Strong order bank for all-electric Macan

PORSCHE Cars Australia (PCA) unveiled its all-electric Macan SUV this week, six months after revealing the pricing of the initial two-variant line up, and stated that customer interest in its second EV model line has so far exceeded its expectations.

Launching in Macan 4 ($133,100 before on-road costs) and Macan Turbo ($179,500 before on-road costs) specification, with additional variants to be announced “very soon”, interest in Porsche’s all-new, all-electric SUV is so far favouring the more affordable Macan 4 at around 55 per cent, with the Turbo making up around 45 per cent of Australian orders.

Speaking to Go Auto at the Macan’s static media reveal in Sydney, a PCA spokesperson said that “order intake is currently ahead of our initial expectations for the new all-electric Macan at this point in time. Given it’s still a number of months before its Australian launch and customers have not yet driven or seen the car in the flesh, the enquiry is up on both variants”.

This is despite a significant $38,000 jump in the starting price for the initial ‘entry level’ electric Macan 4. Its combustion-engined MY24 predecessor started at $95,100 for the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder variant and stretched to $141,700 for the 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 Macan GTS.

PCA also confirmed that a significant number of customers for the new-generation Macan have chosen to add personalised options to their vehicles – elevating the purchase price of Stuttgart’s all-electric SUV line-up even further.

“In the early stages of a launch, the early adopters often gravitate towards the higher models, (so) we’re seeing a high level of personalisation of the new all-electric Macan on the Porsche Car Configurator,” said PCA’s spokesperson.

The final opportunity for Australian customers to order and personalise a vehicle from the now-discontinued combustion-engined Macan line-up closed at the end of May, however, according to PCA, there is currently a limited number of “well-optioned” vehicles remaining as dealer stock.

“The run-out phase of our petrol-engined Macan has been exceptionally successful,” said PCA’s spokesperson.

“We’ve seen strong demand from customers who appreciate the unique attributes and performance of our combustion-engined Macan line-up.

“(Yet) there is also enthusiasm from our loyal customer base for the new all-electric Macan and we anticipate that the momentum generated by our petrol Macan models will continue to propel us forward with success in the electrified era ahead.”

Since 2014, Porsche has delivered more than 22,658 Macans in Australia, and PCA expects this sales success to continue with its all-electric successor.

The new-generation electric Macan shares nothing with its now decade-old predecessor, aside from a degree of stylistic inspiration.

Riding on brand new bespoke electric-vehicle architecture dubbed PPE (Premium Platform Electric) – jointly developed with Audi – the Macan shares some of its hard points with a forthcoming Audi electric SUV, but its rear-end is completely unique, supporting rear-axle steering and Porsche’s rear torque-vectoring system.

Porsche AG’s Director Bodysystem, Product Line Macan Stephan Lenschow said this new PPE platform will only be used for SUVs by Porsche, whereas it’s likely that Audi will also use it to underpin another model line.

In terms of sizing, the all-electric Macan rides on an 86mm-longer wheelbase (2893mm), with the driver and front passenger sitting up to 28mm lower, and rear-seat passengers positioned 15mm lower.

Luggage space has also improved – up to 540 litres of boot volume, plus an additional 84 litres in the ‘frunk’ under the bonnet, for a total increase of 136 litres.

But by far the most dramatic improvement is to the electric Macan’s drag coefficient – now 0.25 compared to the ICE Macan’s 0.35.

Performance of the range-topping electric Macan Turbo is also significantly enhanced over its Macan GTS predecessor. With 470kW and 1130Nm, the electric flagship can reach 100km/h from standstill in 3.3 seconds and achieve 0-200km/h in just 11.7 seconds.

This compares with 0-100km/h in 4.3 seconds and 0-200km/h in 16.9 seconds for the 324kW/550Nm GTS, though the petrol-engined GTS has a higher top speed (272km/h versus 260km/h for the electric Macan Turbo).

With 300kW and 650Nm, the Macan 4 is capable of 0-100km/h in 5.2 seconds and 0-200km/h in 19.0 seconds, as well as a top speed of 220km/h.

With 800-volt electrical architecture and a 96kWh usable battery capacity, both electric Macan models can handle a DC charge rate of up to 270kW and can go from 10 to 80-percent charge in 21 minutes.

GoAuto covered the standard equipment specification of the new electric Macan in detail back in January, however a brief synopsis of that includes 20-inch high-gloss black alloys on Macan 4 and Turbo-specific 20-inch high-gloss black alloys on Macan Turbo, with 21-inch high-gloss black alloys a no-cost option on Turbo.

The Turbo also includes auto-dimming interior and exterior mirrors, Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) with adaptive air springs, Power Steering Plus, a panoramic glass sunroof, Sport Chrono Package, Porsche Electric Sport Sound and four-zone climate control.

Macan 4 options include 21-inch Turbo wheels ($4630), adaptive air suspension with PASM ($2830), LED Matrix headlights ($2070), four-zone climate control ($810), panoramic roof system ($3110), adaptive 18-way sports seats ($580), roof lining in Race-Tex ($2470), stainless-steel pedals ($230), Porsche Electric Sport Sound ($860), and a 14-speaker, 710-watt Bose surround-sound system ($2230) – all of which are standard on Macan Turbo.

Porsche Cars Australia has a busy launch schedule planned over the next 12 months, starting with the facelifted Taycan which debuts in PCA’s Australian dealerships on Saturday August 10.

The new range-topping Taycan Turbo GT will follow in the fourth quarter of this year, along with the new all-electric Macan, while the twin-turbo V8 Cayenne GTS will arrive during the third quarter of 2024.

In 2025, the new 992.2-generation 911 will launch in Australia during the first quarter, while the all-electric 718 replacement will make its global debut some time next year.

During the first half of 2024, Porsche’s Australian sales were up 5.2 percent to 3400 units, with Macan leading the charge (1475), followed by Cayenne (982), 911 (446), Cayman (180), Taycan (163) Boxster (124) and Panamera (30).