2025 Porsche Macan review

Many auto brands have jumped head-first into completely overhauling their top-sellers and icons, and fallen flat.

Volkswagen, for example, has had issues with its latest Mk8 Golf, which lost the number one sales spot in Europe after 14 years in 2022; the current Land Rover Discovery was a big departure from its predecessors and has paid the price for it in terms of sales; and Mercedes-AMG has tuned away V8 lovers by plopping a four-cylinder PHEV powertrain into its C63 and GLC63.

Porsche avoided such blunders by making its first all-electric vehicle, the Taycan, a dedicated EV with no predecessor for loyalists and statisticians to benchmark it against. But now, the hallowed German performance vehicle brand’s top-selling Macan has gone EV-only as key markets around the globe continue to tighten emissions regulations.

Since the nameplate debuted 10 years ago, the Macan has cemented itself as the world’s favourite Porsche. Over its decade-long lifespan it offered a range of four-cylinder and six-cylinder (inline and V6 respectively, not boxer) engines, and has long been lauded as the driver’s pick in the mid-sized premium SUV class.

Fast forward to 2024, and the second-generation ‘Macan Electric’ has thrown the internal combustion engine out the window and adopted an all-electric platform and powertrains. Like the original, however, it was co-developed with Audi and has strong genetic links to a sister SUV from the Ingolstadt brand – this time in the Q6 e-tron rather than the Q5.

Regardless, the Stuttgart carmaker reckons the battery-powered MkII Macan is better than its ICE forebear in just about every metric. It’s quicker and more tech laden, thanks in part to Porsche’s learnings from the standard-setting Taycan sedan and wagon.

This sounds like a sure-fire recipe for success, but is it? To find out, we attended the Australian media launch of the new Macan in Brisbane to see if the new and much more expensive Macan EV is a fitting sequel to the popular original.

How does the Porsche Macan compare?

View a detailed breakdown of the Porsche Macan against similarly sized vehicles.

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Macan

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How much does the Porsche Macan cost?

The move to entirely battery-electric powertrains has bumped up the price of the Macan significantly, with even the entry-level single-motor ‘Macan’ costing over $30,000 more than the outgoing petrol variant it replaces.

For reference, the previous Macan petrol range remains on sale while stocks last – see below for MY25 pricing.

To see how the Porsche Macan lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Porsche Macan like on the inside?

If you’ve sat in the latest Cayenne or the Taycan, you’ll feel at home in the new Macan.

A big part of the generational jump here includes an increased level of interior digitalisation, as seen in Porsche’s larger models – think Cayenne and Panamera, as well as the Taycan. But while the cabin tech upgrades are significant, the overall design and execution isn’t all that different to the most recent iteration of the old Macan, with familiar ergonomics and switchgear.

Perhaps the biggest change is the new 12.6-inch digital instrument cluster, which is taken straight from those aforementioned models. It’s super sharp with buttery smooth animations, and offers a range of customisable layouts to suit different tastes. You can also option a swish augmented reality (AR) head-up display, but it’ll cost you $4120!

The central infotainment system is likewise a sharp unit, based on the Android Automotive operating system. With its 10.9-inch touchscreen cleanly integrated into the dashboard, it offers connected services, third-party app compatibility, and requisite functions like wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and embedded navigation.

If you’re the particularly techy type, or have kids (or other passengers) in need of something to distract them while you’re on the road, you can also option an additional 10.9-inch touchscreen ahead of the front passenger, which is like a ‘lite’ version of the central display. Personally, I think it’s a bit naff and not worth the $2700 spend.

As you’d expect, the overall ambience and sense of quality is right up there with the best in this segment, even if the piano black surfaces are vulnerable to fingerprint marks and hairline scratches after wiping dust off.

The toggle-style climate controls mixed in with touch capacitive buttons is very modern Porsche, and while the latter are fiddly there’s nice clicky feedback from both the physical toggles and the touch buttons.

