First Drive: Porsche’s Macan 4S shows a popular SUV in a new electric light

What is it?

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The Macan has been transformative for Porsche. Things kicked off with the larger Cayenne, of course, but the mid-size Macan was the one to bring the Porsche SUV experience to an even wider audience. As a result, the pair dominate the Porsche best-selling list, routinely outperforming the firm’s range of sports cars.

But things are all about to change. Whereas the Porsche Macan has been on sale since 2014 with some form of combustion engine, it is leaping electric power only for this new generation. Will it still be the all-rounder it always has been? We’ve been finding out.

What’s new?

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Aside from that electric powertrain, the Macan has changed in quite a few areas. It’s all underpinned by the same platform that you’ll find being used on the Audi Q6 e-tron but in typical Porsche fashion things have been given a sportier, more focused feel through a variety of chassis upgrades. Externally, the two are quite different with the Macan taking a dash of the appearance of its predecessor while integrating a host of new design touches.

Inside, it’s a more tech-heavy affair than before. In fact, you can now get the Macan with three screens – one in front of the driver, another in the middle and a further display ahead of the passenger – delivering a very media-rich experience for all those on board.

What’s under the bonnet?

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The Macan is available in a variety of flavours, ranging from an entry-level version right the way up to the tip-top Turbo. However, we’re concentrating on the 4S here, which gets a dual-motor setup with 448bhp and 820Nm of torque. In fact, it’s the most powerful Macan you can get aside from that aforementioned Turbo model.

Thanks to that duo of motors, 0-60mph comes in just 3.9 seconds and the Macan will go onwards to a top speed of 149mph, too. But in terms of range, Porsche claims that you could squeeze up to 377 miles from the Macan’s 100kWh battery, while a maximum charging speed of 270kW means a 10 to 80 per cent charge could be conducted in around 21 minutes when you’re hooked up to a suitably rapid charger. Switch to the entry-level, single-motor Macan and while it’s not as brisk, the range does increase substantially to 392 miles.

What’s it like to drive?

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There’s a lot that feels familiar about the Macan’s driving experience, despite its switch to battery power. The control weights have that reassuringly weighty feeling to them, with the steering being particularly good. There’s some excellent body control, too, and when pushed harder the 4S certainly doesn’t come unstuck. There’s some noticeable tyre noise when passing through brisker corners, however.

Visibility is decent, too, with the only drawback being the rather narrow rear window. All versions of the 4S come with Porsche’s Active Suspension Management system, too, and this allows you to tweak the firmness of the ride depending on the driving situation. For most of our test, the firmest setting made the Macan too brittle and uncomfortable – it’s at its best in more comfort-focused settings, that’s for sure. But it’s the Macan’s handling which puts it ahead of rivals and makes this into a genuinely capable car overall – and not just in the EV segment.

How does it look?

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It’s a Macan, but not as you know it. Whereas the older model really did appear like a sized-down Cayenne, the new version is quite different. Sure, there are some tell-tale Porsche styling touches like the slim headlights – which appear very close in design to those on the latest Taycan – and the full-width lightbar at the rear, but it’s certainly not as traditionally designed as other cars within the brand’s range.

You can get the new Macan in a variety of striking exterior shades, too, with an elegant ‘Oak Green’ shade giving this new electric Porsche a pleasantly old-school feel despite its cutting-edge underpinnings.

What’s it like inside?

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As we’ve touched upon, the Macan’s interior is dominated by screens. Fortunately, they all work well and have good levels of responsiveness with cleverly designed menus. However, it’s good that they’re backed up by some physical controls for elements such as the volume, which means changing certain aspects when on the move is much easier.

Rear-seat space isn’t too bad, either, while the 540-litre boot is well-sized and reasonably easy to access. Most importantly, it’s a big increase on the 488-litre luggage area that you would’ve found on the previous petrol and diesel-powered Macan, so this electric version certainly has the edge in terms of practicality. Plus, there’s an 84-litre ‘frunk’ which is ideal for cable storage when they’re not in use.

What’s the spec like?

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Prices for the new Macan 4S start off from £77,650 – over the £67,200 you’ll pay for an entry-level model – with the largest inclusion on this model being the addition of a motor on the front axle for that all-wheel-drive capability and additional performance. If you’ve got no need for the extra traction, then the standard car still brings more than enough pace but saves a considerable amount.

However, you do get the aforementioned Porsche Active Suspension Management system as standard on the 4S, while all versions get the large central screen and driver-focused display. That passenger-facing screen, however, is an optional extra and quite a punchy one at £1,112. Like any Porsche, the Macan’s price can be quickly ramped up by delving into the extensive optional extras.

Verdict

The move to electric power is a big change for the Porsche Macan. Of course, for some drivers, its lack of a combustion engine may be a hurdle too large to overcome but for many motorists, this new battery-powered Macan’s great performance – which will come at far lower costs than before if you can use low-price home charging – will make it just as appealing as its predecessor. It’s also impressively agile and feels, more than anything, like a ‘proper’ Porsche from behind the wheel.

While the added performance of this 4S does give the Macan more excitement, we’d argue that the greater range of the single-motor variant – and its lower price – could make it a more appealing option for buyers.