Porsche Macan 4S 2026 Review

The 2026 Porsche Macan 4S is the mid-range offering of the local Macan portfolio, starting from $149,300 plus on-road costs.

It splits the cheaper and less powerful Macan 4 and the significantly more boisterous GTS, though it’s definitely positioned closer to the former rather than the latter.

In terms of competition, the most obvious rival is the 2026 Audi SQ6 e-tron ($151,400) which can largely be viewed as the 4S’ fraternal twin. It uses the same PPE platform with similar dimensions, while also offering a 100kWh battery and 380kW peak power figure (but less torque for the Audi) as well as comparable pricing.

The Genesis Electrified GV70 ($132,800) is also in the conversation, as is – to a lesser extent – the BMW iX3 M50, and that’s before you factor in internal combustion alternatives like the Mercedes-AMG GLC.

It’s a six-figure luxury electric SUV with a Stuttgart shield on its nose, so you know there’s going to be a lot.

As such, headline equipment on the 2026 Porsche Macan 4S includes 20-inch alloy wheels, heated 14-way power-adjustable front seats with memory function, four-zone climate control, power-adjustable steering column, three-way adaptive dampers, 14-speaker Bose sound system, speed-sensitive steering, a panoramic roof and active rear spoiler.

However, it’s worth noting our test car came loaded with optional extras, $36,220 worth to be precise.

These range from the ‘Aventurine Green Metallic’ paint ($5470), 22-inch RS Spyder wheels ($8460), two-tone Extended Leather Package ($7620), Sport Chrono Package ($1540), ventilated front seats ($1710) and augmented reality head-up display ($4120) – which we hated – to tinted headlights ($800), Porsche Electric Sport Sound ($860) and crested headrests ($900) among others.

The 4S, like all Macan EVs, boasts 24-month/30,000km service intervals and is covered by a short three-year/unlimited-kilometre factory warranty, with eight years/160,000km coverage for the battery and 12 years against rust.

For reference, the genetically identical Audi Q6 e-tron is covered for five years (unlimited kilometres), with an identical eight-year/160,000km battery warranty.

As usual for a premium product, the 2026 Porsche Macan 4S hasn’t been crash tested locally by ANCAP, but it was tested in Europe by NCAP in 2024 where it was awarded a five-star rating.

A full house of ANCAP stars would therefore be par for the course here in Australia.

Headline safety gear on the Macan 4S includes nine airbags, intersection assist, drive awareness detection, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping and change assist, swerve and turn assist and, of course, autonomous emergency braking.

Matrix LED headlights come as standard, as does traffic sign assist, dipping wing mirrors and a 360-degree camera.

Surprise surprise, the 2026 Porsche Macan 4S features a heap of tech, some of which we’ve already touched on in the sections above.

The most obvious examples are the configurable 12.6-inch digital instrument cluster and 10.9-inch infotainment interface, the latter offering satnav, wireless smartphone projection and playing through a 14-speaker Bose premium sound system.

As it turns out, the infotainment system provided one of this car’s biggest headaches: temperamental smartphone projection. Apple CarPlay dropped out numerous times and refused to play ball even after a hard restart, leading us to a black screen of death if we managed to at least restore compatibility with our phone.

During a photography run, our snapper tried to mitigate the issue by connecting his Android device and we were met by a never-ending waiting game as the system refused to complete the final connection steps.

Bluetooth and the native satnav worked flawlessly, but we really expected better from what is absolutely a luxury vehicle.

The Bose sound system is reasonable. The voice-command system works well and the infotainment is relatively easy to navigate, save for the seemingly infinite number of menus and sub-menus.

EV buffs may also be shocked to learn there’s no multi-stage regenerative braking or one-pedal drive system. The regen is either on or off and only replicates traditional engine braking. Funnily enough, that’s this author’s preferred setting, but I recognise the lack of choice and configurability.

Like most Macans, the 2026 Porsche Macan 4S is powered by a dual-motor battery-electric powertrain outputting a combined 380kW/820Nm when using launch control, or 330kW/820Nm when not.

The permanent magnet synchronous motors are sustained by a 100kWh (96kWh usable) lithium-ion battery.

With a full charge and the right surface, 0-100km/h takes a claimed 4.1 seconds while 0-200km/h is done and dusted in 14.3 seconds on the way to a top speed of 240km/h.

The short answer here isn’t exactly short.

Porshe claims the 4S will cover up to 619km on a full charge against the WLTP cycle – averaging 17.1kWh/100km – however, our experience was vastly different.

