Porsche Macan 2026 review: 4S long-term | Part 1

The second-generation Porsche Macan might be the German sports car specialist’s most controversial model yet.

And that’s saying a lot when you consider the uproar its Cayenne big brother caused when it burst onto the scene in 2002 as Porsche’s first SUV.

The original Macan didn’t get the same negative reception on its 2014 launch because it was Porsche’s second SUV, with the first having already turned the brand’s finances around and giving it a long-term future.

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So, why is the latest Macan so controversial? Well, it’s fully electric – like ‘fully’ fully. There is no petrol engine option anymore, or even a plug-in hybrid.

Porsche has gone all in on electrification. Well, that was the plan until the EV market started to soften, so it recently confirmed plans for an all-new mid-size SUV with internal combustion and a different name.

But that doesn’t change the fact the new Macan is markedly different to its predecessor to the extent that its sales expectations have been far lower.

Does the so-called Macan Electric deserve to be more popular, though? That is exactly what we’re trying to find out as part of this three-part long-term review of the mid-spec Macan 4S.

In the first edition, we will deep dive into the Macan 4S’s pricing, specification (including safety), warranty and servicing.

The second instalment will take a close look at the Macan 4S’s design inside and out, as well as its practicality, while the third and final part will be headlined by my driving impressions and overall verdict.

And without further ado, let’s get to it!

How much does the Porsche Macan cost?

The Macan 4S is priced from $149,300, plus on-road costs, which makes it significantly more expensive than some of its competition.

But there’s also an entry-level Macan ($129,800) and mid-spec Macan 4 ($137,600), as well as a higher-spec Macan GTS ($171,100) and the flagship Macan Turbo ($187,600).

Rivals specific to the Macan 4S include the mechanically related and similarly specified Audi SQ6 e-tron ($151,400), as well as the Genesis Electrified GV70 Signature Performance ($132,800) and much more affordable Polestar 4 Long range Dual motor ($88,350).

And let’s not forget the yet-to-be-priced second-generation BMW iX3, which is expected to start from at least $110,000.

Also arriving early next year, the new Lexus RZ550e is another contender, although it won’t offer the same level of performance as the Macan 4S.

Either way, it goes without saying you pay the Porsche premium here. But depending on how much you value its ‘quality’, it might be worth it. You’ll have to stay tuned for my upcoming overall verdict to find out if I agree!

What does the Porsche Macan come with?

The Macan 4S comes with a long list of standard equipment – including safety features – but its options list is disappointingly long and expensive, too.

Standard equipment includes:

• Active aerodynamics
• LED matrix headlights
• Dusk-sensing LED lights
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Power-folding side mirrors with heating
• Auto-dimming mirrors
• 20-inch alloy wheels
• Six-piston front brake callipers
• Panoramic sunroof
• Rear privacy glass
• Power tailgate
• Adaptive dampers
• Speed-sensitive steering
• Keyless entry and start
• 10.9-inch central touchscreen
• Satellite navigation
• Digital radio
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support
• 710W 14-speaker Bose surround sound
• 12.6-inch digital instrument cluster
• 15W wireless smartphone charging
• 14-way power-adjustable front comfort seats with memory functionality
• Heated front seats
• Power-adjustable steering column
• Four-zone climate control
• Ambient lighting
• Stainless-steel trim pedals

Safety features include:

• Autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection and intersection assist
• Lane-keep assist
• Adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality and lane-change assist
• Active blind-spot monitoring
• Traffic sign recognition
• Park assist
• Surround-view cameras
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Nine airbags (dual front, side and curtain, plus a front centre)

A wild but expected $30,740 worth of options are fitted to my test vehicle, including:

• 'Copper Ruby Metallic' paintwork ($5470)
• Black aluminium roof rails ($650)
• High-gloss black side window trims ($380)
• High-gloss black side blades ($1080)
• High-gloss black ‘Macan’ and ‘electric’ badges ($450)
• ‘PORSCHE’ LED puddle lights ($540)
• Tow bar system ($2290)
• Augmented reality head-up display ($4120)
• Passenger display ($2700)
• Air quality system ($800)
• Black/'Chalk Beige' extended leather upholstery ($7620)
• Brushed aluminium interior trim ($880)
• Illuminated brushed aluminium door sill guards ($790)
• 18-way power-adjustable adaptive front sports seats ($580)
• Illuminated ‘PORSCHE’ lettering on front seats ($560)
• Heated steering wheel ($510)
• Heated rear seats ($790)
• ‘Macan 4S’ logo on centre console armrest ($530)

Let’s face it, a head-up display and steering wheel and rear seat heating should be standard at this price point, but I am not surprised to find them on the options list.

What is the Porsche Macan’s powertrain?

The Macan 4S on test here has two electric motors, split between its front and rear axles for all-wheel drive.

This combination produces 352kW of power and a colossal 820Nm of torque. That said, with launch control engaged, overboost kicks in to temporarily raise the former to a heady 380kW.

As a result, the Macan 4S can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 4.1 seconds, while its top speed is 240km/h.

For reference, this dual-motor set-up is shared with the 300kW/650Nm Macan 4, 420kW/955Nm Macan GTS and 470kW/1130Nm Macan Turbo (those torque outputs are not misprints!), which can hit triple digits in 5.2s, 3.8s and 3.3s, respectively.

Meanwhile, the single-motor, rear-wheel-drive ‘Macan’ offers 265kW/563Nm and a still respectable 5.7s 0-100km/h acceleration time.

Arguably, the Macan 4S strikes the best balance of usable performance on public roads. Yes, the Macan Turbo, in particular, sounds great on paper, but it’s total overkill in the real world.

What is the Porsche Macan’s driving range?

All Macan variants are fitted with a 100kWh battery pack, which has a usable capacity of 96kWh.

In the Macan 4S, this enables a driving range (ADR 81/02) of 619km, with its energy consumption on the combined-cycle test rated at 17.1kWh/100km.

But in my first month of ‘ownership’, my Macan 4S averaged 18.8kWh/100km over 926km of mainly highway driving, which equates to a real-world driving range of a still impressive 511km. Considering the level of dual-motor all-wheel-drive performance on offer, you’ve got to love that distance between charges.

Speaking of which, the Macan supports up to 11kW AC charging, enabling a full charge in 10 hours, which is perfect for overnight or workday situations where a suitable wallbox is available.

Better yet, thanks to its 800V electrical architecture, the Macan also supports 270kW DC fast charging, enabling a 10 to 80 per cent charge in just 21 minutes. Very few public chargers in Australia exceed that maximum, so it is among the quickest in the real world.

What is the Porsche Macan’s warranty and servicing?

This is where the Macan starts to unimpress.

Like all Porsche models sold in Australia, it comes with a lacklustre three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is well behind the five-year standard in the premium segment, let alone the up to 10 years you can enjoy in the mainstream these days.

That said, the Macan’s battery is covered by a separate eight-year/160,000km warranty, which is on par with the wider market.

Better yet, its service intervals are every two years or 30,000km (whichever comes first), which is exactly what you should expect an EV to offer.

But like other Porsche models, Australian service pricing is annoyingly a mystery, with each authorised service centre determining its own pricing upon each visit.

And that concludes my introduction to the Macan 4S.

Stay tuned for the second part of this long-term review, which will home in on the Macan 4S’s design and practicality. See you then!

Acquired: October 13, 2025

Distance travelled this month: 926km

Odometer: 5206km

Average energy consumption this month: 18.8kWh/100km