Storage is pretty good but not overwhelmingly so, with a range of nooks and crannies to stow your odds and ends. I like the damped drawer lid over the wireless phone charger, which stops your phone flying around when you’re giving it a squirt up a winding B-road or on the racetrack – unlike the Polestar 4 we drove recently.

Up front we sampled a couple of different seat specs in various vehicles, and the standard Comfort seats with 14-way electrical adjustment are fine – though the 18-way adaptive sports seats are even better.

The optional ventilated front seats helped quite a bit during a hot and humid Queensland day, though $1710 is a pretty penny. You can even get massaging with ventilation, for a ‘cool’ $2860.

In the second row, the Macan has never offered limousine levels of passenger space, but nor have rivals like the Q5, BMW X4 or Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe. Thankfully though, there has been a small but noticeable improvement to most dimensions, which now allow 6’1″ me to sit behind 6’1″ me snugly.

Standard rear seat amenities include a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders, bottle holders in the doors, and directional air vents. You can option luxe four-zone climate control, but that’ll cost you $810 on all but the Turbo.

It’s disappointing that the added 86mm in wheelbase hasn’t resulted in a similar improvement in rear passenger accommodation, given the Macan is often bought by families with multiple children.

Further back, the Macan’s boot has grown to 540 litres with all seats in place, which is up around 50 litres on the old model. That grows to 1348 litres with the rear seats folded. There’s additional 84 litres of storage under the bonnet, in lieu of an internal combustion engine.

It’s accessed via a touch-capacitive lid that can be opened by swiping your hand across the lower end of the shut line – though my attempt to film it for an Instagram reel required a few takes because it didn’t seem to respond every time.

To see how the Porsche Macan lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

Gone is the internal combustion engine, which is replaced by the aforementioned front storage area that’s more in line with the company’s rear-engined sports cars, come to think of it…

It’s worth noting that all Macan variants offer an overboost function that raises the maximum power output by about 10 per cent when using launch control. The claimed 0-100km/h times above are using launch control, too.

Also worth noting is that Porsche Cars Australia’s range claims are based on the ECE standard, which is more closely based on the older NEDC measurement than the newer, more accurate WLTP protocol.

To see how the Porsche Macan lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Porsche Macan drive?

Perhaps the most important question here is: “does it still drive like a Porsche Macan?”

In short, the answer is “mostly yes”. There’s certainly added urgency from its various electric drivetrain options to go with the welcome boost in interior tech levels, which brings the new Macan into line with the best rivals from premium and luxury brands.

Our two-day launch event started with a drive from Brisbane airport down to Norwell Motorplex south of Queensland capital, followed on day two by a picturesque road drive from Brisbane through the hinterlands to the Gold Coast.

The launch program centred around the Macan 4 and Turbo, since the base Macan and the 4S are still on the way to Australia despite already being on sale. We’ll bring you reviews of those when we can get behind the wheel.

On the freeway, the Macan felt solid, secure and responsive. We started in a Turbo fitted with a number of options including big 22-inch wheels with carbon-fibre inserts, which cost nearly $15,000 (eek!) according to the local configurator.

Even with the big rims and liquorice-thin rubber, the air-sprung Macan Turbo was comfortable over road imperfections and maintained great body control at everyday cornering speeds and on the highway.

Road noise and wind noise were also impressively hushed. It’s worth calling out here the Macan’s impressive 0.25Cd drag coefficient figure, which no doubt aids the latter.

And I continue to marvel at the ability of Porsche engineers to calibrate what I believe to be the perfect steering calibration when it comes to balancing response, weight and feedback, even in an SUV like the Macan.

The Macan’s tiller feels incredibly accurate and the quick ratio means you aren’t twirling the wheel to do basic manoeuvres like you might in some other SUVs. It also has a great, weighty feeling about centre.

At Norwell Motorplex we were given ample time to test out the Macan’s dynamic capabilities across a variety of exercises including a motorkhana-style handling course, drifting on the wet skid pan, 0-100km/h runs using launch control, and guided laps around the tight and technical circuit.