Our test car, with its myriad options, scarcely returned less than 22kWh/100km during our time with it, which included a dedicated efficiency test through WA’s blissful South West region.

Through our testing it doesn’t prove as frugal as Porsche claims. Yet, it should be noted that most of the driving conditions included highways, freeways, country roads and dual carriageways due to your tester’s not-metro-but-not-regional place of residence. And we all know EVs aren’t at their best on the open road.

City slickers would likely see much lower numbers day-to-day, but it’s still an important consideration for out-of-town excursions.

It’s nice. There’s something wonderfully refreshing about getting into an expensive or premium vehicle and immediately knowing where and what your cash has gone towards.

Even with its huge (but sexy) 22-inch wheels, our 2026 Porsche Macan 4S rode sublimely over city, suburban and country roads with just the right amount of information transmitted from the road to the driver – via the suspension – in all conditions for comfortable and confident motoring.

That said, the suspension’s composure and refinement (in Comfort) is undermined somewhat by the Bridgestone Potenza Sport tyres’ propensity to tramline, that is, to follow any ruts, divots, creases or contours in the road surface and cause the car to pull left or right without any steering input.

The Potenza Sports can also make a bit of noise over broken bitumen, but away from that and the tramlining, the Macan 4S is a lovely open road cruiser. With 820Nm on tap just about all the time, you can make effortless progress.

It’s also more than enough for a laugh in the twisties. Even in Comfort mode, the 4S can hustle through bends quicker than most traditional SUVs. Sport mode does a wonderful job in tightening the body control further without sacrificing too much ride comfort, so much so Sport+ isn’t necessary.

The angriest suspension setting minimises the already very mild body roll but ends up reminding you the Macan is still indeed an SUV, emphasising its height in a surprisingly disappointing way. Best to leave that setting alone and pair the aggro powertrain parameters with one of the more relaxed suspension modes.

For all their uncouthness on country roads, the Bridgestone tyres grip reassuringly well when pressing on and don’t squeal like other performance rubber can during low-speed manoeuvres – like parking or doing a three-point turn. 

The steering is accurate and gives you enough feedback to know roughly what’s going on with the front-end. 

In town, the Macan can feel wide (because it is), but it is easy to potter around in. Although, issues arise via the enormous blind spot created by its sloping roofline and the oversized C-pillars, which can make oblique intersections and shoulder checks tenser than they ought to be. 

As per the previous section, it’s nice. The 2026 Porsche Macan 4S has a clean, elegant and minimalist interior that isn’t left wanting for ergonomics or controls.

Out test car’s two-tone Extended Leather Package, Sport Chrono Package, ventilated front seats and augmented reality head-up display added an extra element of quiet sophistication to the ensemble and seating experience.

Most of the surfaces, materials and touchpoints all feel of decent quality and well-screwed together, however, the haptic climate control panel’s piano black finish smudges and gets dirty if you so much as look at it.

There’s plenty of room and adjustment for the driver and front passenger to get comfortable, but the second row is alarmingly tight for adults in the context of an electric mid-sized SUV. It’s only very marginally roomier than in the back of a Kia EV3, which sits an entire segment (and many price points) below.

The boot is likewise a little disappointing with a high floor, minimal underfloor storage and an official capacity of 480 litres. For comparison’s sake, an Audi SQ6 e-tron – the 4S’ fraternal twin – offers 526 litres of storage behind the rear seats.

This is the tricky part. On paper, the 2026 Porsche Macan 4S is easily the sweet spot of the range. It sits in a perfect middle ground of spec, price and performance while offering the second-best cruising range.

It’s a beautifully built beastie that’s hugely capable on virtually any road, it’s involving for an EV and can gobble up distance like a hungry hippo. Yet, its real-world efficiency leaves a lot to be desired outside of town and it’s definitely not the most practical offering in its segment.

If you’re specifically after a Porsche and/or a truly involving luxury SUV to drive, then yes, buy the 4S. It’s lovely to drive, as fast as you’d ever need and infinitely more practical than a 911, as well as significantly cheaper.

But if you’re less fussed about dynamics and more about everyday usability and longterm ownership prospects, perhaps shop around first.

2026 Porsche Macan 4S at a glance:
Price: $149,300 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Two asynchronous electric motors
Output: 380kW/820Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 100kWh lithium-ion
Range: 619km WLTP
Energy consumption: 17.1kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested

Join the conversation at our Facebook page
Or email us at editor@carsales.com.au