The Porsche Macan is going the way of the Taycan. Porsche's best-selling sport utility vehicle (SUV) is coming to market in 2024 as an all-electric model. The automaker will also continue to sell it in gasoline-powered variants for years to come.
Since its debut in 2014, the Macan small SUV, which gets its name from the Indonesian word for tiger, has been updated three times, in 2016, 2019 and 2021. Over the years, the company has given it more power and options, and new specialty trims as the company's overall lineup has evolved.
The formula has worked. Macan has been Porsche's bestseller for six of the last eight years.
That formula isn't being left behind as Porsche transitions into the electrification era. Macan EV will be plenty powerful and deliver fast charging capability to customers, as well as typical Porsche comfort and style.
It will be built at Porche's Leipzig plant in Germany alongside the Panamera and ride on the PPE platform shared by Volkswagen and Audi.
There will be two models of the Macan EV. The most powerful will use two electric motors to deliver 603 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of torque at the press of the accelerator. A less powerful, less expensive version of Macan will have its specifications revealed closer to the SUV's on-sale date.
Like the Panamera, Macan EV will be offered with rear-wheel steering, making it more agile.
All new Macan EV models will have a lithium-ion battery with a total capacity of around 100 kilowatt hours. The EV has an 800-volt electrical system meaning that at a fast-charging station the battery can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in less than 22 minutes, according to Porsche.
The automaker declined to give a range estimate for the new model.
The interior is available with up to three screens. It has a 12.6-inch fully digital curved digital instrument cluster along with a 10.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The 10,9-inch optional passenger display uses special film technology that keeps the driver from seeing what is on that screen while driving, similar to what Mercedes-Benz uses in the E-Class.
A head-up display is available with augmented reality. The system projects floating arrows for directions and highlights street signs on the windshield, so a driver doesn't have to take their eyes off the road when navigating.
Porsche allowed Newsweek to be among the first in the world to get a ride in the SUV, at the company's test track in Germany.
The interior, which was unfinished and covered with camouflage, features ambient lighting that communicates what's going on in the vehicle. Depending on the situation, it can inform and warn occupants.
The professional driver behind the wheel showcased Macan EV's strong power flow, which allowed for smoky burnouts and drifts around the corners, showing that Porsche engineers have imbued the same performance prowess the company is known for in this modern luxury model.
The 737 pound-feet of torque makes for a rocket-like takeoff shoving your stomach to the back of your ribcage. It has a two-speed transmission meaning thrust doesn't really decrease, even at high speeds.
The brakes felt like anchors when the test driver hammered on them, throwing our heads forward before going back on the accelerator a split second later for another stomach shove. The 22-inch wheels and all-season tires were incredibly sticky. We didn't have the g-force meter on the dashboard but the Macan easily surpasses 1 g in cornering.
It wasn't all track tests, though. Drivers also took the Macan EV off road on the property's several miles of trails. It included climbing challenges, medium-sized rocks (it isn't a Jeep) and more than a foot of water cresting the wheel centers. The EV performed admirably in all those situations, which were far more aggressive that what an average customer would throw at it.
The Macan's new suspension has two-valve shock absorbers and a new air suspension meaning wiggles and bounces caused by off-roading were well-controlled. And, each of the drive modes has its own height setting.
It can also literally loosen up (its suspension) when the road becomes rocky, in ways the gasoline-powered Macan never could making it even more versatile.
Porsche customers traditionally value quickness and agility, and the electric Macan has that in spades. The order books open in late January; deliveries should start in the summer. Pricing will be announced in 2024.
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Jake Lingeman is the Managing Editor for the Autos team at Newsweek. He has previously worked for Autoweek, The Detroit ... Read more
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