The second-generation Porsche Macan is now available to order at dealerships in the UK, and it’s Porsche’s second all-electric model, after the Taycan saloon.
Porsche will be hoping that this new battery-powered Macan iteration will be able to repeat the sales success of the original petrol-powered Macan, which is currently the brand’s best-selling model in Britain. Porsche says its aim is to offer “the sportiest model” in the mid-sized electric SUV segment, which includes the Audi Q4 e-tron, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Jaguar I-Pace and Tesla Model Y.
The Macan’s refreshed exterior looks include slim LED daytime running lights either side of the bonnet and square LED headlights installed lower down the body-coloured front bumper, a smaller front grille, chunkier wheel arches and a sleeker roofline leading to one continuous rear tail light that stretches across the SUV’s rear fascia.
This electric model is slightly bigger than its petrol predecessor too, with an extra nine centimetres of length in the cabin, which increases rear legroom. Porsche offers different wheel sizes from 19-inch to 22-inch alloy wheels, but as the wheel size goes up, the estimated electric range figure goes down.
Speaking of range, the electric Macan can reportedly deliver up to 381 miles on a single charge in its entry-level 408hp ‘Macan 4’ guise. This lead-in version can complete a 0-62mph sprint in 5.2 seconds, which is over a second faster than the cheapest petrol-powered Macan. The range-topping 639hp ‘Macan Turbo’ takes just 3.3 seconds to complete the same sprint, the compromise being a lower battery range of 367 miles.
Both of these Macan variants are dual-motor all-wheel drive, and are powered by a 95kWh battery with a newly-developed 800V electrical system that can support charging speeds of up to 270kW, which can charge the battery from 10% to 80% in 21 minutes.
Besides the powertrain, the Porsche engineers have introduced several other mechanical additions, including a more efficient regenerative braking system that can capture up to 240kW of power to feed back into the battery when braking, and an optional rear-wheel steering feature that can reduce the car’s turning circle to 11 metres.
Inside, the SUV has a similar dashboard layout to its predecessor, with a three-spoke multi-function steering wheel sitting alongside an 11-inch central infotainment screen. However, the traditional gauges have now been replaced by a curved 13-inch digital instrument cluster, and customers can now spec their model with an 11-inch passenger side display that plays media for an additional fee.
The infotainment system is continuously connected to the internet, allowing the car to install over-the-air software updates from the manufacturer, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are both compatible.
Appearing in the driver’s field of vision, the new Macan also comes with an 87-inch augmented reality head-up display that can project driving information and navigation arrows onto the windscreen. Climate control and media volume controls feature on the centre console, with a wireless smartphone charging pad underneath.
The second-generation Porsche Macan is now available to order at UK dealerships from just under £70k, which is £16k more than the starting price of the former petrol-powered Macan but around £10k cheaper than the lead-in Taycan saloon model. Opting for the more powerful ‘Macan Turbo’ ups the price to £95k.
