Porsche Macan
Porsche’s smaller SUV has come into its own as the brand’s best selling model embracing electrification and offering a sharp-handling, practical and easy to live with car that’s as at home in town as it is on the open road
Happy anniversary. In fact, happy Macaniversary. It’s been just over a decade since Porsche released the second of its two sports utility vehicles (SUVs). And the sightly smaller of those two, the Macan, is enjoying its position as the best-selling Porsche in the company’s lineup.
The Cayenne SUV debuted in 2002, with a second generation in 2010 and a third generation in 2017, facelifted for model year 2024. Some were sceptical about the idea of a company better known for its sports cars dipping its toe into the SUV market.
They were soon silenced by Cayenne’s popularity and its adherence to the brand’s hallmarks of handling and performance.
The Macan meanwhile joined the company’s lineup in 2014. There were a couple of minor facelifts before an all-new version which launched last year, aimed at incorporating an all-electric powertrain. The Macan has since become the firm’s best-selling model, shifting 850,000 units worldwide and over 24,000 in the UK in 2024 alone.
Surprisingly the second most popular model is not the large, more practical Cayenne SUV, but Porsche’s venerable 911 sports car, and I can see why. Comparing the smaller Macan and larger Cayenne the former is hardly lacking in practicality or interior space.
Prototypes of a new Cayenne have already been seen testing and with competitors like Aston Martins’s DBX, Defender Octa, Bentley’s Bentayga and Lotus’s Emeya to face down, it’s likely that the next Cayenne will grow significantly in both size and price.
The Macan, though, offers everything you’re likely to need, exceeding expectations by a country mile… and talking about county miles, if you’ve a few of those to dispatch, there are few cars better to drive.
First impressions? It’s bigger than expected and higher-riding, ideal for our choppy road surfaces, mitigating potholes and patchy surfaces well.
Around town, excellent cameras and parking sensors shrink its dimensions to a manageable size, but then on fast straight roads – like the A15 from the Humber Bridge to Lincoln – it’s a joyously quiet and smooth cruiser that loves refined tarmac, too.
So far, so smooth, but then get the car on a twisty county road like the one between Riseholme and Nettleham, past the agricultural campus’s college, and it’s taut handling and disciplined feel both inspire a genuine sense of confidence.
I don’t profess to be a racing driver, and on public roads when I’m in a borrowed vehicle I retain the utmost respect for a car, but you don’t need to forensically assess the Macan’s ride or handling, nor do you need to drive erratically to see it at its best. Whether you’re a driver who takes a keen technical interest in what’s going under the tyres or somebody who doesn’t give it a second thought, and just gets in and drives, you’ll appreciate the fact that the Porsche Macan just feels generally exceptional, all the time.
I rather wish I could say something more technically insightful. But the fact is, it’s just well-behaved, fuss-free and pleasant.
For now, Macan is available in either petrol or all-electric versions. If you’re adamant that you’re not ready for electrification… well, fine. You’ll still find the Macan a pleasure. But remember this was a car intended to be all-electric, designed that way the ground up. And the electric expression of Macan suits its fuss-free personality best.
There’s a rear-wheel drive Electric version at the start of the range, then the all-wheel drive 4 Electric – the version we tested – followed by the hot 4S Electric and scorching Turbo Electric version.
The very least you’ll enjoy is a 60mph dash in 5.7 seconds which we reckon is plenty for anyone. Our 4 Electric reaches 60mph in 5.2 seconds and has all-wheel drive which, to us, makes it the sweet spot in the range.
Faster versions are impressive on paper but if anything, the extra power is superfluous for daily driving. Our model, fully charged, offers an ample range of between 321 and 380 miles which to our mind is a usable blend of performance and practicality.
Rather than spending money on a hotter Macan, we’d suggest spending the budget on a few of your preferred options instead. Macan is well-equipped with its 20” wheels, heated and electrically adjustable Sport-Tex and leather seats, wireless phone charging and Apple CarPlay connectivity, climate control, powered tailgate, park assist plus its reversing camera and cruise control.
Our model, though, was loaded with toys. We’d definitely specify Adaptive Cruise Control at a reasonable £500 (it’s a good system), and your standard 20” alloys will thank you for the scuff-saving 360° camera with active parking support at £800.
Beyond that there are three different paint levels – Shades, Dream and Legends – the option to paint your vehicle to a specific sample, plus 10 wheel designs, and 12 different options for your leather.
You can easily swell the price of your Macan, but the ability to create a bespoke car to appeal to your personal priorities is welcome.
I have to say, too, that the Bose Surround Sound System (£917) is the best stereo I’ve ever experienced in a car: crisp and clear with detailed sound at even low volume.
Our Gentian Blue metallic paint really suited the car as well, accentuating its low bonnet and handsome rear. It’s the colour we’d opt for, though I’d lighten up the interior with a chalk coloured upholstery rather than our all-black interior.
Space in the front is exceptional, storage is generous, especially in the centre console, rear space is good, accommodating even our 6’2” teenager, who just won’t stop growing.
The boot – long and wide – does suffer slightly by the rakish rear profile but at 540 litres in capacity, it’s still up there with its rivals, and there’s a small front boot ideal for storing charging cables, which is useful.
A weekend on, and from an initial impression of ‘that’s pretty,’ grew a huge respect for just how well-rounded the Macan is. It’s a superb driver’s car, proving that performance and practicality can co-exist happily.
Build quality is exceptional, performance is athletic and effortless as a quiet cruiser. It’s likely that you’ll never want for anything more than the competence and quality that underwrites just why Macan is Porsche’s best-selling model.
Porsche Macan 4 Electric
Price: £71,200 (Macan range from £68,500).
Powertrain (4 Electric): All electric, 100kWh battery, 408ps, 650Nm torque, all-wheel drive via seven-speed PDK automatic gearbox.
Performance: 137mph, 0-60mph 6.3 secs.
Range: 380 miles range, 21 min charge from 0-80% with DC Connection.
Equipment: Power tailgate, climate control, cruise control, electrically adjustable/heated seats, reverse camera/sensors. Wireless charging and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.
Our Porsche Macan 4 was supplied by Porsche Hull, HU13 0GW. For more information call 01482 911918 or see www.porschehull.co.uk.
See our full feature in the July edition of Lincolnshire Pride at https://issuu.com/pridemagazines/docs/lincolnshire_pride_july_2025