End of the ICE age for Porsche Macan

Get in quick if you want a petrol-powered Porsche Macan, let alone any Porsche priced below $100,000.

That’s the message from the German brand’s local division as it prepares for the biggest change yet to its top selling model, having once again ruled out a petrol-powered version of its second-generation best-seller and reinforced the Macan’s new EV direction just weeks out from its national release.

Speaking at the local media launch of the 2024 Porsche Macan, senior executives from the company’s Stuttgart headquarters reiterated there was no chance of an internal combustion Macan continuing once stock of the outgoing model has been depleted.

“In the Macan at the moment it’s not possible and it’s not planned,” Macan product line vice president Jörg Kerner said.

“At the moment it’s not planned – combustion Macan – because we think we can do with the electric Macan everything better.”

A local spokesperson added there would be “no more” petrol Macans for Australia, even though they’re still being produced for certain overseas markets – regulatory issues mean production has already stopped for us.

“In Australia people can still order from dealer stock … available until approximately the end of Q2, 2025,” they said.

While the Cayenne typically leads the sales race for Porsche globally, in Australia it’s the Macan that has long been the top seller, with 24,099 units having been sold since its release in 2014 compared to 13,556 Cayennes over the same period.

At times Porsche Australia has sold twice as many Macans as Cayennes, helped in part by its sub-$100k price tag.

Prices for the second-gen Macan, however, start from $128,400 plus on-road costs, bringing it closer than ever to the bigger Cayenne.

But the new model not only brings more features and improved driving manners; it also offers a big step up in performance.

The cheapest Macan EV, for instance, outputs 265kW/563Nm and accelerates from 0-100km/h in 5.7 seconds while its turbo-petrol predecessor is good for 195kW/400Nm and 0-100km/h in 6.2 seconds.

The most potent petrol Macan – the GTS – meantime gets a twin-turbocharged 2.9-litre V6 that howling out 324kW/550Nm, dispatching 100km/h in 4.3 seconds, whereas the new electric Macan 4S packs 380kW/820Nm and hits 100km/h in 4.1 seconds.

Things are stepped-up further by the second-gen Macan Turbo which makes a mighty 470kW/1130Nm – more power than most 911s and more torque than any ICE Porsche – and can launch from 0-100km/h in 3.3 seconds… quicker than many exotic supercars.

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