Porsche Macan E: bestseller under power
The all-electric model is available in two power levels and always with all-wheel drive. Even the Macan 4, with its 285 kW (387 hp) and an overboost output with Launch Control of 300 kW (408 hp), has a performance to match. The maximum torque of 650 Newton meters ensures acceleration from standstill to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds. 220 kilometers per hour is possible at top speed with the two permanently excited synchronous motors on both axles. But acceleration values and top speed are only one side of the coin.
Another really great feature is the suspension's enormously wide spread between comfort and sportiness. This is especially true when air suspension with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) electronic damper control with two-valve technology is fitted. However, this is only standard in the Turbo, as is the electronically controlled transverse lock on the rear axle, known as Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus.
As a result, the Macan confidently negotiates even the worst sections of road without the occupants being jolted. Only very brief bumps are noticeable. On the rapid drive along the narrow mountain roads towards Grasse and back to the sea, however, the Macan 4 underlines that the developers have done a great job. The handling of the SUV is excellent. The very direct steering response contributes to this, as do the 22-inch wheels fitted in this case.
All this is topped by the Macan Turbo. The model delivers 430 kW (584 hp) and an overboost output of 470 kW (639 hp) with a maximum torque of 1130 Newton meters. This enables it to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.3 seconds. Porsche gives the top speed as 260 kilometers per hour. While we can confirm the acceleration to some extent even without a stopwatch, it was not possible to exceed 120 km/h on French roads. However, the countless hairpin bends on the narrow roads in the hills above Antibes are ideal terrain for putting the Turbo through its paces. Fortunately, there were many sections with little traffic.
It's hard to believe the precision with which the Macan sweeps around the corners, even at really fast speeds, without deviating from the specified line one iota. In contrast to the Macan 4, the Turbo is a little more rear-biased. Depending on requirements, up to 100 percent of the drive power is directed to one of the two axles of the all-wheel drive system. For the first time in the Macan, rear-axle steering with a maximum steering angle of five degrees is available on request. We were able to experience how this makes itself felt in the fast corners with a significant increase in driving stability and thus more performance. The suspension set-up is also a touch firmer in the Turbo, but still offers a high level of comfort. Acceleration and acceleration are - as you would expect from the performance data - noticeably crisper than in the Macan 4.
Both versions are based on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) developed jointly with Audi. A lithium-ion battery with a net capacity of 95 kWh (100 kWh gross) is located in the underbody. The E-Macan's center of gravity is therefore 140 millimeters lower than that of the combustion engine. Thanks to 800-volt technology, a maximum charging capacity of 270 kW is possible. According to Porsche, it then takes 21 minutes to recharge the battery from ten to 80 percent at a corresponding fast-charging station. It should take four minutes to charge the battery for 100 kilometers. If the charging station only works with 400-volt technology, so-called bank charging speeds up the process. This involves dividing the battery into two partial batteries with half the nominal voltage, which are charged in parallel at 400 volts each.
The on-board charger only has an output of eleven kW. This means charging times of nine to ten hours at the wallbox at home. As usual with Porsche, there are two charging sockets. The rear left-hand side can be charged with both alternating and direct current, while the rear right-hand side can only be charged with direct current. When calculating the route with the Charging Planner, the navigation system takes into account both driving style and route profile with regard to the charging points. The performance of the charging points is also taken into account and the battery is preconditioned accordingly.
Up to 240 kW is to be recovered via recuperation during braking. If thrust recuperation is activated, deceleration is moderate, similar to an engine brake. Porsche, however, prefers sailing. If the foot is released from the accelerator pedal without braking, the drive is switched off completely. This allows the car to glide as far as possible without consuming any more power.
And that brings us to the consumption figures we experienced. We read 21.4 kWh on the Macan 4 and 24.7 kWh on the Turbo's on-board computer after ambitious runs on mountain roads. The aerodynamic fine-tuning with variable cooling air flaps, a closed underbody and an adaptive rear spoiler with a drag coefficient of 0.25 have a positive effect.
Visually, the electric car only differs from the combustion version at second glance. The silhouette and dimensions - 4.78 meters long and 2.10 meters wide including the exterior mirrors - are pretty much identical. However, the newcomer is a little more than two centimetres closer to the road, giving it a height of 1.62 meters. The Macan 4 and Turbo are instantly recognizable by their differently designed front and rear sections. Both have frameless doors. Inside the Macan, Porsche has installed a control and infotainment system that largely corresponds to that of the current Cayenne and the new Panamera. Accordingly, a 12.6-inch, fully digital curved display is located directly in the driver's line of vision. The steering wheel controls can be used to customize the display of the instrument cluster and the optional AR Head-Up Display, which is available for the first time. The image appears at a distance of ten meters and corresponds to the size of an 87-inch display.
The central screen is a 10.9-inch touch display. In the new Porsche App Center, passengers can directly access and install apps from third-party providers. On request, Porsche also offers a 10.9-inch passenger display, which can be used to operate navigation and infotainment or use streaming services. Thanks to film technology, this display cannot be seen from the driver's seat. The voice control works just as flawlessly as the smartphone integration of Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. The cell phone can be connected in a flash - but only when the vehicle is stationary. The EU regulations apply here.
This also applies to the warnings for speeding, changing lanes without setting the indicators or if the person on the multifunction steering wheel is not looking ahead attentively enough from the perspective of the interior monitoring system. Although the alarm signals can be switched off, they are reactivated after every restart.
At least Porsche is not overstretching the trend towards digitalization. There is still a manually operated volume control for the infotainment system and a switch panel for the automatic climate control.
Macan occupants have never had to complain about a lack of space. The E version offers even more space. Whether at the front or in the rear - leg, head and elbow room are excellent. There is also a luggage compartment with a capacity of 540 liters in the Macan 4 (480 liters in the Turbo), which can be expanded to up to 1348 liters (1288 liters) when the rear backrests are folded forward. There is also a large storage compartment under the front hood. The frunk holds 84 liters and opens with a wipe gesture via a sensor installed below the Porsche crest. If you want to use the Macan E as a towing vehicle, you can tow up to two tons.
One thing is clear after the first few kilometers: the Macan E lacks nothing, absolutely nothing. And it can even do many things a little better than the combustion versions of the model series. Incidentally, these have not been available in Europe for some time now. It would have been too costly to implement the new EU regulations for cyber security, explains Jörg Kerner. The head of the Macan model series can look back on an extremely successful past. Launched in 2014, the mid-size SUV is Porsche's bestseller, with around 850,000 units sold worldwide since then. And it should remain so.
With a wide range of assistance systems, 13 standard and 59 special colors, eight wheel designs and eight different interior colors, Porsche rounds off the attractive range of the Macan E. An attractiveness that has its price. The Macan E starts at 84,100 euros, while the Turbo is priced from 114,600 euros. (aum/ws)
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Author Wolfgang Schäffer in the Porsche Macan Turbo.
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