The world’s automakers are busy readying themselves for an onslaught of all-electric vehicles, with crossovers and SUVs top-of-mind of many thanks to the popularity of that body style. We’ve known for some time that Porsche will produce an electric variant of its popular Macan, and that machine has now been spotted by our spies at the Nürburgring.
And, yes — we’ve been assured this is an EV despite those trim pieces on its rear valence which look suspiciously like exhaust finishers. Those folks who camouflage these things are tricky, don’tcha know. Still, a raft of design tweaks separate the EV from today’s Macan such a s asset of slimmed-down headlights plus the lack of any physical grille, save for a lower air intake. While Porsche bosses in Germany are adamant the Macan EV will not be of the ‘coupe’ type, this model’s roofline does appear lower than the current gasser.
Those in the know suggest it will be based on the Volkswagen Group’s new Premium Platform Electric architecture, developed from the Taycan’s J1 platform to permit the physical flexibility required to build everything from low-slung GTs to high-riding SUVs on similar hardware. Expect an Audi variant of the Macan, a Q5-sized sibling which could be called the Q6 E-tron. Maybe.
Smart money points to the first trim of Macan EV to pack healthy levels of power, as the Taycan did when it was introduced. There’s a good chance it will also bear a ‘Turbo’ badge to denote its place in the Porsche performance spectrum, despite the absence of — y’know — a turbo. There will be a drive motor at each axle, and our sources says top trims could belt out somewhere in the neighbourhood of 700 horsepower.
Speaking of the brand’s all-electric four-door, talking heads are expect the Macan and Macan EV to be sold cheek-to-jowl in Porsche showrooms, taking a similar tack to the Panamera/Taycan duo. This, despite bleatings from the peanut gallery that the machines are too similar and will cannibalize each other’s sales. Porsche appears to be making it work.
There will be tweaks to the interior, ones which may or may not be carried over to the non-EV Macan. The conventional gear selector will surely be ditched, making way for a smoother centre stack, and there will certainly be screens galore. Expect a market launch in 2024.
Keyword: Spied! All-electric Porsche Macan caught testing at Nürburgring