Porsche Macan review

In short, excellent. The Macan 4 is the softer option at 5.2 seconds to 62mph, but it’s not slow. It does feel heavier, mainly because there’s a lot less grunt to heave the weight of that 100kWh battery, but in handling terms the front end swings around with a light-footedness that belies its 2,330kg unladen weight.

The steering is precise and direct, throttle response is immediate, and the brakes are exceptionally well modulated at the top end of the pedal travel: this means they work just as well pottering around as they do when you’re being more… energetic. If you want to just go about your daily business with the minimum of fuss - or possibly save some money for options - that’s the one to have.

What about the Turbo?

Oh that’s silly fast, needing just 3.3 seconds for the usual sprint. But it manages to contain itself even with a much larger rear motor, which is where the Turbo’s extra power comes from. Launches are bordering on the sick-making, repeatable and only fun for the driver. There’s very little drop-off as the speedo wangs up to the speed limit, either.

There’s optional rear-wheel steer which really helps in a carpark, but makes the Macan feel ever so slightly artificial on a country road. There’s a limited slip diff for the rear axle in the Turbo - which you can feel working away - and torque-vectoring via the brakes to keep the car turning.

It’s actually lots of fun for an SUV: mild understeer which can be translated into mild oversteer with a bit more throttle, and a front motor that pulls the nose straight if you get silly. It feels eminently rear-biased, which is right for a Porsche.

You’ll have less fun in the 4, especially if you’ve stuck to the standard steel springs, which are firm-riding, surprisingly noisy and lack the travel to keep vertical movement in check. That ain't becoming of an expensive Porsche. Tick the box for the air suspension and thank us later.

So it’s fast, but is it efficient?

There’s a lot of clever stuff in here, too. There are moveable flaps in the front bumper to give the car options for aero versus cooling, air curtains to drive vortexes around the front wheels, a completely flat floor and a pop-up spoiler to lengthen the aero profile. That’s all good for efficiency, and the range findings suggest that you’ll get high 200-mile ranges from both. On a mild day on our UK test drive, we got 3.2mi/kWh in mixed driving, suggesting a 300-mile range give or take. You’ll get less from the Turbo. And a lot less if you actually drive it like a Turbo.

It should charge as fast as you need; a 270kW max means little, but the charging curve is impressive, and should yield an excellent average. Which means less time spent charging; 10-80 per cent should be about 20 minutes on a big charger. Though AC is limited to 11kW, so no making best use of the odd 22kW post at some destinations.

What’s the most impressive thing?

Two things, really. One is the sheer gumption you have available for safe and clean overtakes. Pretty much standard fare for an EV, but Porsche goes for a long throttle pedal, so you get softness and modularity in town, but if you thump it, it really will go.

The second thing is the fact that these Macans disguise their weight well… and they ain’t light. The 4’s weight we’ve mentioned already, but the Turbo is 2,405kg. It really doesn’t feel like it. The only big criticism is that the Turbo doesn’t really come fully alive until you’re going very fast, and most of these won’t be driven like that. It’s not the kind of car you’d pick for a Sunday blast down your favourite road.