The 2024 Porsche Macan has just been unveiled and yes, it’s now a full electric SUV. The all-new second-generation Macan is Porsche’s second all-electric model after the Taycan, and its first core model to be transformed into an EV – the remainder are to follow. Fret not nonetheless, as the brand new Macan remains to be a Porsche at first, and an EV second.
Its global debut happened right round the corner to us in Singapore, and with the Macan name originating from our other neighbour Indonesia (though it has abandoned its native pronunciation for a more Western-friendly one), it appears Porsche’s compact SUV model has close connections to this a part of the world. In spite of everything, we do love our SUVs, don’t we?
The second-generation Macan comes a full 10 years after the unique version, which has passed through two separate facelifts (one in 2018, and one other in 2021). Interestingly, the OG Macan will proceed to be sold in markets which might be less able to transition into EVs, but Porsche has confirmed that development for it has stopped, and it’s going to proceed on as is with no further updates.
Making the Macan an EV-only model is actually a daring selection, especially with it being one in all the brand’s best-selling models alongside the Cayenne – 844,236 units of the Macan have been sold by the tip of 2023. Nonetheless, Porsche has stopped in need of declaring that the electrical Macan will surpass the unique in sales volume, as demand for EVs fluctuate globally country by country.
Still, Porsche is confident enough to say the brand new Macan (it’s just called that, with no EV or Electric suffix, which can make things somewhat confusing in markets that can have the old ICE model sold alongside) is a major improvement over its predecessor in nearly each aspect. It’s larger, more dynamic, far quicker, with improved comfort levels too.
It starts off with an all-new dedicated EV platform, the Premium Platform Electric (PPE). It’s a shared development inside the larger Volkswagen Group, which is able to soon spawn the closely-related Audi Q6 e-tron. For the Macan, it represents a large step forward as the unique model sat on the bones of the first-gen Audi Q5, itself dating all the best way back to 2008.
As to be expected, the second-generation Macan has grown in all directions, and it now measures 4,784 mm long (+58 mm), 1,938 mm wide (+11 mm) and 1,622 mm high (+26 mm), with a wheelbase of two,893 mm (+86 mm). In person nonetheless, it still appears very very similar to a compact, sporty SUV, and one which is immediately recognisable as a Porsche and more specifically, a Macan.
The fresh platform adopts a state-of-the-art 800-volt electrical architecture that matches the Taycan. It also brings plenty of latest technologies to the table for the Macan, including a more advanced two-valve air suspension dampers (offers a wider spectrum between comfort and agility) and rear-axle steering (as much as five degrees).
Two variants can be found at launch: Macan 4 and the flagship Macan Turbo. Each have dual motor AWD set ups, with the “base” model offering as much as 408 PS (300 kW) and 650 Nm of torque in overboost mode. That’s enough for the Macan 4 to shoot as much as 100 km/h in only 5.2 seconds, all of the strategy to a top speed of 220 km/h.
To place that into perspective, that’s already an analogous level of performance (on paper at the very least) of the outgoing Macan S with its 2.9 litre twin-turbo V6 engine. In reality, the brand new Macan 4 now offers a full 100 Nm more torque than the top-of-the-range Macan GTS from before!
Move on to the brand new Macan Turbo and things get properly bonkers. You now rise up to 639 PS (470 kW) and 1,130 Nm of torque – greater than double that of the old GTS – and a supercar-baiting 0-100 km/h time of just 3.3 seconds. Its top speed is comparatively high for an EV too, at 260 km/h.
The Macan eschews the rear-mounted two-speed transmission employed by the Taycan. “It doesn’t need it; we’ve learned rather a lot because the Taycan,” said Robert Meier, chief development manager of the brand new Macan. Whether you’re driving the Macan 4 or Turbo, you’ll be blown away by their high speed performance, we’ve been assured.
Also improved from the Taycan is the high-voltage battery, now larger at an excellent 100 kWh (95 kWh usable). Only a single battery option is obtainable now (Taycan had two), because the team has fully optimised the scale and packaging of the Macan. Having more options would just complicate and compromise things, said Maier.
Speaking of the battery, nonetheless, it stays a lithium nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) unit like within the Taycan, as a substitute of an iron phosphate (LFP) pack. “We picked NCM since it gives us a greater energy density for our chosen size and packaging,” explained Maier at the worldwide launch.
With that battery, which is comparatively large for a compact SUV, the Macan 4 offers a combined range of as much as 613 km on the WLTP cycle, while the significantly more powerful Macan Turbo isn’t far behind with 591 km. Loads of work was put into ensuring the Turbo having near-negligible range deficit vs the 4 (just -3.6%), so its customers shouldn’t have to make a choice from performance and range.
