Read Caroline’s Porsche Macan review for everything you need to know about Porsche’s new luxury SUV in Ireland.
The Porsche Macan is a bestseller for Porsche worldwide and a new one has just arrived. It puts the power, performance and luxury the brand is known for into a compact SUV, slotting below the popular Cayenne in the Porsche range.
For 2024, the big news is that the Macan is no longer offered with fuel engines and goes full electric for the very first time.
There are a few different options at launch – Macan, Macan 4, Macan 4S and Macan Turbo – all with varying levels of power and performance apparel for an exhilarating drive.
Let’s take a closer look!
Design
The new Macan has a longer wheelbase than before with short overhangs front and rear. The styling gets a modern twist, with the aero required for a good EV giving the new Macan a smooth and sleek appearance along with practical features like air curtains and active cooling flaps on the front air intakes. It still has enough muscle however to keep the purists happy and there is a range of stunning colours to choose from. The front bonnet is angled low to the ground and the four point daytime running lights single it out as a new generation of Porsche. Frameless doors give it an air of exclusivity. 20-inch wheels come as standard but there’s the option to upgrade to 21s or even 22s, with numerous wheel designs on offer. At the back the Macan gets an impressive 3D light bar and adaptive spoiler to create downforce when you’re going very, very fast. Turbo models come with exclusive monochrome Porsche badges.
Porsche Macan Interior
Inside the Macan is unmistakable as anything other than a Porsche. It’s been suitably modernised with a new digital driver display and central touchscreen running an Android operating system, and the option to add a screen for the front passenger too. The quality is top notch and every inch of this cabin feels great. There’s gorgeous sports seats available in a variety of upholsteries including real leather and synthetic leather options in different colours. The steering wheel has a narrow rim that feels great in the hands and features a circular dial to switch easily between drive modes – Normal, Off Road, Sport and Sport Plus.
Practicality
The Macan features an 84 litre frunk that’s simple to open via the key or gesture control on some models. It’s enough to store the charging cables and keep them out of the boot. Electrification has made way for more boot space with up to 540 litres available, which is bigger than a BMW iX or a Mercedes-Benz EQE. Opt for the Turbo and the volume goes down to 480 litres because of the subwoofer under the boot floor.
Space in the back has been improved thanks to the longer wheelbase but there’s still not a huge amount of extra legroom or headroom for tall adults to stretch out.
The new Macan has a two tonne towing capacity.
Driving the Macan
All Macans use a 95 kWh battery (usable capacity) with a range up to 641 kilometres in the single motor, rear wheel drive Macan. It’s the best for efficiency but most buyers are likely to opt for the Macan 4 – dual motor, four wheel drive with up to 408hp when launch control is used.
Driver and passengers sit lower than before and there’s nothing but a sports car feel from behind the wheel. The Macan is built on Premium Platform Electric (PPE) co-developed with Audi and shared with the Q6 e-tron. But Porsche has of course made tweaks to live up to the brand’s pedigree. It gets a unique rear motor for instance, set further back on the rear axle to give more rear wheel drive bias. That equals more fun.
The steering is quick and responsive, while the Macan dips and dives into corners with incredible skill and body control that belies its sheer mass. It’s a heavy car and the initial acceleration feel from the Macan 4 feels somewhat muted – though 0-100 is just 5.2 seconds when you’re really pushing on.
The Macan Turbo gets a more powerful rear motor and feels entirely more potent. Hence why Porsche feels it’s good enough to carry a Turbo badge without a turbocharger in sight. It will ram you into the back of the seat in a way that would require giving passengers a polite heads up of the impending rocket launch before hitting the throttle hard. It’s at its most aggressive in the Sport Plus mode and the 0-100 time of 3.3 seconds is hard to wrap your head around.
The Turbo also gets numerous upgrades that make the handling and performance just that little sharper and the ride quality even more sophisticated. Adaptive air suspension with height adjustment comes as standard on the Turbo. There’s also the option of rear axle steering for uncompromised agility and a tight turning circle, torque vectoring and a rear differential lock for handling magic and stability when you’re pushing on. There’s quite a lot of road noise on the 22-inch wheels, which does cast some shade on the Porsche’s high-end position.
Charging
The Macan has an 800 volt charging architecture that’s truly outstanding – provided you can find a suitably powerful charger! DC fast charging is up to 270kW, which translates to 10-80% battery charge in just 21 minutes.
11kW AC charging comes as standard.
Porsche Macan Pricing
The Macan is available in Ireland from €88,746, the Macan 4 from €92,609, the Macan 4S from €100,249 and the Macan Turbo from €128,696.
Verdict
The Porsche Macan may have gone electric but it’s lost none of its appeal as an absolute driver’s car. The technology on board makes it one of the best on the market, with outstanding range and charging speeds. Its image and desirability is unmatched at this price point, while its driving dynamics keep it ahead of the pack by quite a long way.
_____________________
Written by Caroline Kidd
Founder and Editor of Changing Lanes, Juror for Irish Car of the Year
The post Porsche Macan Review (2024) appeared first on Changing Lanes.