Porsche Macan Electric Review 2024

That depends. If you’re still sceptical about electric cars in general, or find that they’re outside your budget, then perhaps a petrol-powered Macan would suit you better. Also, if you need a really roomy SUV, or one with seven seats, you might find the Macan Electric doesn’t fit your needs. 

Who would suit a new Macan Electric, then? Well, definitely anyone who wants an EV with a long range, because the Porsche Macan Electric is officially capable of nearly 400 miles on a single charge. That means it has the legs to go farther than the Tesla Model Y Long Range and many other rivals, too. 

As good as that is, it’s perhaps not the Macan’s main selling point. This is primarily a car for buyers looking for a sporty SUV that’s great to drive. On that score, it fits the bill perfectly – it’s definitely one of the best-handling electric cars on the market. It’s also a Porsche, which means you’re buying into a premium brand. The Macan Electric lives up to that billing by feeling very premium inside.   

Arguably, the basic RWD Porsche Macan Electric is good enough for most people’s needs – after all, with 365PS it can hit 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds. It also has the best official range at 399 miles. We haven’t driven that version yet, though, so the one we’d recommend – for now at least – is Macan 4. 

With 414PS the 4 is quicker still, dropping the 0-62mph time to just 5.2 seconds, but that’s not its only selling point. You also get a second motor driving the front wheels, making it AWD. That improves traction, making the Macan 4 punchier out of corners but also better able to deal with trickier conditions in general. Even though it has double the motors, it’s only just behind the RWD model’s official combined range – the Macan 4 can manage up to 380 miles on a full charge according to WLTP figures. 

For those focused on speed, the Macan 4S really cranks things up with 516hp gifting it 0-62mph in 4.1 seconds. But the range is capped by the mighty Turbo and the stats for that are bewildering. Its peak power output is 648PS, which means 62mph from rest in just 3.3 seconds. It’ll also keep on accelerating to a claimed 162mph. 

On the one hand, you’d have to conclude that the petrol-powered Macan is the most similar car to the Macan Electric. After all, it has the same name and it’s sold in the same showrooms. But that aside, the most similar car mechanically is the Audi Q6 e-tron – both it and the Macan were developed in tandem. Like the Macan, it has an impressive range, charges quickly and it’s comfortable and quiet. It’s also cheaper, but not as quick nor as fun to drive. 

The Tesla Model Y Performance delivers similar straight-line acceleration to the Macan Turbo, but for a lot less cash. It also has more luggage space and gives full access to Tesla’s excellent Supercharger network. However, the interior is nowhere near as special and it doesn’t ride as comfortably or handle with the same aplomb as the Macan. 

You might also want to consider the BMW iX3 and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV if you’re after an electric SUV with a premium badge, or the Kia EV6 – just because it’s a great all-rounder. 

This is an area where the Porsche Macan Electric has most of its rivals licked. The interior feels very nicely finished with subtle ambient lighting and choice materials throughout. Those include gloss black trims on the dashboard and lots of leather. Leather is standard for the seats but you can pay extra to get the centre console, dashboard and door trims wrapped in leather, too. 

Even the bits that aren’t wrapped in leather generally look classy and are soft to the touch. Meanwhile, the Audi Q6 e-tron has more harder plastics inside and doesn’t feel quite as special. The Macan Electric’s interior feels solidly put together as well. The switches work smoothly, the various panels fit together well and nothing comes across as flimsy. 

There’s plenty of scope to customise the interior. You can opt for two-tone leather with contrasting light and dark sections, change the seatbelt colour, add brushed aluminium or wood trim, change the roof lining and steering wheel trim to faux suede, and have the seats embossed with Porsche crests. And that’s before you get stuck into the ‘Exclusive Manufaktur’ options, which allow you to create something truly bespoke. 

The infotainment system is run from the 10.9-inch touch screen in the middle of the dashboard. The operating system is Android-based, which is good. It reacts promptly when you hit an icon and it’s not laggy when you scroll and zoom on the map. In general, the menu layout is easy to get your head around, too, especially once you’ve had a bit of time to get used to it. 

You can add an optional 10.9-inch passenger screen as well. This allows the passenger to enter a navigation address or use third-party apps, like streaming services, to keep themselves entertained on a trip. In case you’re wondering, no, the driver cannot watch as well. The passenger screen appears blank unless you’re sitting directly in front of it. 

Standard kit includes a 15-watt wireless charging pad, which is cooled to stop your phone from overheating. You also get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so you can use your phone’s software rather than the car’s should you prefer. And the Macan comes with a 10-speaker, 150-watt stereo. You can upgrade that to either a 14-speaker, 710-watt BOSE surround sound system, or an even pricier Burmester system with – wait for it – 21 speakers and 1,470 watts. 

There’s plenty of space in the front seats – and not just in terms of head and legroom, which, for the record, are both more than adequate for anyone well over six-feet. It also feels wide up front, so you shouldn’t end up banging elbows with your passenger. Storage options include two-tier door pockets with space for a water bottle, a decent-sized glovebox, and a centre console featuring two cup holders, a lidded cubby, and storage under the front centre armrest. 

Move to the rear seats and the space is okay but not amazing. Tall people will fit but they won’t have a lot of space if those in the front slide their seats far back. Headroom is fine in the two outer-rear seats unless the optional panoramic roof is fitted – if it is it’s quite tight for taller folk. It’s even worse in the middle seat because it’s positioned higher and it’s also narrow, so it’ll be a struggle to fit three large adults comfortably in the back. The Kia EV6 is roomier in the back, but if you’re after a premium electric SUV with more space, try the Audi Q8 e-tron or Jaguar I-Pace. If you need to fit a child seat in the Macan Electric it comes with standard ISOFIX mounts in the rear and you can add them to the front passenger seat as an option.

