time ever - obviously - a frunk that will hold a decent squishy bag or charging cables. It’s more practical than before, and yet to all intents and purposes no bigger. The striking thing here isn’t in a particular headline, but in the all-round useability of the thing.

But does it drive like a Porsche?

The million-dollar question. And the answer is yes, albeit an electric one. So you’ve still got a lot of weight to engineer around or try to make unobtrusive, and a whole lot of instant torque to help. But it works. There’s two-valve damping that essentially allows for a greater distance between squish and sportiness, plus air suspension that’s standard on the Turbo and optional on the usually steel-sprung 4.

There’s optional rear-wheel steer: an absolute boon when doing three-point turns on mountain roads, or possibly just a carpark, that also keeps the car stable at higher speed.

There are many versions of Porsche acronym that rein things in, or loosen them up depending on your choice for the day. The result is a car that feels luxury sloppy over those urban speedbumps, weight working with the damping to soften the edges of even the acnied tarmac. But flick through the various modes on the steering thumbwheel (Offroad, Normal, Sport, Sport+) and the suspension will raise or lower accordingly, response ratcheting up as ultimate comfort falls away.

The £69,800 Macan 4 is obviously slower, because it has the same battery weight and 50 per cent less horsepower than the Turbo, but it’s not slow. And it won’t crack your passenger’s necks. That one’s the sensible choice until we try the rear-wheel drive or the GTS, which are probably on the way. The £95k Turbo will stay with a well-driven sports car. It won’t deliver the satisfaction, but it’s rapid in a way that will annoy 911 owners. Childish, but fun.

Porsche hasn’t dulled the Macan’s sheen with the switch to electric. Ok, so as with all big-battery EVs it’s a bit heavy, and the noise is space-age rather than visceral, but if you want an incredibly well-rounded daily to deal with everyday life, the Macan stands out. It’s fast, comfortable, well-made and eminently practical - even more so than the ICE versions - and in Turbo form it’ll stay with a serious sportscar.

The main thrust is really the breadth of ability rather than one big headline; a comfy car in town with enough handling finesse to make it fun on a twisty bit of road. Where other mid-sized electric SUVs run out of ideas, the Macan gets going. It’s not cheap, but an absolutely solid effort from Porsche, and best-in-class.