This second-generation all-electric Porsche Macan will set to officially land locally later this year.
Alongside accepting orders for the facelifted Taycan over here, Porsche Malaysia also since announced that it is currently accepting pre-orders for the all-electric Macan have as well.
This second EV offering in the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer’s lineup was first introduced internationally earlier this year, with it making its local debut by way of a sneak preview at the Porsche World Roadshow 2024 currently ongoing at Sepang International Circuit. Two variants of the Macan EV are currently open for pre-order: the Macan 4 and Macan Turbo.
And going straight into the performance specs of both variants first, the current base Macan 4 is to be capable of outputting a combined 402 hp and 648 Nm of torque from its twin-motored all-wheel drive setup. This in turn sees for it to rocket its way to 100 km/h from a standstill in a respectable 4.9 seconds, before topping out at 220 km/h.
As for the Turbo on the other hand, its dual-motor setup makes 630 hp and a whopping 1,128 Nm of torque. This thus translates to a more Germanic top speed of 260 km/h and a century sprint time of just 3.1 seconds, which is incidentally marginally quicker than what could be achieved by Porsche’s own 911 GT3.
Touching now here on what is powering said motors in these new Macans, this all-electric Porsche mid-sized SUV sits atop the Volkswagen Group’s new Premium Platform Electric (PPE) with 800-volt architecture and both trims comes with a 100 kWh (gross, 95 kWh usable) lithium-nickel manganese cobalt battery pack. The combined WLTP range is up to 613 km in the Macan 4, while the Macan Turbo manages up to a quoted 591 km on a single charge.
In terms of keeping those batteries topped up meanwhile, the Macan accepts a maximum 270 kW DC input for a 10 to 80% charge time of around 21 minutes. Perhaps more interestingly though is that when plugged into a 400 V charger, the battery pack effectively splits in half and charges in parallel (at up to 135 kW) to reduce charge times significantly. AC charging for these all-electric SUVs are currently rated at up to 11 kW at household wall boxes.
Moving onto discussing design here, the new Macan is a rather blobby blend of its predecessor and Taycan. A lower bonnet line that is flanked by rectangular split-level LED headlights is gives the game away for the engine that once lived in there has instead become a frunk (with an 84-litre capacity), while the more rakish rear silhouette has traded the rear wiper for a retractable spoiler.
The new Macan incidentally measures 58 mm longer than its ICE predecessor, at 4,786 mm. It is also to be 76.2 mm taller at 1,671 mm and a full 224 mm wider at 2,151 mm, but interestingly for an EV, its wheelbase of 2,893 mm is 86 mm shorter than the outgoing petrol-powered model.
Though when it comes to talks with its exterior, what Porsche really wishes to highlight is that thanks to the Porsche Active Aerodynamics (PAA) with active and passive elements and a drag coefficient of 0.25, the new Macan is one of the most streamlined SUVs on the market. The PAA system includes the adaptive rear spoiler, active cooling flaps on the front air intakes and flexible covers on the fully sealed underbody, while air curtains below the headlight module and the low-slung front end further optimise the air flow around this slippery EV.
Now unlike other automakers who went with a radical redesign of its cabins when going down the full EV route, Porsche has refreshingly kept the interior aesthetic of this new Macan rather traditional. The Macan therefore follows on from design and layout currently observed in the refreshed Cayenne and Panamera, with its dashboard headlined by a 10.9-inch central infotainment display running Android Automotive OS, a 12.6-inch digital instrument cluster and an optional 10.9-inch passenger screen.
There is nevertheless some new tech toys within this new Macan worth highlighting, like the availability of an augmented reality heads-up display. Other nifty technical details worth noting too on this sporty e-SUV is an optional rear-wheel steering system that is capable of turning the rear wheels up to five degrees in or out of phase with the fronts, in addition to a new electronically controlled Porsche Traction Management system that supposedly operates up to five times faster than the four-wheel drive system of the outgoing iteration.
Since 2014, Porsche has delivered more than 800,000 examples of the Macan worldwide. It is currently aiming to continue this success story with this all-electric successor, which is produced in a net carbon neutral way at the Porsche Plant Leipzig.
“We are excited as the Macan enters a new era of e-mobility. The Macan has always been the sports car in the compact SUV segment and now, with its all new powertrains and coupe-like flyline offering a sharper and sportier design, Porsche is bringing the all-electric Macan to a whole new level,” shared Christopher Hunter, Chief Executive Officer of Sime Darby Auto Performance.