The boot is 540 litres, which compares well with the Audi Q6 e-tron and should be enough for a couple of suitcases or a pushchair. Again, the Q8 e-tron is slightly more generous for luggage space, while the Lotus Electra and Tesla Model Y have much more carrying capacity if you need it. The Macan has some underfloor storage, provided you don’t have the optional sound system – the gubbins for that fills the space. The underfloor space is handy for the charging cables, but you could put those in the handy 84-litre boot under the bonnet. If you need extra carrying capacity, then the rear seats fold 40:20:40. Because the boot floor is flush with the boot opening there’s no load lip to worry about, either. 

All versions of the Macan Electric come with the same 100kWh battery, of which around 95kWh is usable capacity. That’s a big energy store, which is why the battery range is good. What changes depending on the model you opt for is the number and power output of the motors. 

The entry-level Macan has one 365PS motor powering the rear wheels, which is good enough for 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds. That pretty much matches the acceleration of the Audi Q6 Sport e-tron Sport quattro and and Tesla Model Y Long Range. 

Next up is the Macan 4, which adds another motor at the front to make it all-wheel drive. The combined power of both motors is 414PS, and that drops the 0-62mph time to 5.2 seconds. Having driven the Macan 4, it’s fair to say it’s quick enough for most people’s needs and probably the pick of the range. 

You can go quicker, though. The 4S has 523PS and does 0-62mph in 4.1 seconds, while the Turbo is a whole other level again. Power jumps to 648PS and the 0-62mph drops to a neck-snapping 3.3 seconds. That’s quicker than any Audi Q6 e-tron and faster than the Model Y Performance. 

If you fancy an EV but worry about battery range then the Macan might quell your angst. For a start, all versions come with a standard heat pump. That’s a more efficient way of heating and cooling the interior and helps to maintain the battery’s range. And because the battery is big, the most efficient rear-wheel-drive Macan can officially do up to 399 miles on a single charge. 

In real-world driving you’re unlikely to hit that number, but 300-plus miles should be doable, which is still impressive. For context, if we stick with the official figures, the Macan has a better range than many of its rivals, including the Tesla Model Y. The range is even pips the best of the closely related Audi Q6 e-tron.  

In more good news: you aren’t massively penalised if you go for the more powerful versions. The WLTP range figure for the Macan 4 is still a very healthy 380 miles, the 4S chalks up 378 miles, and even the mega-quick Turbo can technically do 367 miles on one full charge. 

This is another area where the Macan scores highly. Being electric, there’s barely any noise when you’re accelerating. Well, unless the Porsche Electric Sport Sound is switched on. This is a standard feature on the Turbo and optional on the rest of the range. It’s fake engine noise, basically, but sounds more like a petrol engine crossed with the Millennium Falcon. The noise is more sci-fi than spine-tingling, and probably won’t be to all tastes.

Despite the Macan’s big wheels and tyres, road noise at 70mph isn’t too intrusive and wind noise is only ever in the background. We did notice some rear suspension noise on the Macan 4 we tried. That was fitted with PASM adaptive dampers, but the Turbo we drove with air suspension was much quieter over bumps

We’ve mentioned already that you get two ISOFIX mounts in the rear seats and you can add them to the front passenger seat for a small premium. In terms of electronic safety aids, adaptive cruise control with steering assistance is also optional, but regular cruise control is included. Other standard features include electronic stability control, ABS, lane assistance, speed limit warning, automatic emergency braking, driver attention monitoring, and blind spot detection. 

Because some of these mandated safety systems can be intrusive, Porsche allows you to deactivate them easily without searching through various on-screen menus. That’s a good thing. For example, you can switch off the lane assist with a button on the cruise control stalk, and there’s a button on the steering wheel that you can program to turn off the speed limit warning.

Even though the Porsche Macan has been around for a while now, the Porsche Macan Electric is too new for us to be able to qualify how reliable it is. However, Porsche's always enjoyed a good reputation among sports car makers for reliability. What we can tell you is how it rates as a brand: Porsche was ranked 4th in HonestJohn.co.uk's Satisfaction Index, with a Satisfaction Index Score of 90.91%. That was one place below Telsa but much higher than other key rivals, such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes.

The Porsche Macan Electric is at the upper end of the insurance groups. That’s because it’s a fast, expensive electric car, so don’t expect a cheap quote. The entry-level Macan is in insurance group 45, and the group creeps up as you climb the range and power outputs. It culminates in the Turbo sitting in insurance group 50 – the top band.

Because the Macan Electric is, well, all-electric, there’s currently no VED (road tax) to pay. That situation is likely to change in the future, though, so make use of the tax break while you can. It’s also worth mentioning that, being a zero-emission car, the Macan Electric will be a cheap company car, thanks to very favourable benefit-in-kind (BIK) for company car users. 

The Macan range comes with 20-inch alloy wheels, eight-way electrically adjustable and heated front seats, LED headlights, power-folding door mirrors, auto-dimming mirrors, ambient interior lighting, dual-zone climate control, 10.9-inch infotainment touch screen, Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto, wireless phone charger, and a heat pump. We’d definitely recommend adding air suspension. It’s not a cheap option but really improves the ride quality over the standard passive suspension or the other, cheaper suspension option, which is PASM adaptive damping. 

The Turbo has quite a few extras to help justify its higher price. Mechanically, these include standard air suspension, along with torque vectoring and an electronic limited-slip rear differential. Other standard additions include Matrix LED headlights, 18-way electrically adjustable front seats, electrically adjustable steering column, BOSE stereo, powered tailgate, Sports Chrono Package, red brake calipers, Porsche Electric Sport Sound, carbon trim inlays, and faux-suede headlining.