Like its bigger Cayenne sibling, each model of the Porsche Macan crossover has include all-wheel drive as customary. That’s, till now. Porsche simply unveiled the bottom model of the brand new Macan Electrical, and it’s rear-wheel drive. Faster and extra highly effective than the bottom gas-powered Macan, I feel this new RWD mannequin is the primary time the Macan can actually be known as a sizzling hatch — if the Ioniq 5 is a sizzling hatch, this definitely is simply too.
The place the gas-powered Macan shares its front-wheel-drive-based platform with the Audi Q5 and its base engine with the Volkswagen GTI, the electrical Macan’s PPE platform is modular so the motors and batteries can principally go wherever the engineers need. For a single-motor powertrain, you select whether or not to place the motor on the entrance or rear axle based mostly on effectivity, efficiency, packaging and styling. When the Macan EV was first introduced the lineup began with the Macan 4, which is a dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup. This new mannequin, simply known as Macan, has one motor on the rear axle.
The bottom Macan EV’s rear motor is similar one used within the Macan 4. In regular driving it makes 335 horsepower, a rise of 74 hp over the gasoline Macan’s turbocharged four-cylinder engine. When Launch Management is activated output is boosted to 355 hp and 415 pound-feet of torque, which is nice sufficient for a 0-to-60-mph time of 5.4 seconds, 0.4 seconds faster than the gasoline Macan. High velocity is 136 mph, simply 8 mph slower than the ICE automotive. In comparison with the electrical Macan 4, the bottom EV is 47 hp much less highly effective and 0.5 seconds slower to 60 mph, however Porsche says the rear-drive mannequin is 243 kilos lighter than the Macan 4, which, sure, is heavy as hell as I’m positive you’ll say within the feedback.
Porsche additionally launched the electrical Macan 4S, which serves because the Goldilocks mannequin between the Macan 4 and the Macan Turbo (till the eventual Macan GTS comes out, that’s). The Macan 4S has a brand new motor within the rear and a extra highly effective pulse inverter, whereas the entrance motor as the identical as what’s within the 4 and the Turbo. Whole output is 442 horsepower in regular driving or 509 hp and 578 lb-ft with Launch Management, with a 3.9-second 0-to-60 time and a 149-mph prime velocity. That’s 121 hp and 255 lb-ft lower than the Macan Turbo, and 0.8 second and 12 mph slower.
Each new variations of the Macan EV come customary with air suspension and adaptive dampers, and you may choice them with rear-wheel steering. The Macan 4S can be obtainable with Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus. Slate Gray Neo is a brand new colour, there’s a brand new 20-inch wheel design, and you may spec an Off-Highway Design Package deal that has completely different bumpers with higher method angles and a bit extra floor clearance.
Order books are open now, and Porsche says U.S. deliveries will begin within the fourth quarter of this 12 months. The bottom Macan Electrical begins at $77,295 (together with $1,995 vacation spot), $3,155 lower than the Macan 4 EV however $12,400 greater than the bottom gasoline Macan. You do get much more customary options within the electrical Macan and an truly trendy tech setup, so the real-world worth distinction isn’t as noteworthy. The electrical Macan 4S opens at $86,895, nearly precisely $20,000 lower than the Macan Turbo EV.
The Macan is much from the one rear-wheel-drive EV; in truth, there are plenty of electrical automobiles you is likely to be shocked to study are rear-wheel drive as an alternative of front-wheel drive. Vehicles just like the Chevrolet Blazer EV, Genesis GV60, Kia EV9, Polestar 3, Volkswagen ID Buzz and Volvo EX30 are all obtainable with a rear-drive configuration, and it’s not at all times relegated to a base mannequin.