The motorkhana was good fun and a great opportunity to test out the Macan 4’s sweet handling balance, while the launch control tests really demonstrated the Turbo’s monstrous 1130Nm of torque from standstill. We didn’t hook up timing gear, but it feels every bit as quick as the official 3.3-second claim, which based on Porsche tradition is likely a low-ball figure.

On the skid pan we got the chance to get the Turbo a little sideways, upsetting the balance of the vehicle by opening the throttle on a rotating plate then getting skiddy on the wet concrete.

The final exercise comprised a couple of guided laps around the tight circuit in the 4 and the Turbo, which again revealed the 4 to be the more balanced and sweeter steerer; the Turbo in comparison felt a little too powerful and heavy to be thrown around at pace on a circuit better suited to lightweight sports cars.

On the road drive the following day, both variants proved to be lovely tourers, combining superb general comfort and refinement with strong performance, great steering feel, and eager handling.

The Macan 4’s circa-75kg weight advantage is due to the smaller and less powerful electric motor on the rear axle relative to the Turbo, and there definitely is a sense that it is the lighter and more agile handler of the two. Keep in mind that even a V8-engined Cayenne is lighter than the Macan Electric…

As we experienced on track at Norwell, the Turbo almost feels like too much in the sense that it’s so quick you can’t have much fun with it. Plus, its 2.4-tonne heft can’t defy physics in the kind of tight and technical conditions we drove it on during this event.

I’m also not sure that many existing Macan owners will be particularly enamoured by the Porsche Electric Sport Sound, even if the old car’s turbocharged V6s weren’t particularly pleasing to the ear. The synthesised ‘engine’ note is standard in the Turbo and optional in lower grades, and while it works in the Taycan it lacks a bit of soul compared to the new Macan’s petrol forebears.

The lack of one-pedal driving might also be irksome for a traditional EV buyer, but I’d imagine Porsche customers prefer the more conventional experience of controlling the brakes themselves. I’m also in the latter camp when it comes to driving an EV in a more dynamic manner.

While it has grown in most dimensions, the Macan handles mostly like a smaller car, with the quick steering pointing a nose that’s eager to turn in, and a taut chassis that minimises body roll even during spirited on-road driving.

As I noted earlier, it’s a really sweet thing to steer, and you don’t have to be driving at 10-10ths to enjoy it. To be frank, you’d almost never be driving the Macan at the limit anyway – it just isn’t that kind of vehicle.

There’s heaps of grip and even in the 4 you can blast out of apexes early than anticipated with immediate, clinical effect, thanks to 650Nm of twist from the moment you prod the throttle. It really gives you the confidence to have a little fun on tight and twisty roads in a way that not a lot of SUVs do.

That said, something like a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N delivers a more focused and sports car-like experience that will better suit keen drivers looking to dip their toes into the EV world – yes, Hyundai’s electric SUV is that good.

Porsche has never been known for its ‘hands-off’ driving tech, but when the roads straighten out you can make use of the expanded and intuitive suite of driver assistance functions available in the new Macan.

The adaptive cruise control does an excellent job of maintaining a set speed while managing the distance between you and a vehicle in front, without jerking the brakes or seesawing the speed.

However, there’s no Active Lane Keeping function like in the Cayenne, which basically facilitates semi-autonomous driving on the freeway.

There is a more basic lane keep assist system, which will counter-steer and alert you if you start drifting out of your lane, and there are handy blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert sensors that compensate for the Macan’s coupe-like roofline and thick C-pillar.

Even better, the surround cameras (standard in Australia) make parking this 4784mm-long, 1938mm-wide electric SUV a much easier process – there are no excuses for dinged bumpers or scraped alloys.

To see how the Porsche Macan lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

Porsche is pretty vague about the standard specifications of its vehicles, though Porsche Cars Australia does detail additional equipment for our market compared to the global spec.

