2024 Porsche Macan EV – 2nd-gen goes electric with up to 639 PS, 1,130 Nm, 0-100 in 3.3s and 613 km range

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 rest are set to follow. Fret not however, as the new Macan is still a Porsche first and foremost, and an EV second.

Its global debut happened right next door 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 part of the world. After all, we do love our SUVs, don’t we?

The second-generation Macan comes a full 10 years after the original version, which has gone through two separate facelifts (one in 2018, and another in 2022). Interestingly, the OG Macan will continue to be sold in markets that are less ready to transition into EVs, but Porsche has confirmed that development for it has stopped, and it will continue on as is with no further updates.

Making the Macan an EV-only model is certainly a bold choice, especially with it being one of the brand’s best-selling models alongside the Cayenne – 844,236 units of the Macan have been sold by the end of 2023. However, Porsche has stopped short of declaring that the electric Macan will surpass the original in sales volume, as demand for EVs fluctuate globally country by country.

Still, Porsche is confident enough to say the new Macan (it’s just called that, with no EV or Electric suffix, which may make things rather confusing in markets that will have the old ICE model sold alongside) is a significant improvement over its predecessor in just about every single 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 within the larger Volkswagen Group, which will soon spawn the closely-related Audi Q6 e-tron. For the Macan, it represents a massive leap forward as the original model sat on the bones of the first-gen Audi Q5, itself dating all the 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 2,893 mm (+86 mm). In person however, it still appears very much like a compact, sporty SUV, and one that is instantly 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 new 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 (up to five degrees).

Two variants are available at launch: Macan 4 and the flagship Macan Turbo. Both have dual motor AWD set ups, with the “base” model offering up to 408 PS (300 kW) and 650 Nm of torque in overboost mode. That’s enough for the Macan 4 to shoot up to 100 km/h in just 5.2 seconds, all the way to a top speed of 220 km/h.

To put that into perspective, that’s already a similar level of performance (on paper at least) of the outgoing Macan S with its 2.9 litre twin-turbo V6 engine. In fact, the 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 new Macan Turbo and things get properly bonkers. You now get up to 639 PS (470 kW) and 1,130 Nm of torque – more 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 relatively 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 a lot since the Taycan,” said Robert Meier, chief development manager of the 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 even 100 kWh (95 kWh usable). Just a single battery option is offered now (Taycan had two), as the team has fully optimised the size and packaging of the Macan. Having more options would just complicate and compromise things, said Maier.

Speaking of the battery, however, it remains a lithium nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) unit like in the Taycan, instead of an iron phosphate (LFP) pack. “We picked NCM because it gives us a better energy density for our chosen size and packaging,” explained Maier at the global launch. As it is, weight has gone up (around 2.3 tonnes for the Turbo) but not excessively so, he added.

With that battery, which is relatively large for a compact SUV, the Macan 4 offers a combined range of up to 613 km on the WLTP cycle, while the significantly more powerful Macan Turbo isn’t far behind with 591 km. Plenty of work was put into ensuring the Turbo having near-negligible range deficit vs the 4 (just -3.6%), so its customers do not have to choose between performance and range.

To charge the battery back up, Porsche claims a maximum DC rate of up to 270 kW on 800 V chargers, or up to 135 kW on 400 V chargers. In ideal conditions, both variants of the Macan can go from 10 to 80% state of charge in just 21 minutes or in other words, gain 100 km of range in as little as four minutes.

However, the new Macan is somehow saddled with an 11 kW onboard AC charger instead of the full 22 kW, which is undoubtedly unimpressive for a brand new EV in 2024. The decision was made for packaging reasons, Maier claimed, though he did hint that an improvement may be introduced at a later date.

On a more positive note, the Macan does have, in typical Porsche EV fashion, two charging ports. Like the Taycan, it gets an AC+DC CCS port on the driver’s side and an AC plug on the passenger side, though they have now been moved aft of the rear doors. Both charging flaps slide away electrically and elegantly with a gentle push on the doors.

Moving on to styling, Porsche has made it a point to not distinguish its electric models from the rest of the range. Thus, the second-generation model looks very much like a new Porsche Macan, and less like a typical electric SUV. It certainly 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 freedom offered by no longer having an engine under the bonnet, however. The Macan’s nose has been lowered quite significantly, while the wings now appear far more pronounced to resemble Porsche’s traditional sportscars more closely. In the flesh, it’s an absolute stunner.

A dramatic change for Porsche is the move towards having split headlamps. The four-point lights clusters within the bonnet are merely LED daytime-running lights, while the main beams embedded within the front bumper. It’s certainly not the first time this trick has been used, but it’s definitely one of the neatest 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 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 at the back, giving it more than a passing resemblance to the latest 911. The Porsche script now sits in the centre of the sculptural 3D lighting set up. What’s missing are visible spoilers or wings of any kind, giving the new Macan a very clean look overall. Instead, 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 part of the Macan’s design from the outset. Clever use of active cooling flaps up front, a fully sealed underbody and the aforementioned rear wing and lowered nose have resulted in a massive improvement in terms of its drag coefficient – a drop from 0.35 to just 0.25 Cd. It’s said that this alone has contributed to an extra 85 km of range.

Moving on inside, the all-new Macan appears to have combined the interiors of the Taycan and the latest Cayenne facelift. The result is a typically high-tech Porsche dashboard that avoids being too futuristic or generic like in many new EVs. There are plenty of 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, but 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 driver. Above that is a head-up display with augmented reality (AR) tech, said to appear like an 87-inch display placed at a distance of 10 metres ahead.

Also new is the centre screen, now based on Android Automotive OS, allowing direct access to popular map apps natively. The best part is, Porsche has seen the need to retain plenty of physical controls on the centre console (now with plenty of cubby space with the lack of a transmission tunnel), including rocker switches for temperature and fan, as well as a volume knob.

The third display in front of the passenger can play videos from YouTube or even TikTok, with a special film in place so the driver won’t be distracted while on the move. Speaking of, the driver is seated up to 28 mm lower in the cabin for a more connected feel with the car – an impressive feat considering the battery pack is placed under the floor.

At the back, the Macan remains a snug fit for tall adults, but the second-generation model does offer more leg- and headroom than the original version. The boot is also larger than before at up to 540 litres (up from 488 litres), with an additional 84 litres of frunk storage that can 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 should be significantly more affordable than the outgoing model, which is currently priced between RM469,000 and RM895,000. So, the all-new Macan, any takers yet? Comment below!

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