Porsche Macan EV range to expand with GT, GTS and more

The new all-electric 2024 Porsche Macan is set to spawn a broad family that will include a more affordable single-motor/rear-wheel drive variant as well as a 500kW-plus Macan GT as the performance hero of the mid-size SUV range.

There will also be a Macan GTS that inches up the performance while sharpening dynamics, in line with other GTS variants used liberally across the Porsche family.

Speaking at the international reveal of the new Macan in Singapore, Porsche’s design chief Michael Mauer confirmed there was plenty more to come from the crucial new second-generation Macan, which is due to arrive in Australia late in 2024.

“You could expect that the line-up we have today in the Macan would also be the line-up for the new Macan,” said Mauer.

The petrol-powered Macan that is Porsche’s top-selling model and in its final months of production is currently offered with an entry-level variant known simply as Macan as well as Macan T, Macan S and Macan GTS grades, each stepping up in performance.

Porsche has previously offered a Macan Turbo, too, although the space at the top of the line-up is expected to be filled by the Macan GT in line with the company’s strategy to introduce GT variants across other model lines.

Porsche’s deputy chairman of the executive board for finance and IT, Lutz Meschke, confirmed that a Macan GT is “the plan” and that “you will see some more derivatives”.

“Why not,” he said when asked about a Macan GT, adding that it would provide the performance pinnacle likely in place of a Turbo S.

“Most likely we will see a GT instead of an S.”

That Macan GT should fairly comfortably outpunch the Macan Turbo, which produces 470kW and 1130Nm from its dual electric motors.

Expect something upwards of 500kW, possibly closer to 550kW.

That would make it by far the most powerful mid-size SUV on the market, stealing a march on high-performance petrol alternatives from BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi.

Porsche is yet to confirm details of the entry-level rear-drive Macan but it will clearly produce plenty more than the 195kW/400Nm of entry-level models today.

In any guise, the Macan will feature Porsche-specific powertrains.

The all-wheel drive versions revealed last week use an Audi-manufactured front motor that will be shared with other EVs within the Volkswagen Group.

But Macan vehicle line director Robert Meier told carsales the rear motors are a Porsche-specific design that will be manufactured by Porsche and only ever used in Porsches.

The rear motors will be available in different sizes and power outputs, depending on the application.

But even in rear-wheel drive guise the Macan will be powered by Porsche; that’s a step up from the ICE Macans, some of which used Volkswagen-sourced engines, albeit tuned and tweaked by Porsche engineers.

One thing that won’t mimic the old Macan is the price.

Meschke confirmed the company had stepped up the price of the Macan globally as part of its stated plan to boost its return on sales to more than 20 per cent.

“We decided to increase the prices compared to the combustion-engine Macan by about 10,000-15,000 Euros,” he said.

As well as the EV drivetrain, he said there was a bigger focus on luxury and “more content on the entry-level models”.

So whereas the current Macan sells from $93,800 plus on-road costs, the new one will clearly be well into six figures.

Porsche has already confirmed the new Macan 4 will be priced from $133,700 plus on-road costs, with the Turbo set at $180,100 plus ORCs.

Best estimates suggest the new rear-drive model may start at around $115,000 and the GT would clearly be well north of $200K.

One thing that won’t change between the model variants is the 100kWh battery, the cells for which are sourced from Chinese giant CATL.

Macan vehicle line director Robert Meier confirmed that the sizeable battery is the only one that will be used in the Macan for the sake of production simplicity.

“It’s a huge amount of work [engineering a second battery capacity] … it doesn’t make sense … we don’t see the point to get a smaller battery.”

That means rear-drive models should stretch the battery range due to the slightly lower weight.

In Macan 4 guise the claimed range is 613km, so the Macan RWD will be more than that.

However, Meier pointed out that two thirds of the regenerative braking in a dual-motor Porsche EV is gleaned from the front axle.

“If we would do it [Macan RWD] we would expect a little bit more range … but with Taycan … look at the numbers … the difference is not that great.”

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