Macan equipment highlights:

• 20-inch Macan wheels
• Wheel centre set – monochrome crest
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Tyre repair kit
• LED headlights
• LED tail-lights with PORSCHE lettering
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Auto-dimming exterior, interior mirrors
• Power-folding exterior mirrors
• Porsche Entry – keyless entry
• Privacy glass
• Auto headlights incl. ‘Welcome Home’ function
• Exterior mirror lower trims in Black
• Side window trims in Black (satin)
• Door handles painted in exterior colour
• Model designation painted in Silver
• Side blades in textured Lava Black
• Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM)
• Porsche Active Aerodynamics (PAA)
  • Active intake flaps
  • Adaptive rear spoiler
• Power steering Plus
• Brake calipers in Black
• Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS)
• Heat pump
• 11kW on-board AC charger
• 12.6-inch Curved Display – instrument cluster
• Porsche Connect
  • Navigation with live traffic info
  • Map updates
  • Music streaming
  • Online radio
  • Remote services via My Porsche app
  • Porsche Connect services – 10yr subscription
• Wireless smartphone charger – 15W
• Digital radio
• Sound Package Plus
  • 10 speakers
  • 150W output
• Apple CarPlay, Android Auto – wireless
• Heated front seats
• Dual-zone climate control
• 2 x 12V sockets in front centre console
• 2 x 12V sockets in luggage compartment
• 2 x USB-C in front centre console
• 2 x USB-C in rear centre console
• Interior package in Black (high gloss)
• Accent package in Silvershade
• Standard interior – Black
• Interior lighting concept – ambient light
• Sports-look pedals, footrest – Black
• Door sill guards in Aluminium
• Multifunction steering wheel with mode switch
• Electric steering column adjustment

Macan 4 adds:

• Electronic Porsche Traction Management (ePTM)
  • Variable AWD
  • Map-controlled multi-plate clutch
  • Auto brake differential
  • Anti-slip regulation

Macan 4S adds:

• 20-inch Macan S wheels in high-gloss Black
• Premium paint
• Side window trims in Silver
• Matrix LED headlights
• 4-zone climate control
• Panoramic roof
• Stainless steel pedals
• Bose surround sound system
  • 14 speakers
  • 710W output

Macan Turbo adds:

• Adaptive air suspension
• Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus)
• 20-inch Macan Turbo wheels in high-gloss Black
• Wheel centre set with Porsche crest in Turbonite
• Wheel arch cover in high-gloss Black
• Exterior mirror trims incl. base in high-gloss Black
• Side window trims in Turbonite
• Side blades in Turbonite
• Design trim on lower apron in Turbonite
• Turbo-specific air curtains incl. blades in Turbonite
• Porsche logo in Black matte
• Model designation on tailgate in Turbonite
• Porsche crest in Turbonite
• Adaptive sports seats – front
  • 18-way power adjustable
  • Memory package
• ‘Turbo’ design badge on front seats
• Augmented reality head-up display
• Heated multifunction GT sports steering wheel
• Headliner in Race-Tex
• Door sill guards in Black Aluminium
• Porsche Electric Sports Sound

Australian additional equipment – all models:

• Tyre fit set
• Privacy glass
• Porsche Entry (comfort access)
• Adaptive cruise control
• Lane Change Assist
• Surround View with Active Parking Support
• Side airbags in rear compartment
• Digital radio
• Electric charging cover
• Rear wiper ($NCO)

Australian additional equipment – select models:

• Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) (Base and 4, std on 4S and Turbo)
• Auto dimming interior and exterior mirrors (Base, 4 and 4S, already std on Turbo)
• Power steering Plus (Base, 4 and 4S, already std on Turbo)
• 14-way Comfort seats including memory package (Base, 4  and 4S, $NCO on Turbo)
• Matrix LED headlights (4S, already std on Turbo)
• BOSE Surround Sound System (4S, already std on Turbo)
• Exterior colour inclusive up to the Dreams range (4S, std on Turbo)
• Panoramic roof system (4S and Turbo)
• 4-zone climate control (4S and Turbo)
• Porsche Electric Sport Sound (Turbo)
• Sport Chrono Package (Turbo)
• 21-inch Macan Turbo wheels painted in Black (high-gloss) ($NCO on Turbo)

To see how the Porsche Macan lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Porsche Macan safe?

