Porsche Macan EV Review: Sharper, Faster, More Serious

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self,” said Ernest Hemingway. Now, I know Hemingway wasn’t exactly talking about electric SUVs, but the line stuck with me while driving the new Porsche Macan EV. Because here’s the thing - this is a car that has grown up. It’s more mature, more serious, and yet somehow, even more fun.

The original Macan was Porsche’s friendly, luxury SUV for the everyday commuter, made to rake in numbers while they use the money to focus on the 911s. However, with the tsunami of EVs, this new one? It’s a different animal compared to its predecessor. Think of that quiet kid from school who shows up at your reunion looking like Chris Hemsworth in Thor: Ragnarok—jacked, sharp, and very much not here to mess around.

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Electric But Still Unadulterated Porsche

When carmakers go electric, they usually go soft. They go silent, efficient, and about as exciting as a refrigerator with wheels. But Porsche is no ordinary manufacturer, right? For over 75 years, Porsche has built cars that have made a name on racetracks and carved up mountain passes unlike anything else. So, when they decided the Macan’s second generation would be EV-only, they didn’t just slap batteries in and call it a day. They doubled down on performance. This isn’t just another German SUV that happens to be electric. This is an electric Porsche. And in case the Turbo badge at the back doesn’t give it away, yes, they’ve dialled it up to eleven.

Performance: Licence to Thrill

To give you some numbers, the Macan EV lineup starts at around 300 horsepower, scales up to 400, then 450 in the 4S. But the real showstopper is the Macan Turbo EV that you see gleaming in the green hue here, with a spine-snapping 640 horsepower. But more importantly, the dual motors combined put out a twisting force of nearly 1200Nm. The 0–100 kmph time is merely 3.3 seconds. That’s supercar territory. No, scratch that, that’s supercar embarrassment territory cause its not a low-slung, impractical, two-door sports coupe which can barely get out of a parking lot. This is a compact SUV that will out-sprint most Italian exotics while carrying your kids to school and getting groceries on the way back.

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But numbers only tell half the story. What’s jaw-dropping is how it delivers that performance. The throttle is razor sharp, the power delivery is seamless, and there’s no unnecessary drama. No wheelspin, no awkward lurches. Just precision in acceleration that feels like the laws of physics quietly stepped aside.

And Porsche, in their typical “driver first” way, didn’t even bother with an Eco mode. You get Normal, Sport, and Sport Plus. Translation: always fun, even more fun, and hold on for dear life. In the Sport Plus mode, it becomes a maniac with a sledgehammer, where most EVs these days are digital. Smooth, soulless, and safe. The Macan EV feels like it is an analogue at heart.

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The steer-by-wire system feels alive, quick, and precise. No torque steer, no second-guessing, just holds the perfect lines as if it’s on rails, no matter what speed you are doing. Even the regen braking is subtle, non-existent. You coast like in a petrol-powered car when off the gas pedal and that, oddly enough, makes it feel more natural.

Yes, the ride is firm, maybe too firm for Indian city bumps and speed breakers. You feel every little irregularity, crease and can’t ignore the bad roads. But on the upside, like any hardcore driver-focused car, the body control is phenomenal. You barely feel it pitch and yaw, and when its time to go hard on the gas, it follows through.

More Taycan than Cayenne

The Macan EV looks like it’s been spending its evenings deadlifting in the wind tunnel. Lower, wider, and tighter than the old Macan, with curves that aren’t just for show, that they’re for slicing through air at Autobahn speeds. There’s more Taycan in its design language than Cayenne, and that’s deliberate. The front bulges, the squat stance, the low-slung roofline don’t want to be your friendly neighbourhood crossover. It wants to look you in the eye and remind you that it still wears a Porsche crest.

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Step inside, and the cabin is unmistakably Porsche too. The driving position is low and focused, not SUV-like. The materials scream quality. Sure, it’s not the roomiest SUV for the money, but when the steering wheel has exposed Allen screws and there’s an analogue clock on the dash (that probably costs more than your compact SUV), you have to look further and into the three-dial console laid up ahead and get on with it. This is not your regular luxury SUV; this is a Porsche electric, and it’s not for everyone. In fact, this car is so serious, it literally has an icon called “Legal” in its touchscreen. It remembers your settings every time you get in and get going.

Nothing is frivolous here. It’s the same philosophy that made 911 what it is. Form follows function, but form still looks absolutely fantastic while doing so.

Would You Buy One?

Let’s be clear: the Macan EV isn’t for everyone. If you want space, comfort, and a family-friendly SUV, then this isn’t it for you. If you don’t care about driving feel and just want a luxury badge on an EV. Again, you are better off with other German alternatives. This one is not for you. But if you want a driver’s car that happens to be an EV. And while being an EV, it isn’t dialled down. For this one, capture Porsche’s essence while hurtling into what seems like the inevitable electric future. The Macan EV Turbo may not have the vocal cords of a naturally aspirated V8, but with its electric nature combined with Porsche’s precision, the V8 simply can’t keep up anymore.

Where the old Macan was the easy-going luxury SUV, this new Macan EV is comparable to that one person who is a gym freak, a sneakerhead, a marathon runner, a jazz guitarist, and a CEO—all rolled into one. Not for everyone, but only a few know its calibre. And at the end of the day, despite being an EV, it feels like a Porsche, and that’s the highest compliment I can give it.

Pictures by Vaibhav Dhanawade and Tanmay Varthak