2024 Porsche Macan 4 | PH Review

Porsche’s decision to let journalists drive both versions of the Macan EV back-to-back, on a route that includes some of the most beautiful roads in southern France, was almost certainly based on the expectation that we would prefer the faster, edgier and more expensive Turbo version. After all, that’s how performance car hierarchies usually work – more is better. Still, a day in the hills above Nice left me with a distinct preference for the less powerful Macan 4. Not because there was anything wrong with the way the Turbo drove, but because the junior version simply seemed to be a more harmonious combination.

Developing a new electric car like the Macan is definitely not easy and costs hundreds of millions. But once you’ve built a new electric vehicle, it’s much easier to produce a performance derivative than with a combustion car. For a high-performance gasoline or diesel engine, you need an engine with more cylinders, more displacement, more turbo boost – or possibly all three. This also requires more cooling, a stronger transmission to handle the upgrade, revised suspension and brakes to accommodate the weight change – as well as many other tweaks and little things.

Doing the same for an electric vehicle is – relatively speaking – a no-brainer. This became clear when I toured a cut-away version of the new Macan’s powertrain with some of the engineers who designed it at launch. The hardware differences are minor, to say the least. The Turbo – which produces 50 percent more power than the Macan 4 – features a different rear motor and inverter, larger front brakes and a torque vectoring rear differential as standard, too. Pretty much everything else is identical to the smaller car – same front engine, same 95kWh battery, same cooling system. Pay the extra £2,064 to fit the air suspension and PASM adaptive dampers to the Macan 4 and you get the same system that the Turbo has as standard. The only changes are software tweaks to reflect the fact that the 4 is 75kg lighter.

In short, the split amount means the Macan 4’s base price of £69,800 represents good value compared to the Turbo’s £95,000. The comparison isn’t quite so easy, as the Turbo also has a lot more standard equipment in addition to the performance – and to bring the Macan 4 to the same level, additional effort is required. It’s also easy to go past this point, as a full-options workout will set you back over the base price of the Turbo. According to the blueprint of the Macan 4 I drove in France, it had achieved almost the same feat – if delivered in the UK it would have been specified at £94,522. Not bad for a car that still rode on standard wheels, with extras such as extended leather (£2,805), carbon fiber side panels (£917), an augmented reality head-up display (£1,694) and the BOSE speaker Upgrade (£). 917).

But you definitely don’t have to turn the Macan 4 into a show pony to enjoy it. Among the options there was a fundamental balance between performance and handling that makes a really good car and that Porsche has always done exceptionally well. There’s no doubt that many buyers will be impressed by the Turbo’s brand and performance specs – it’s easily the fastest SUV Porsche has produced to date. But that doesn’t make it a better car, and the Macan 4 feels much more approachable when let loose in the real world.

Of course, it wasn’t long ago that a compact SUV with 387 hp (and an “overboost” of 408 hp) would have been at the top of the segment anyway. And although the Macan 4’s power-to-weight ratio is reduced by the 2,330 kg it weighs, it still delivers decent performance. According to Porsche, it accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds, making it 0.6 seconds slower than the V6-powered Macan GTS that sits at the top of the gasoline-powered versions. I have no reason to doubt it – but I’m also betting that the EV will come out on top in any real-world comparison of its V6 half-sister. Throttle response is immediate and powerful, providing speed without having to pedal down a gear or build up boost pressure. As is usual with electric vehicles, power is instant and seemingly effortless.

Of course, compared to the Macan Turbo, the 4 doesn’t feel incredibly fast. It’s not often on everyday roads that the turbo cranks the throttle all the way. However, the 4’s limits are much more accessible – although it can’t produce the same organ-shifting G-charges as its faster sibling. In the Macan 4, acceleration also decreases from 130 km/h, while the turbo still pulls strongly. Which hardly feels like a real imposition.

Like the Turbo, the Macan 4 with optional air suspension feels soft in the gentlest Normal mode, and even in Sport or Sport Plus mode there is still noticeable movement of the chassis when accelerating, braking and cornering – much more so than in the Taycan . Even when this happens, the adaptive dampers keep the Macan’s considerable mass under tight control – although, despite the smaller 20-inch wheels, it still handles the XL speed bumps uneasily in France. But on twisty roads and at high speeds it felt impressively stable and composed. The unanswered question is how well the Macan 4’s standard steel springs would handle the same challenges, having experienced two cars with air suspension. We hope that at least one press car will be built with the basic suspension.

There was no denying that the Macan’s chassis felt quieter with less power and fewer active dynamic systems. That’s obviously partly because there’s more time between events – the Turbo’s insane power means straights are gobbled up quicker, braking events tend to be bigger, and it’s easier to get closer to the grip limit in even faster corners.

But the lack of the torque vectoring rear differential and active rear wheel steering made the Macan 4 feel much more natural in tighter corners. The responses are less aggressive but more linear – and on some of the more difficult sections of the Route Napoleon, which I tackled in both cases, the 4 felt like it was flowing with the road while the Turbo was trying to beat it into submission to force. The Macan 4 isn’t nearly as fast, but that’s always been a poor benchmark for driving enjoyment. I definitely came out of the less powerful car feeling like I had more fun.

Reviews of new electric vehicles inevitably become part of the larger debate about the benefits and costs of electrification. The Macan Turbo review is already on the eighth page of comments, and this one is likely to spark an equally heated debate. That’s why we’re here, after all. But regardless of the love or hate it inspires, behind the arguments, the Macan 4S is an excellent car.

Engine: Electric motors (two, front and rear)
Transmission: Single-speed gearbox (both axles), four-wheel drive
Perfomance: 408 HP (total system peak)
Torque: 479 lb ft (total system peak)
0-60 mph: 4.9 sec
Maximum speed: 136 mph (limited)
Empty weight: 2,330kg
Range: 380 miles (WLTP)
CO2: 0g/km
Price: £69,800 (as tested: £94,522)