The Macan is Porsche’s best-selling model line in Canada, and is now available as an all-electric variant. It is sized just right for most, and our test vehicle was the Macan 4 Electric with all-wheel drive (as-tested: $129,000 with Porsche roof tent), which sits one up from the base model within the Macan electric vehicle (EV) hierarchy .
On a full charge, its 95-KWh battery offers just over 450km of range based on its instrument cluster. The dual-motor drivetrain produces up to 402 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque, good for a 0 to 100 km/h dash of 5.2 seconds. The power is more than adequate, but if you’re craving more, we advise also test-driving the Macan 4S (509 max horsepower) and Macan 4S Turbo (630 max horsepower) to compare.
Charging ports found on both sides of the vehicle accommodating Level 2 charging offer convenience (only the driver side port accommodates Level 3 fast charging). We deem it essential to own a home Level 2 charger, or have easy access to Level 2 charging if you want to maximize the benefits of owning an EV. It takes about 10 hours to fully charge using Level 2 charging.
If you need to use a Level 3 public charger, the battery can be charged from 10% to 80% in as little as 21 minutes, though realistically, expect closer to 30 to 45 minutes, which is still quite fast. At one charging station we went to, it took 34 minutes to charge from 51% to 90%, and cost us $27.80.
Inspired by the lush lavender fields of Provence (a region in France), the unique, calming hue Porsche calls “Provence” seen here pairs well with the Macan 4 Electric’s athletic, proportioned styling. Our test vehicle was also fitted with a Genuine Porsche roof tent ($8,800) for camping, which added a pleasing, adventure-ready look.
The Macan 4 Electric is still very agile despite its weight. The steering is excellent and body roll is minimal thanks to its EV architecture, which boasts a lower centre of gravity and near-perfect front/rear weight distribution. You also get a smooth, quiet ride thanks in part to its air suspension, which also lets you adjust the ride height.
One caveat: The Macan 4 Electric does not offer one-pedal driving nor the ability to adjust regenerative braking strength. This could disappoint some EV enthusiasts who want to maximize range, but not having these features also make the Macan 4 Electric drive, brake and feel like a gas-powered vehicle that first-time EV buyers are used to. Passengers are also less likely to feel nauseated without one-pedal driving, so it comes down to personal preference.
That said, without strong regenerative braking, you will need to use the brakes more, which means you may need to replace braking components more often if you drive a lot.
The interior is clean, uncluttered and appropriately high-tech with a customizable 12.6-inch instrument cluster that can display a full map. The centre 10.9-inch touchsreeen was sized perfectly and houses the controls for many features, but we would have liked to have more physical switches and buttons to easily turn on or off certain features like lane-keep assist, the surround-view camera system and the parking brake. The available BOSE 14-speaker surround sound system was excellent, but note that AM radio is not available.
The available 14-way heated and ventilated power front seats were comfortable and included telescoping headrests. Outboard rear passengers enjoy heated seats and the ability to control the comfort of their space with a 4-zone climate control system. Even the centre rear passenger gets more foot room since EVs have less drivetrain components, enabling a flatter rear seat floor.
Aside from some dull-looking plastic surfaces and hard-to-reach front USB-C ports, the EV architecture also enabled an under-console storage space and a more spacious armrest storage compartment. We also liked the two-tier storage in the front door panels, which were unique and cleverly designed.
There is 540 L of cargo space with the second-row seatbacks in place and 1,348 L with them folded. You also get a small underfloor storage compartment and an 82-L front cargo compartment (a “frunk”) you can access with a swipe of your hand between the Porsche crest and bumper, but be warned that the frunk cover opens all the way abruptly; Porsche needs to re-design this cover to open slower or have it beep a few times prior to opening hands-free.
Other excellent cargo area features include switches to lower the rear height for easier cargo-loading, release latches to fold down the second-row rear seatbacks, corner storage compartments, built-in elastic straps to secure small items and a three-prong power outlet.
Overall, we found the Macan 4 Electric to be a pleasant performance luxury EV, and believe this trim represents the best balance between adequate performance and above-average driving range, made better with improved versatility and a wealth of high-tech features.
