2025 Porsche Macan Electric Review: The Obvious Choice When The Budget Allows

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You person to springiness Porsche in installments for going successful early connected EVs. The Taycan is simply a stellar sedan/wagon that's only gotten better. But moreover for a niche shaper for illustration Porsche, it's not precisely a mass-market machine. To really move nan needle connected EVs, you request thing much family friendly, and for nan marque from Stuttgart, that's nan Macan.

Porsche's gas-powered crossover SUV is its best-selling instrumentality successful nan US, truthful it's an perfectly captious portion of nan company's success. It's besides Porsche's 2nd full-on, battery-powered instrumentality to deed nan market. The Macan Electric doesn't switch its soul combustion predecessor, alternatively surviving alongside it connected nan dealership floor, creating a sadistic related rivalry and a perchance difficult prime for buyers: state aliases electric?

Actually, Porsche made it a beautiful easy decision. This is nan correct one.

Porsche's electrical Macan is nan champion SUV successful nan company's lineup.

Pros

  • Fun to drive
  • Comfortable and capable
  • Good operation of scope and performance

Cons

  • No one-pedal braking
  • Cramped rear seats
  • Pricey

$75,300 astatine Porsche

Hardware tour

The Macan Electric shares a silhouette and a conception pinch that different Macan, but from a exertion standpoint, there's small nan 2 work together upon. The Macan Electric is built connected a caller level called PPE, which astatine 1 constituent was destined to beryllium nan underpinnings of a smorgasbord of electrified offerings from some Porsche and Audi, including nan A6 E-Tron and Q6 E-Tron.

For now, astatine least, Americans' progressively fickle attitudes toward EVs person stymied immoderate of those plans, meaning this Macan and nan upcoming Cayenne Electric are nan only 2 Porsches built from those bones. The Macan is nan smaller of nan two, powered by a assortment of different configurations, starting pinch a single-motor, rear-drive configuration pinch 355 horsepower connected nan debased end, up to nan 630-hp, dual-motor Macan Turbo Electric connected nan precocious end. Buyers tin besides prime nan dual-motor Macan 4 Electric, speedier 4S Electric aliases quicker still GTS Electric.

I tested a guidelines Macan Electric, its rear-mounted, 355-hp centrifugal capable to scoot this 5,004-pound SUV from zero to 60 mph successful 5.4 seconds. The top-shelf Macan Turbo Electric gets to 60 successful 3.1 seconds, perfectly humiliating nan quickest exhaust-spewing Macan GTS's 4.3-second time.

At first glance, nan electrical Macan looks for illustration a Tesla Model Y -- particularly successful acheronian blue.

At first glance, nan electrical Macan looks for illustration a Tesla Model Y -- particularly successful acheronian blue. (Tim Stevens for Engadget)

Of course, this is simply a Porsche, not a resistance machine, and truthful cornering is key. Helping pinch nan handling is an adaptive aerial suspension that not only lets you spell from stiff to patient astatine nan twist of a knob but besides raises aliases lowers dynamically. When you're hunting for scope aliases speed, nan SUV gets down into an aerodynamic tuck debased to nan earth. If you're looking to caput off-road, it'll hike itself up by 1.6 inches.

While I wouldn't see this an off-roader arsenic such, nan dual centrifugal configurations should beryllium competent successful lower-grip situations. Open differentials astatine either extremity will support your all-roading aspirations limited, but connected immoderate icy, slippery roads during nan week I spent surviving pinch one, moreover nan rear-drive Macan proved sure-footed and easy to handle, contempt its summer-oriented Pilot Sport EV tires.

At nan bosom of each that is simply a 100-kilowatt-hour battery, which offers nan Macan Electric an EPA-rated scope of up to 315 miles, depending connected which trim you spell with. In my testing, which included extended periods of driving pinch my ft level to nan floor, I managed 2.8 miles per kWh. That's a theoretical maximum scope of 280 miles if you're driving for illustration you stole it. Anyone doing nan schoolhouse tally successful a much sedate measurement will person nary problem gathering aliases beating that EPA rating.

User interface

The Macan's interior is equipped pinch aggregate displays.

The Macan's interior is equipped pinch aggregate displays. (Tim Stevens for Engadget)

Beyond performance, nan Macan Electric has different advantage complete its soul combustion counterpart: it has a much modern interior. The item is nan 12.6-inch, curved gauge cluster. Using buttons connected nan steering wheel, you tin rhythm done various views and telemetry elements to suit your desire for information aliases request to stay undisturbed.

That's paired pinch a 10.9-inch touchscreen successful nan middle, and you tin moreover opt for a 3rd show embedded measurement complete connected nan correct broadside of nan dashboard. This 1 allows you to entree streaming services for illustration YouTube. I've ne'er seen nan constituent successful that, though, but that's only because I've yet to meet a rider who wouldn't alternatively conscionable usage their smartphone.

Porsche's PCM interface connected that cardinal touchscreen is elemental and clean, pinch much than a passing iOS resemblance. Perhaps that's why nan institution has been an early adopter of CarPlay Ultra. For nan Android faithful, wireless Android Auto is present too, and it useful great, looking astir autochthonal connected nan widescreen display.

The Macan's gauge cluster is simply a curved 12.6-inch display.

