Lexus NX vs Porsche Macan

What's the difference?

The NX 450h+ Luxury combines high build quality and upmarket looks with plug-in hybrid convenience/performance/economy and numerous luxury appointments. It’s a competent all-rounder that's difficult to fault and clearly meets the needs of many prestige mid-size SUV buyers.

There is no doubting the substance of the Porsche Macan Electric. Its ride, steering and poise make it a joy to drive on twisting roads, and it ticks the practicality boxes, too.

The only lingering question is whether enough people are ready to make the all-electric switch. Only then will we know if Porsche's Macan gamble has paid off.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The exterior is a sculptured blend of sharp creases and flowing curves which create a sporty and sophisticated appearance that clearly appeals to many buyers.

The interior looks and feels about as spacious and airy as you could realistically expect in a mid-sized SUV, which is enhanced with the roof open and sunshine pouring in.

The boldly contrasting two-tone grey and camel interior trim in our test vehicle adds to its visual appeal although we suspect such a bold colour choice could also be a stain magnet in everyday use, particularly for young families with lots of sticky kids’ stuff onboard.

The Macan Electric looks sharp, all aerodynamic and swept-back like a range-maximising electric SUV should.

There’s functional method behind all this swoopy styling, too. The headlights look as though they’ve been chiselled into the body work, and at the grille, you’ll find active venting to help with cooling when needed.

There is also a sizeable front splitter that looks very much like the Macan is sticking its jaw out. All of which is to assist with aero and range.

It’s also a dual charging port layout with access left and right, though the latter is AC charging only, while the one on the left does both.

Step inside the Macan and you’ll find a familiar and very welcoming space. I especially like the twin-screen set-up that looks great in the way it's kind of embedded into the dash. Each is big, clear and easy to use.

I also really like the control panel that gives you quick-button access to the climate control, and the haptic feedback is next level, with the whole screen clicking in or out whenever you hit a button.

That said, in Turbo-guise you’re dropping almost $200,000, and some of the materials feel too hard and plasticky at that price point.

Its compact dimensions of 4660mm length, 1865mm width and 1660mm height make the usual driving chores in congested urban settings, particularly tight inner-city streets and parking spaces, much easier than a full-size SUV.

With its 2050kg kerb weight and 2540kg GVM, it has a load capacity of 490kg of which up to 75kg can be carried on the roof rails using approved racks.

While almost half a tonne of load capacity may seem ample, keep in mind that the combined weight of five large adults could reach that limit before you could start loading their luggage.

It’s also rated to tow up to 1000kg of braked trailer, which would be ideal for hauling small trailers with a recreational focus like fold-out campers, jet-skis, trail bikes etc. However, Lexus does not publish a GCM figure, so for weekend escapees we don’t know how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time.

There’s more than adequate space for the driver and front passenger, along with storage that includes a bottle-holder and bin in each door, overhead glasses holder and a single glove box.

The centre console has two cupholders and a deep box with padded lid that doubles as a comfy elbow rest. You’ll also find a quartet of USB ports, a 12V socket and wireless phone charging pad.

The rear bench seat is surprisingly accommodating for tall people, given I’m 186cm and when seated behind the driver’s seat set in my position I still have sufficient knee clearance and headroom.

However, with three up, those in the centre must compete for shoulder space plus have their feet either side of the transmission tunnel and knees together between the front seat backrests. So, three adults is okay for short trips but should be capped at two for longer drives.

Rear passenger storage includes a bottle-holder and bin in each door, pockets on both front seat backrests and two cupholders with the centre seat backrest folded forward. The rear of the centre console has adjustable air vents, rear seat heating controls, another 12V socket and a pair of USB ports.

The power tailgate can open by waving your foot under the rear bumper (useful when hands are full) to gain access to the rear luggage area, which provides numerous internal hooks for securing cargo straps or nets plus underfloor storage for the charging cables and more.

This luggage area offers up to 520 litres (more than half a cubic metre) of load volume with the rear seat upright. It expands into what is effectively a small van when the rear seat is folded flat, which can carry everything from a mountain bike to flatpack furniture.

There is a little open-sesame magic at play with the Macan, and that starts at the frunk, where, if you lovingly caress the bonnet, it will automatically pop open for you, revealing an 84-litre storage space.

