Porsche Macan Reviews

It’s now been two months of ‘owning’ the new Porsche Macan 4S Electric, but I’ve been an absent parent for most of the past month as I was on holiday.My Macan has been in good hands, though, as some other CarsGuide staff members, Production Editor Jack Quick, Senior Journalist Chris Thompson and Contributing Journalist Byron Mathioudakis, took custody.That said, I’m here to deliver on my promise of deep diving the latest Macan’s design and practicality in this second instalment of my long-term review of the premium mid-size SUV, with the first having introduced it (see link directly below).I’ll also provide a brief update on the team’s average energy consumption and real-world driving range with the 4S for the month.Let’s get to it!Yes, it’s true: when the Macan Electric was revealed, I did not like its exterior design, which is normally not something I’d say about a Porsche.I still think the first-generation Macan has a stunning, timeless look, so the second generation felt like an unexpected step or two backwards.But to be fair to Porsche, my negative opinion of the new model was based on seeing it in pictures, videos and traffic.So, when I got the keys to my 4S, I had some serious time to rethink my stance.Point being, I now firmly believe that the latest Macan’s exterior looks awesome — largely.I’m still not 100 per cent convinced by its rear end, which I continue to find a little awkward, but darker paintwork — like my test vehicle’s Copper Ruby Metallic — does a good job of hiding some of those details, like the chunky tail-light section and equally chunky plastic bumper insert.Ironically, a lighter colour will do a much better job of showing off some of the Macan’s signature elements, like its creased body work and side blades.Either way, I really like the front end. It’s a contemporary evolution of its predecessor, one that feels muscular (those haunches) and hi-tech (those four-point daytime running lights).A particularly interesting aspect of the 4S is its standard 20-inch wheel and tyre package, which mercifully has high-profile rubber for better ride comfort — but it does come at the cost of not looking particularly sporty due to the pronounced side walls.You take the good with the bad, I guess.Inside, the new Macan is at its most familiar with its general layout, which is no bad thing as its forebear was pleasing to my eyes.But where it does separate itself is with the overdue introduction of a fully digital instrument cluster and the unrequested option of a passenger display, which flanks the continuing central touchscreen of the same size. If you count the available head-up display, that’s four screens in the first row!But I firmly believe that the passenger display is overkill, especially considering it’s a $2700 option. Even if it was included for ‘free’, I wouldn’t be a fan as it’s a waste of space given the front passenger can easily engage with the fully functioning central touchscreen instead. The former’s privacy screen is neat, though, as it reduces driver distractions. The touch-capacitive panel on the centre console returns, albeit with far fewer ‘buttons’, but it does retain its haptic feedback, which plays a key role in optimising its usability.The buttons that remain, though, are the critical ones for the climate controls. There’s also a physical volume knob, all of which demonstrate that Porsche hasn’t lost its sensibilities, unlike some other legacy brands.This technology teams with high-quality materials to deliver the premium feeling that you’d rightly expect for six figures.One of the obvious advantages of the Macan making the switch to a fully electric platform is the packaging benefits that come with being an EV.Interestingly, though, for a mid-size SUV the latest Macan doesn’t have a huge amount of space in the second row. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice improvement over the original, but it’s not as palatial as some of its competitors are (think Polestar 4).Behind my 182cm driving position I have two inches of legroom and two centimetres of headroom, both of which are enough to not to feel cramped – but, again, these are below-average measurements for the class.Another thing to note is that the outboard rear seats are bucketed, making them more supportive for their occupants, but the downside is that the middle seat is uncomfortable to use due to the protruding bolsters.A small central tunnel is also present, somewhat reducing foot space should there be three people in the second row, which is a possibility.If the middle seat is not in use, the fold-down armrest and its two cupholders can be used instead. Alternatively, the C-pillars unexpectedly have extra padding and make for better armrests than you’d expect. The rear door bins can also accommodate a regular bottle each.Curiously, there are no map pockets affixed to the front seat backrests, but you do get central air vents with touch-capacitive climate controls with haptic feedback, plus two USB-C ports.The front row features a decently sized central bin, the lid of which doubles as the central armrest. Ahead of it are two cupholders and a large, open storage tray with a 12V power outlet and another two USB-C ports above.A wireless smartphone charger is also present and accounted for. It even comes with its own sliding lid. A large glovebox is also on hand, but a sunglasses holder is not.The front door bins are interesting as they go beyond the usual accommodation of a regular bottle with a small upper cubby. You might quickly forget it’s there, though.The Macan’s ‘regular’ boot is enclosed by an always handy power-operated tailgate.Inside is a solid 540L of storage space, which can be expanded to a flat 1348L when the 40/20/40 split-folder rear bench is stowed, an action that’s made easy by the manual release latches in the boot area.If you want to raise the rear bench, though, you still need to walk around to it to do so the old-fashioned way.Either way, there is a small load lip to contend with, but at least it has scuff plates to deal with any challenging cargo.Sadly, underfloor storage is largely unavailable as it’s taken up by electrical gubbins and a Bose subwoofer in my test vehicle’s instance.That means you cannot store the removable parcel shelf there, and you can forget about a spare wheel, which is particularly disappointing in Australia. That said, four tie-down points are on hand for securing loose loads alongside one bag hook. You even get a three-pin power outlet, which can be handy for vacuuming the carpet if need be.In the CarsGuide team’s second month with the Macan 4S, we averaged 18.7kWh/100km over 844km of driving, which equates to an impressive real-world driving range of 513km based on the battery’s useable capacity of 96kWh.That’s a minor 0.1kWh/100km improvement over what I achieved in month one, so there is no denying that the Macan 4S can consistently deliver a confidence-inducing driving range in the real world.And with that we’ve reached the end of this second part of our long-term review. In the third and final edition, I will share my driving impressions and overall verdict. See you then!Acquired: October 13, 2025Distance travelled this month: 844kmOdometer: 6050kmAverage energy consumption this month: 18.7kWh/100km