To charge the battery back up, Porsche claims a maximum DC rate of as much as 270 kW on 800 V chargers, or as much as 135 kW on 400 V chargers. In ideal conditions, each variants of the Macan can go from 10 to 80% state of charge in only 21 minutes or in other words, gain 100 km of range in as little as 4 minutes.
Nonetheless, the brand new Macan is someway saddled with an 11 kW onboard AC charger as a substitute of the total 22 kW, which is undoubtedly unimpressive for a brand latest EV in 2024. The choice was made for packaging reasons, Maier claimed, though he did hint that an improvement could also be introduced at a later date.
On a more positive note, the Macan does have, in typical Porsche EV fashion, two charging ports. Just like the Taycan, it gets an AC+DC CCS port on the driving force’s side and an AC plug on the passenger side, though they’ve now been moved aft of the rear doors. Each charging flaps slide away electrically and elegantly with a mild push on the doors.
Moving on to styling, Porsche has made it a degree to not distinguish its electric models from the remainder of the range. Thus, the second-generation model looks very very similar to a brand new Porsche Macan, and fewer like a typical electric SUV. It actually helps that Porsche has traditionally never had a grille on its nose as a defining styling element.
The designers have taken full advantage of the liberty offered by not having an engine under the bonnet, nonetheless. The Macan’s nose has been lowered quite significantly, while the wings now appear way more pronounced to resemble Porsche’s traditional sportscars more closely. Within the flesh, it’s an absolute stunner.
A dramatic change for Porsche is the move towards having split headlamps. The four-point lights clusters inside the bonnet are merely LED daytime-running lights, while the foremost beams embedded inside the front bumper. It’s actually not the primary time this trick has been used, however it’s definitely one in all the smartest executions of it yet.
On its side, the Macan Mk2 retains its signature side blades (still available in multiple finishes from textured plastic to gloss black and surely, carbon), while fresh to the nameplate are frameless double glazed windows. The sleek roofline now follows Porsche’s iconic “flyline” more closely and with it, the brand new Macan looks more so like a sports SUV than even the Cayenne Coupe ever did.
Adding on to the sporty character is the full-width LED light strip on the back, giving it greater than a passing resemblance to the newest 911. The Porsche script now sits within the centre of the sculptural 3D lighting arrange. What’s missing are visible spoilers or wings of any kind, giving the brand new Macan a really clean look overall. As a substitute, it relies on an adaptive rear spoiler for downforce and a more menacing appearance at speed.
Aerodynamics are obviously crucial to an EV, and it has been an integral a part of the Macan’s design from the outset. Clever use of energetic cooling flaps up front, a completely sealed underbody and the aforementioned rear wing and lowered nose have resulted in a large improvement by way of its drag coefficient – a drop from 0.35 to simply 0.25 Cd. It’s said that this alone has contributed to an additional 85 km of range.
Moving on inside, the all-new Macan appears to have combined the interiors of the Taycan and the newest Cayenne facelift. The result’s a typically high-tech Porsche dashboard that avoids being too futuristic or generic like in lots of latest EVs. There are many screen real estate though, with a free-standing 12.6-inch curved driver’s display, 10.9-inch centre screen and an optional 10.9-inch panel for the front passenger, however it distinctly avoids the dreaded “nothing but screens” look.
The digital instrument panel is taken straight off the Taycan, and now allows Apple CarPlay and Android Auto maps to be displayed right in front of the driving force. Above that could be a head-up display with augmented reality (AR) tech, said to appear as if an 87-inch display placed at a distance of 10 metres ahead.
Also latest is the centre screen, now based on Android Automotive OS, allowing direct access to popular map apps natively. The perfect part is, Porsche has seen the necessity to retain loads of physical controls on the centre console (now with loads of cubby space with the shortage of a transmission tunnel), including rocker switches for temperature and fan, in addition to a volume knob.
The third display in front of the passenger can play videos from YouTube and even TikTok, with a special film in place so the driving force won’t be distracted while on the move. Speaking of, the driving force is seated up to twenty-eight mm lower within the cabin for a more connected feel with the automotive – a formidable feat considering the battery pack is placed under the ground.
On the back, the Macan stays a cosy fit for tall adults, however the second-generation model does offer more leg- and headroom than the unique version. The boot can be larger than before at as much as 540 litres (up from 488 litres), with an extra 84 litres of frunk storage that will be accessed by simply waving your hand over the Porsche emblem on the bonnet. Clever stuff.
No word on pricing for Malaysia just yet, but being fully electric and thus tax free, the 2024 Porsche Macan needs to be significantly more cost-effective than the outgoing model, which is currently priced between RM469,000 and RM895,000. So, the all-new Macan, any takers yet? Comment below!
GALLERY: 2024 Porsche Macan 4
GALLERY: 2024 Porsche Macan Turbo
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This Article First Appeared At paultan.org