Rubbing the charging port will see it slide open, too, but just in case you’re not the kind of person who likes to fondle their car in public, you can use the key.

The Macan’s boot is a little more traditional, opening to reveal 540 litres (but just 480 litres in the 4S or Turbo) of storage with the rear seats in place, with a wide, flat and very useable area for your goodies.

The back seat of the Macan feels spacious enough, without being outstanding. There’s more than enough space for my 175cm frame, with enough knee and head room, but the way the middle console juts out will definitely eat into leg room for any middle-row passenger.

Elsewhere you get air-con controls with vents, along with bottle storage in each of the doors. There is also a pull-down divider that’s home to two extra cupholders.

The Macan arrives with four trim levels, the entry-level Macan, the Macan 4, Macan 4S and then the flagship Macan Turbo. The latter is just a name Porsche now applies to its go-fast models — obviously there isn’t an actual turbo in action.

The new electric range opens with the 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.

Now, it should be pointed out that you can still buy the previous-generation ICE Macan, at least until supply runs dry. The brand isn’t getting any more, but suggests there are enough in the country to satisfy demand until around Q2 next year.

Next is the 4, which is $134,400 and adds a second e-motor. Then comes the 4S, yours for $149,300, before the range tops out with the Turbo, which climbs to $184,400. All prices before on-road costs.

Those are big numbers, but at least Australian-delivered cars are some of the best-specified on the planet. 

That starts with the Macan, which gets a 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.

Next up is the Macan 4, which adds a second electric motor, but otherwise largely mirrors the base car’s spec. Next on the list is the 4S, which rides on a different 20-inch alloy, picks up LED matrix headlights, sports a better Bose stereo, a panoramic roof and four-zone climate control.

Finally, the Turbo is the big dog of the electric Macan range, packing serious power, but also arriving with its own 20-inch alloy wheel design (with 21-inch wheels a no-cost option) — an augmented reality head-up display, and things like the 'Porsche Electric Sport Sound', the 'Sport Chrono Package' and a performance-focused 'Sport+' drive mode.

The sophisticated PHEV drivetrain with electronic AWD comprises a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that delivers 136kW of power and 227Nm of torque to the front wheels through a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).

There’s also electric motors front and rear, fed by an 18.1kWh lithium-ion traction battery that can provide limited electric-only driving range.

The front electric motor, which assists with driving the front wheels through the CVT, produces 134kW/270Nm while a smaller one exclusively drives the rear wheels with 40kW/121Nm. Although the combined output from these three power sources is 310kW, Lexus claims a total system output of only 227kW to optimise efficiency and reliability.

The petrol engine and electric motor outputs are electronically synchronised and traction is continuously monitored to automatically vary the amount of power being sent to the front or rear wheels to optimise stability and traction in all conditions.

There’s also a choice of drive modes comprising 'Normal', 'Sport' and 'Eco' and paddles on the steering wheel allow manual shifting of the CVT 'ratios' for a more engaging drive, or to increase the regenerative braking effect (like using lower ratios on descents etc).

Several operational modes can also be selected including electric-only driving (we covered 60km on one full charge and 56km on another) and two modes of hybrid driving, plus battery charging while driving courtesy of the petrol engine which during our test charged the battery from near zero to 100 per cent in 56km.

There’s also external plug-in charging of course. At home we used the three-pin domestic wall socket compatible 10A charger/AC Type 2 cable supplied with the vehicle, which took about six hours (at a tiny 2.3kW) to charge from 35-100 per cent.

The entry-level Macan is 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.

The 4 then adds a second electric motor for AWD, upping the grunt to 285kW (300kW with the launch function) and 650Nm, and drops the sprint to a brisk 5.2 seconds.

The 4S is probably the performance sweet spot, with its dual-motor set-up generating 330kW (380kW in launch) and 820Nm, and a blistering sprint of just 4.1 seconds.

But the Macan Turbo is a true 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.

Lexus claims average combined consumption of only 1.3L/100km, achieved in ideal lab conditions which is largely irrelevant. When we stopped to refuel after 424km of real-world testing, which included our usual mix of suburban, city and highway driving and switching between the different modes (including 116km of electric-only driving), the dash display was showing 5.7L/100km.

That was close to our own figure of 5.4 calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, so based on our test consumption and depending on the mix of drive modes used, you could expect a realistic driving range of up to 1000km from its 55-litre tank which prefers 95RON premium petrol.