The second-generation Porsche Macan might be the German sports car specialist’s most controversial model yet due to its fully electric line-up. But does the so-called Macan Electric deserve to be more popular?

The Macan Turbo is a true EV monster. We’re talking 430kW (470kW with launch control), 1130Nm and a sprint to 100km/h that’s as fast as a Carrera Cup race car – just 3.3 seconds.It’s twin-motor, all-wheel drive and offers the kind of brutal acceleration that gives you a little facelift every time you step on the accelerator.The cost is a not-insignificant $184,400, but because it’s the performance model, you get performance kit as standard, like the 'Porsche Electric Sport Sound', the 'Sport Chrono Package' and a performance-focused 'Sport+' drive mode.Every Macan is fitted with a big 100kWh lithium-ion battery, which helps deliver a 616km claimed driving range, while its 800V architecture is set up for 270kW DC high-speed charging, which will take 21min to go from 10 to 80 per cent. It will also accept 11kW AC charging, which should take 10 hours to go from empty to full.

The 4S is probably the performance sweet spot in the Macan Electric range, with its dual-motor set-up generating 330kW (380kW with launch control activated) and 820Nm, and a blistering sprint of just 4.1 seconds. That’s not as powerful or as fast as the Macan Turbo, but it sounds like plenty to us - plus it’s substantially cheaper. You’ll be parting with $149,300, and for that you’ll get the same 12.6-inch digital instrument cluster, and a second 10.9-inch central touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as the lesser models, as well 20-inch alloys and the 'Porsche Active Suspension Management' (PASM) system as standard, but you’ll also find LED matrix headlights, a better Bose stereo, a panoramic roof and four-zone climate control.Every Macan is fitted with a big 100kWh lithium-ion battery, and rides on a 800v architecture, and in the case of the 4S, you can expect a claimed 619km driving range.But there is a downside. While the cheaper Macan’s boot opens to reveal 540 litres, that number drops to 480 litres in the 4S or Turbo.

The Macan 4 ($134,400) is the second rung on Porsche’s new electric SUV ladder, and is also the cheapest way into a dual-motor, AWD version, with a second electric motor upping the grunt to 285kW (300kW with the launch function) and 650Nm — enough to complete the sprint to a brisk 5.2 seconds.Apart from the second motor, it largely mirrors the spec of the entry-level, and rear-wheel-drive, Macan, meaning a 12.6-inch digital instrument cluster, and a second 10.9-inch central touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Outside, there are 20-inch alloys, while inside you’ll find synthetic-leather seats that are heated up front, and Australian cars get things like the clever 'Porsche Active Suspension Management' (PASM) system as standard.Every Macan is fitted with a big 100kWh lithium-ion battery, which in the 4 means a claimed 624km driving range.When it comes time to recharge, the Macan rides on an 800V architecture, and is set up for 270kW DC high-speed charging, which will take 21min to go from 10 to 80 per cent. It will also accept 11kW AC charging, which should take 10 hours to go from empty to full.

The new Macan Electric range opens with the simply named Macan, which lists at $128,400, before on-road costs. A reminder here that the old entry-level Macan with an ICE powertrain would have set you back less than six figures, so this one represents quite the jump.That money gets you 12.6-inch digital instrument cluster, and a second 10.9-inch central touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.It rides on 20-inch alloys, has synthetic-leather seats that are heated up front and Australian cars get things like the clever 'Porsche Active Suspension Management' (PASM) system as standard.The entry-level Macan is the only model equipped with a single rear-mounted electric motor, and it will make a total 250kW (265kW with launch control activated) and 563Nm, which is enough to push the cheapest Macan to 100km/h in 5.7 seconds.Every Macan is fitted with a big 100kWh lithium-ion battery, which helps deliver a solid driving range. In the case of the entry-level Macan, that’s a claimed 654km.

The Porsche Macan is the German brand's best-selling model in Australia. Or it was, at least. Before the bold decision to ditch the internal-combustion powertrains and shift the entire range to an EV-only offering. Was that a mistake? Or a masterstroke? We put the new Macan Electric to the test to find out.

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