The Macan's gauge cluster is simply a curved 12.6-inch display. (Tim Stevens for Engadget)

Through elemental menus, you tin do everything from way thigh times to alteration aliases disable nan augmented integer motor tone, which Porsche calls Electronic Sport Sound. I confess nan futuristic whirring and whooshing does make driving aggressively a spot much fun, but astir of nan clip I for illustration to person it off.

Thankfully, not everything is controlled done nan touchscreen. There's a separate, capacitive-touch sheet conscionable beneath it for climate-related functions, including toggling nan prodigiously lukewarm heated seats (which I'm enjoying arsenic I constitute this). You'll find a beingness measurement knob there, too.

The Macan seats 5 comfortably, though I'd instrumentality to 4 for thing longer than a speedy tally to a squad lunch. Front and rear seats are comfortable, and there's a tolerable magnitude of legroom successful nan back. Headroom backmost there, though, is limited. If you person gangly co-workers, they'll beryllium tripping complete each different to telephone shotgun.

Dynamics

Despite it's size, nan Macan is amazingly agile, which is partially owed to its unsocial suspension.

Despite it's size, nan Macan is amazingly agile, which is partially owed to its unsocial suspension. (Tim Stevens for Engadget)

In nan expansive spectrum of SUVs connected nan roads today, nan 188.3-inch-long Macan Electric is connected nan smaller side. But, arsenic an EV, it's dense for a crossover. At conscionable a tick complete 5,000 pounds, it's a important 850 pounds heavier than a regular guidelines Macan.

Porsche's engineers addressed that arsenic champion they could pinch nan aforementioned fancy suspension, positive larger, 20-inch wheels connected each corner. The consequence is an SUV that is, successful Sport aliases Sport Plus modes, remarkably nosy to drive. Its steering is highly speedy for an SUV, which makes this point consciousness lighter than it is.

All nan grip provided by those tires and suspension really gives you nan assurance to push done nan corners, too. And, erstwhile you push excessively hard, it breaks distant quickly and predictably. I enjoyed romping connected nan throttle difficult mid-corner to footwear nan tail out, nan Macan giving maine conscionable capable clip to grin and springiness a spot of a steering correction earlier everything was correct and nan tires were stuck again.

It's not a sports car, nary uncertainty astir that, and it tends to wallow a spot connected bumpy roads acknowledgment to each that weight, but it is acold much engaging and nosy than conscionable astir thing other successful this category. Even this guidelines exemplary is speedy disconnected nan line, but its breakneck first throttle consequence is tempered by a somewhat level acceleration astatine higher speeds. It conscionable doesn't person nan benignant of Autobahn-dominating top-end that Porsches are typically known for.

The electrical Macan's biggest flaw is nan complete deficiency of lift-off regenerative braking.

The electrical Macan's biggest flaw is nan complete deficiency of lift-off regenerative braking. (Tim Stevens for Engadget)

I suppose I'd person to cough up nan other $10,000 for nan GTS, aliases a further $20,000 for nan $109,000 Turbo if I really wanted that. Yes, these things get costly quick. The guidelines Macan Electric I drove started astatine $73,500, but carried capable options to thrust its out-the-door value to $86,865.

You are, astatine least, getting a instrumentality that readily does double-duty. Despite its responsiveness and eager handling, nan Macan Electric does a stellar occupation of settling down erstwhile you twist that Drive Mode knob connected nan steering instrumentality to nan left, unwinding nan suspension and relaxing nan experience. The SUV manages fantabulous compliance complete surgery roads, flying complete railroad tracks without complaint, and conscionable mostly being a calm and competent cruiser.

But there's one, undeniable flaw that drove maine perfectly nuts successful nan Macan Electric: a complete deficiency of lift-off regenerative braking. Porsche continues its adamant refusal to connection thing moreover approaching a one-pedal driving experience. That's a frustrating point to maine — possibly not rather arsenic frustrating arsenic GM phasing retired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but beautiful close.

Wrap-up

The electrical Macan commands (at least) a $10,000 premium complete its gas-powered sibling.

The electrical Macan commands (at least) a $10,000 premium complete its gas-powered sibling. (Tim Stevens for Engadget)

After driving a fewer different prototypes of nan Macan Electric during its improvement phase, I very overmuch enjoyed my clip pinch a final, accumulation type connected immoderate acquainted roads astir my home. It excelled successful nan barren and connected slippery, early wintertime roads, made maine grin erstwhile I was emotion rowdy, and past vanished into nan inheritance erstwhile I conscionable wanted to get home.

It isn't a cleanable machine. I'd hoped for a small much roominess inside, I lament nan deficiency of one-pedal driving, and honestly, I wish Porsche's exterior designers had gone a small crazier. At a speedy glance, it looks a batch for illustration a first-gen Tesla Model Y, particularly successful Gentian Blue Metallic, which is simply a dormant ringer for Tesla's Deep Blue Metallic.

And there's besides nan important premium that you'll person to salary to get into one: $10,000 complete a base, gas-powered Macan. For that, you're getting a batch of other performance, a dose of other tech and each nan joys and simplicities that travel pinch surviving nan EV lifestyle. That makes it good worthy it successful my book.

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