Debuting as Porsche’s second attempt at an all-electric offering, the electric Macan promises to build on the emissions-free success of the Taycan, but in the format of their best-selling model. Alex Shahini got up close and personal with the silent SUV in Leipzig at the end of October. 
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From one extreme to another, Porsche invited us to sample their sonorous V8-powered Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid and then followed it up with an exclusive preview of their completely silent, but equally potent electric Macan the following day. Minus the fact that they wear the same badge, the future of the low-slung four-door Panamera will continue to exist as a more niche and opulent example of sedan luxury while the electric Macan will cater to a new booming segment for the Stuttgart-based automaker.
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The Macan formula isn’t new, it’s been around for almost a decade and in this time has thrust Porsche’s annual sales numbers into a reckonable force. Catering for buyers wanting a premium Porsche experience, the lineup would evolve to offer a range of entry-level motors, fuel-efficient diesels and twin-turbocharged V6 derivatives capable of some serious firepower. Now, Porsche wants to build on the 86 724 units delivered in 2022 with the introduction of a completely ground-up developed electric Macan that represents the same experience albeit with the benefit of zero emissions because the world is changing. BMW’s best-selling M car is the all-electric i4 M50, Tesla’s Model Y edged the Toyota Corolla as best selling car across the globe and almost every mass-producing automaker has future plans to introduce a lineup of EVs by the close of the decade.
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Following the Taycan, it makes sense then for Porsche to usher in their second EV as their ever-popular Macan SUV. It will be produced in parallel at the renewable-powered Leipzig facility with its fossil fuel-consuming ICE counterparts to snatch a piece of the green-power pie that is dominating first-world automotive markets courtesy of looming mandates for emissions control. Despite it sharing the production line, the Porsche differs under the skin from its conventional counterpart since it has its architecture based on a shared Audi Premium Platform Electric (PPE). At its core is a 100 kWh battery that is capable of dispatching the SUV with 450 kW and 1 000 N.m.
800-volt charging technology enables the electric Macan with a charging capacity of up to 270 kW. During its comprehensive presentation and tech talk, its developers mentioned optimising the system for charging in conjunction with the built-in control centre within the infotainment, but more on that later. The PPE is now capable of 100 km of charge in only 4 minutes and mechanical components have been shuffled around to optimise fronk space too. Despite all the positives, the battery still weighs 570 kg but as with all EVs, this mass has been positioned as low as possible and thus goes unnoticed when being thrown around on track with vigorous manoeuvres. Rear-axle steering and PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) electronic damping suspension aid in providing the silent SUV with superlative handling capabilities when presented with a curve. This is all quite crucial since the power and twist is delivered instantaneously and seemingly unexpectedly.
The taxi test mules being used for the jaunt on track were masked in faux C-pillar lines, mild camo and de-badged of any branding on the exterior. The silence of trundling down the pitlane at the Leipzig facility added to the surprise when the accelerator pedal was mashed down and the electric motors gave their all onto each corner of the electric Macan. Approaching the first corner at what feels as 20% too fast to comprehend and the regenerative braking and conventional brakes work in tandem to slow things down before the four-wheel steering takes centre stage. Above 80 km/h, the rears aim in the same direction as the front which presents an additional layer of driving stability at speed.
It was a short blast around the track which had gradients and corners mimicking some of the most gruelling circuits of the world. Parabolica and Curva di Lesmo from Monza, Laguna Seca’s Corkscrew and the famed Nordschleife’s instantly recognisable Karussell – 11 corners take a page out of global circuits and amalgamate them into a greatest hits collection. Undoubtedly cool, Porsche actually did this to allow the development engineers who were chaperoning us around for the two days to sample and test new systems, chassis, powertrains and completed models for tweaks ahead of production.
In terms of the electric Macan, they have managed to achieve a near-perfect end result despite being a pre-production model. Sideways up the corkscrew, planted in the Karussell and with breakneck acceleration in between the ribboned tarmac, it is remarkable the supercar humbling performance capable of this pumped-up SUV which can go places its lower contemporaries cannot. That is because, after the adrenaline-inducing spurt of high-speed entertainment on the tarred circuit, it was time to venture out where anything without substantial ground clearance dare not.
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Adjacent to the facility’s track and storage garage (which housed a special Carrera GT and slant-nosed race cars) is a nature reserve that the German automaker has access to. Immediately after the electric Macan had left some rubber on the tarmac, it made the short excursion to the premises boundary gate and onto some dirt roads that would flow into a series of off-road obstacles. Water and electricity don’t normally mix but in this scenario they do. Wading through water was one of the first tasks at hand, dispatched at ease, as was the hill ascent and technical course that included some unnerving feats of gravity.
Another short stint on a dirt road and we made it back into the confines of the Leipzig facility. Before I could comprehend how this electric Macan could manage the best of both worlds, we were whisked away to the local airport in the property next door and on our way back to South Africa. Our time in Porsche’s second electric offering, despite being a pre-production model, was short but highly promising for prospective buyers who are drawn to electrification and zero-emissions mobility.
The model is set to arrive in early 2024 and the automaker will offer it in either entry-level or top-of-the-range flavour. Stay tuned for a more in-depth review once it arrives on local shores in the new year.