Every Macan is fitted with a big 100kWh lithium-ion battery, which helps deliver a solid driving range no matter which one you choose.

The entry-level Macan will cover the most distance, at a claimed 654km, while the 4, 4S and Turbo will travel 624km, 619km and 616km, respectively.

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.

Worth noting, though, that most home wall boxes are around 7.0kW, which means a full charge would take more like 13 hours plus.

The cabin is what you might call ‘cosy’ for tall people like me (186cm) but there’s still adequate room to find a comfortable driving position.

The ride quality is noticeably firm, which contributes to its sporty feel. The steering is nicely weighted with good response and braking is reassuringly strong.

Acceleration in full-electric and hybrid modes is brisk but not exceptional and about what you’d expect from this powertrain, which engages the rear electric motor for standing starts and other situations to ensure all-wheel drive traction is being deployed when you need it most.

We sampled the different drive modes, with 'Sport' providing a more engaging feel (particularly when manual shifting using the paddle shifters), 'Eco' producing a more subdued response to optimise range and the default 'Normal' providing a pleasant compromise.

Even so, despite its technical wizardry and generous choice of driver preferences, we reckon most daily driving owners would simply plug-in and charge each night, start off in electric-only mode and if needed continue in ‘Normal’ hybrid mode.

Porsche seemed at pains to prove that, though the all-electric Macan has lost its ICE heart, it's still worthy of the badge, and still very much a Porsche.

First stop, then, was the Norwell race circuit in Queensland, to put the Macan through its paces with 0-100km/h sprints, drifting (well drift attempts... ) on a watered-down skid pan and finally some high-speed running on the circuit.

And two things immediately became very clear. The first, and most obvious, was that, like the first men on the moon, we were likely among only a handful of people that might ever take their all-electric Porsche mid-size SUV to a race track. And second, this is one seriously sorted electric car.

Happily, for the many (read: every) owners who won't be pulling out of a pit garage at their next local track day, the Macan is actually more enjoyable on the road than it is on the track.

On the latter, there's a freedom to push too hard – what with the lack of trees, guard rails or oncoming traffic – and cracks do appear, mostly from the screaming tyres struggling with the two-tonne-plus weight.

But on public roads, where a thick fog of consequence prevents you pushing too hard, the Macan is a gem.

Porsche tends to have a knack for these things, I know, but the Macan is a seriously smooth and satisfying drive.

The ride is bang-on (comfortable enough on rougher surfaces, firm and grippy enough on twisting roads) and the steering is direct and confidence-inspiring.

Body-roll has been largely banished, too, with the Macan staying flat, stable and satisfying, even on the tighter stuff.

In much the same way the ICE Macan defined what it meant to be a driver's SUV, I think this one does the same in the EV space. And the fact that it does it with five seats and a decent boot is a sizeable bonus.

But there's no denying it lacks in the emotion department. That sense of excitement, the sound track, the hard-to-define fizz – as competent its this, and as weaponised as the EV powertrain is – it does feel a little clinical, like a tool doing its job and doing it well.

One important caveat. We've driven the 4 and Turbo to date. The entry-level Macan and the mid-tier 4S are still incoming. And I suspect I wouldn't be dropping my deposit on the Turbo.

Yes, the power is ridiculous, but I don't reckon you need it. For me, the 4 is more than enough, but I suspect the real performance sweet spot will be with the 4S.

The Porsche Macan Electric is yet to be assessed by ANCAP, or by Europe’s NCAP, but it doesn’t appear to be missing any key equipment from its safety list.

That includes curtain airbags that extend all the way to the boot, AEB with pedestrian detection, lane keeping assist, a surround view camera and 'Intersection Assist'.

Comes standard with a five years/unlimited km warranty. Same applies to the lithium-ion traction battery, which is eligible for additional warranty coverage of up to five years (so 10 years in total) based on annual inspections.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/15,000km, whichever occurs first. Capped pricing, which applies to the first five scheduled services up to five years/75,000km, totals $3225 or an average of $645 per service.

The Porsche ownership experience is frankly underwhelming by modern standards, with the brand offering just a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, plus an eight-year/160,000km battery warranty.

The positive, though, is that servicing should only be required every two years or 30,000km. You also buy a prepaid service plan for three, four or five years, priced at $1495, $2795, $2995.