With the all-new, all-electric Porsche Macan SUV already launched with a couple of models - the Macan 4 and the Macan Turbo - now it’s time for the German company to expand the range of powertrain choices for customers. And it has done so by bringing in an entry-level, single-motor model, simply called the Macan, as well as a variant to slot in between the existing two, this newcomer being the Macan 4S.
Familiar Porsche badging, then. Can you start with the plain Macan?
As every other Macan seen so far, including the new 4S, is a dual-motor model, this ‘base-spec’ one is the outlier. It uses the rear-axle motor of the Macan 4, which means 250kW or 340hp, but it does away with the front motor entirely. In combination with Launch Control, the Porsche Macan can ramp up its peak outputs to 265kW (360hp) and 563Nm, which compares to the Macan 4’s similar overboosted outputs of 300kW (408hp) and 650Nm.
However, as the Macan has one fewer motor supping away at the same 100kWh gross, 95kWh net battery pack, it has slightly more range than the Macan 4, with a claimed maximum of 641km as opposed to 613km. The comparative lack of traction through only two driven wheels means it is slower to 100km/h from rest though, taking 5.7 seconds instead of the 4’s 5.2 seconds, but the (largely irrelevant) top speed is the same 220km/h. Porsche also says the Macan is 110kg lighter than the 2,330kg Macan 4, which should help it feel lithe in the corners.
That’s a nice starting point. But tell me more about this potent 4S model.
You’ve got 408hp with the Macan 4 and a maximum possible 639hp in the Macan Turbo, which remains the flagship. So the 4S slots almost perfectly in the gap between them. This new model has the same front-axle motor as both the 4 and the Turbo, but it gains a new rear-axle propulsion unit with a 600-amp SiC pulse inverter. That leads to a nominal output of 330kW (448hp), rising to a meaty 380kW (516hp) and 820Nm when required on a time-limited overboost phase.
That very neatly puts it almost smack in the middle of the Turbo and the 4 when it comes to performance. With the former capable of 0-100km/h in 3.3 seconds and 260km/h flat out, and the latter recording 5.2 seconds and 220km/h respectively, the figures of the 4S read 4.1 seconds and 240km/h. Same thing when it comes to range, too: the Macan 4 does 613km, the Macan 4S 606km and the Macan Turbo 591km.
As standard, the 4S comes with the electronically controlled Porsche Traction Management (ePTM) all-wheel drive system, as well as Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) variable dampers. Options include adaptive air suspension with self-levelling and height adjustment, the Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus) set-up, and also rear-axle steering.
And is everything else the same about the new Porsche Macan and Macan 4S models?
Well, the 4S will get more standard equipment than the Macan and Macan 4, but yes, broadly speaking they’re as you were. That means the 800-volt electrical system with a maximum DC charging rate of 270kW, allowing for the battery to go from 10-80 per cent charge in just 21 minutes at an ultra-rapid station.
But the arrival of these two has seen some further spec introductions to the entire line-up. Such as Slate Grey Neo, a new colour for all Macan Mk2 models, as well as a 20-inch Macan S alloy wheel design. There’s even an off-road design package, available in two colours (either Vesuvius Grey or in the body’s hue), which modifies the front-bumper profile to increase the approach angle of the SUV to 17.4 degrees. If fitted to a Macan with adaptive air suspension, it also increases the ground clearance by 10mm to 195mm on the normal setting, while there’s a 21-inch wheel to go with it. The new Macan is available to order now from Porsche Ireland, with a starting price of €88,746, while the Macan 4S kicks off at €100,249.
