Porsche Macan Electric review - Electric motor, drive & performance

Porsche is known for its good-to-drive cars, and that’s important even on its small electric SUV. The brand has already become known for its impressive driver-focused EV, the Porsche Taycan, and that experience has translated over to the Macan Electric.

Despite electric cars being comparatively heavier than their combustion counterparts, Porsche has done a good job of keeping the Macan Electric’s centre of gravity low. In fact, it’s 140mm lower than in the old car, so the Macan Electric feels more agile and capable than you might expect, though it’s still noticeable how heavy it is compared to the petrol version.

Another standout of the Porsche Macan Electric’s driving experience is the weightiness of its steering. It feels well balanced and although it may not offer as much feedback as older hydraulic steering systems, it’s accurate and consistent.

In fact, Porsche has done a great job of also making the pedal controls feel natural. The Macan Electric offers strong acceleration, but it’s easy to moderate with your feet in order to deliver more or less power precisely. The brakes also feel smooth, although there’s no adjustment to the regenerative braking settings. Despite this, the transition between the physical brakes and energy recuperation from the motors is pretty imperceptible, making for a natural feel.

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It’s not all positive, however – it’s clear that ride quality has suffered somewhat as a result of the Macan Electric’s impressive dynamic ability. Imperfections in the road can easily unsettle the Macan, even when fitted with the adaptive air suspension, so it feels fidgety over smaller bumps and gets majorly jolted over big potholes. However, we did find there was a significant improvement in the ride quality when 20-inch wheels were fitted, rather than the larger alloys that can also be specced. On faster roads with lots of drops and elevations, the Macan Electric feels well tied-down.

Is the Porsche Macan Electric good to drive in town?

Despite being an SUV, the Macan Electric boasts a fairly tight turning circle, which should make driving in urban environments a lot easier. That said, potholes and rough roads are more likely to be found in the city, and the Macan Electric isn’t particularly good at ironing them out, especially at lower speeds.

Is the Porsche Macan Electric good to drive on long journeys?

The Porsche Macan Electric’s respectable range and fast charging speeds means it’s capable of doing longer trips, and we think this is actually the best environment for it in terms of driving feel, too, because the Macan Electric does a better job of ironing out imperfections and feels well planted at speed.

Is the Porsche Macan Electric good to drive on B-roads?

Porsche has engineered the Macan Electric to be a driver’s car first and foremost, and happily for enthusiasts, this means it’s well-suited to a B-road blast. The low centre of gravity, well-judged steering and the ability to easily moderate your acceleration make driving along twisty roads very satisfying. Though it’s the least powerful of the lot, the standard rear-wheel drive Macan feels like it has the best setup of the lot in terms of fun, although the sheer grip and control of four-wheel drive versions is superior.

0-62mph and top speed

From launch, just the Macan 4 and Macan Turbo are available, and while there’s over 200bhp of difference between them, neither is a slouch. The Macan 4’s 402bhp power figure is available when overboost and launch control are activated, allowing for a brisk 5.2-second 0-62mph time, but in standard settings it still provides 382bhp. Admittedly this model doesn’t feel as peppy as a Tesla Model Y Performance, but we suspect it will be more than enough for most drivers, and the impressive throttle control means it’s better suited for daily driving.

For even more oomph there is of course the Macan Turbo, which cuts the 0-62mph time by almost two seconds. We think very few buyers will feel they have to step up to Turbo as it’s performance may feel like overkill.

Carbuyer notes

“What’s particularly pleasing about this new Porsche Macan is the control weights. No, the steering doesn’t have the granularity of an old hydraulic rack, but it’s precise and consistent, and the grip on offer means the car will turn on a dime.” Richard Ingram, Deputy Editor