The global premiere of the all-new and all-electric second- generation Porsche Macan was held at Singapore Art Week at Gardens by the Bay Singapore. It’s noteworthy as Asia is a very important market for the Macan, owing 60% of its sales to China and South East Asia.
The first-generation Macan was launched a decade ago and sold over 800,000 units. Porsche has high hopes for the latest generation, all-electric Macan.
Porsche Vice-President of Design Michael Mauer and his team focused on three core ideas for the design of the new Macan: Tension, purpose and focus. Porsches should always evoke a strong emotional response both by looking at it, and driving it. The shallow pitch of the bonnet and the very pronounced front fenders give the entry-level SUV, which is 4,784 mm long, 1,938 mm wide and 1,622 mm high, a very sporty and aggressive presence. The Porsche logo now sits at the center of the sculptural 3D light strip spanning the entire rear end.
The all-new Macan uses an equally new exclusively all-electric platform, not an old architecture repurposed to accept an electric powertrain. This is called Porsche’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE), a dedicated platform for Porsche EVs. In the last few months alone leading to the launch, Porsche’s R&D team logged an impressive 3.5 million kilometers of test mileage on the platform, making it one of the most highly-tested and developed models in recent times.
The new Macan EV comes with an 800-volt battery and charging technology allows as much as 270kw charging for its 100kwh battery. A 22-minute charge from 10% to 80% capacity is possible. And it can also utilize use 95% of its total battery capacity (current technology only uses 80% capacity utilization) to deliver amazing range. An 11kw AC charger for home use is standard from typical wall box mounted chargers while others only allow up to 7.4kw of AC charging.
The Macan is extremely slippery with 0.25 drag coefficient, a 10% improvement from its predecessor. This contributes as much as an additional 100km of range. An active rear wing, active intake flaps and vents plus a sealed underbody help make the Macan as drag-free as possible. The Macan can also recover as much as 240kw of energy while in use.
All told, the Macan Turbo has as much as 591 kilometers, while the entry-level Macan 4 delivers as much as 613km of range.
Porsche of course puts great emphasis on performance. The Macan Turbo generates a supercar baiting 630hp and a wall-climbing 1,130 Newton-Meters of torque, allowing the sprint to 100kmh from rest in 3.3 seconds all the way to a 260kmh top speed. It has a two-ton towing capacity as well, allowing you to haul your race car to the track. The base Macan 4, on the other hand, delivers an impressive 403hp and 650 Newton-Meters of torque, sprinting to 100kmh from rest in 5.2 seconds, all the way to a 220kmh top speed.
Electronic Porsche Traction Management is standard for both variants, quelling slip and delivering unmatched traction regardless of surface in as quickly as 10-milliseconds. Porsche Torque Vectoring is standard in the Turbo, providing physics defying cornering. Two-valve height adjustable air suspension is equipped with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), giving far wider damping range, differentiating between comfort and sport suspension feel. Macans with conventional steel springs can also benefit from PASM. Rear-wheel steering is available, providing up to five degrees of rear wheel angle hence giving a narrow 5.55-meter turning radius with unmatched maneuverability.
Inside, Design Head Mauer also insisted on a low seating position like a sports car which is at the very heart of Porsche DNA. The driver can sit as much as 28mm lower than its predecessor for a sportier, more secure driving position.
The new Macan is also a highly connected and tech-laden crossover. A 12.6-inch curved instrument display, along with a 10.9-inch infotainment system give a wide-angle display for the driver to tell him everything he or she needs to know while driving. There’s an optional heads-up display with augmented reality and you can download third party apps directly into the Macan’s operating system.
It’s also a very practical daily driver: 540 liters of cargo space can be found in the back, with an extra 84 liters in the trunk. Drop the rear seats and capacity expands to 1,348 liters. That’s 136 liters more than the previous model.
Porsche has already sold over 140,000 Taycan units since its launch five years ago as a niche EV model, Porsche has higher hopes for the new electrified Macan being a true volume seller for the brand. 80% of Macan buyers are conquest sales or first-time Porsche owners. With the growing popularity of crossovers worldwide, Porsche expects this trend to continue with the all-new Macan, making it the first Porsche, and / or the first EV for many in its target market.
No confirmation yet on local availability according to Porsche Philippines, but I won’t be surprised if it makes an appearance towards the end of the year.