The new Macan Electric hasn’t been tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP yet. Its predecessor scored five stars in 2014, though this rating for the outgoing model has expired.

Standard safety features include:

• Adaptive cruise control incl. stop/go
• Driver attention monitor
• Emergency call
• Intersection Assist
  • Junction AEB
  • Vehicle, pedestrian, cyclist detection
• Lane Change Assist
  • Blind-spot monitoring
  • Exit warning
  • Rear cross-traffic alert
  • Turn Assist – rear
• Lane keep assist
  • incl. Emergency Stop function
• Surround View with Active Parking Support
• Swerve Assist
• Turn Assist – front (AEB)
  • Vehicle, pedestrian, cyclist detection
• Warn and brake assist
  • Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)
  • Distance warning
  • Forward collision warning

As noted earlier, some standard safety features in Australian-spec Macans are in addition to the global standard specification.

To see how the Porsche Macan lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Porsche Macan cost to run?

Porsche Cars Australia persists with a three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which lags behind its competitors.

Also unlike its key rivals, Porsche doesn’t do advertised or capped service pricing, meaning prices can vary between Porsche Centres. Sadly, there’s also no official partnership or charging subscription tied to any public charger providers.

To see how the Porsche Macan lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Porsche Macan

Porsche has managed to maintain the essence of the Macan in this all-electric sequel, but it didn’t quite wow me like I thought it would, given how much I loved the heavily upgraded Taycan.

Make no mistake, it feels unmistakably Macan in flavour, in that it’s a comfortable, refined and punchy mid-size luxury crossover wagon with one of the sweetest steering calibrations in the segment. Despite its weight, that shouldn’t come as a surprise since the old Macan was widely regarded as one of the world’s most dynamic SUVs. So the new all-electric underpinnings have unlocked more performance, but not necessarily better or more engaging handling.

It’s quick – bloody quick in Turbo guise – but it’s also quite heavy and you can feel its mass more so than in the Taycan, particularly when you put it on a tight circuit like Norwell. Things get much better and more fun on a winding B-road, even if it’s a lot heavier than the old MLB-based original, making you hesitant to push like you would in one of Porsche’s sports cars, which is to be expected given this is an SUV.

I’ve only driven the Macan 4 and the Turbo, but the lower-spec variants could well be my pick given they’re more than quick enough for the target demographic and will save you a big wad of cash for options and anything else you might want to funnel your funds towards.

While the rear-drive Macan range-opener is the lightest and should be the most dynamic, the incoming 4S shapes as a potential sweet spot because of its improved performance while still maintaining a big price gap to the Turbo. Keep in mind, the 4S is quicker than even the fastest previous-generation Macan GTS.

As you’d expect, the cabin is lovely and the new Macan offers more space than the old one, which has long been a key criticism. There’s also a much improved tech suite that brings the smaller and more attainable SUV in line with the larger Cayenne, as well as the likes of Porsche’s Taycan e-hero.

But it’s still not all that big inside compared to some of its German rivals, and the lower grades in particular need a number of option boxes ticked to make the Macan feel properly special – and that can add up to some serious cash, on top of the substantial price increase for the new model, which means you’re pushing into Taycan territory.

Then there’s the superficial stuff like the new exterior design, which appears to be polarising if the commentary on our site and socials is any guide, and the fact the departure of the old model’s combustion engines has taken a lot of the Macan’s soul with them.

But with a more objective lens, the new Macan does a great job of transitioning into a sporty electric crossover, and continues to offer Porsche hallmarks like strong performance and fulsome handling. It will be interesting to see how warmly the original Macan’s traditional buyer demographic embraces the much more expensive and far quieter replacement for Porsche’s best-seller.

Interested in buying a Porsche Macan? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here

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