First impressions after reveal

[SergeyIndy]

We were looking forward to Macan EV reveal (few years sooner) hoping to be in a second year of production by the fall of 2023. Ran out of time and enjoying 2024 GTS knowing fully it is still as analog as our 2016 Macan Turbo was. First reaction is that it is too late with many unknowns that need at least 2 years to sort out at scale if Taycan is any indication given too many new things that need to hold up. I can report that having a 4th year production 2023 Taycan, I have no issues previous production years had experienced, but would not jump on the first year of Macan EV production without knowing the severity of the issues that first adopters will experience.

Specific things that I have analyzed understanding this is the first cut:

- Price is what it is and not out of line for a Porsche product, especially with a lot more standard equipment that Taycan ever had, but I think this will hold it back given a lot of competition that may not match the dynamics but excel at everything else that may matter more for in town commuting where EVs are most practical. One variable that appears to be here to stay is massive EV depreciation.

- Range is about as much as they can make it with current battery tech without adding weight. 300 miles under ideal conditions still about 100 miles short to be comfortable for long distance driving given infrastructure that is improving but still be a limiting factor in making the sales numbers they hope for. My dealer says Range has been the most asked question from prospective Taycan buyers and EPA rating of some 200 miles although below realistic range, is the biggest turn off and sales killer, since the buyers are conditioned by the overstated Tesla ranges and then Lucid delivers some impressive range numbers. Also, curiously, there is no Range mode offered that downgrades all systems for minimum consumption to travel a few miles more that may matter. Their fall back is fast charging that many competitors offer too with split battery pack for charging at 400V in parallel but still way too time consuming for long trips, unless it is an overnight destination charging stop.

1 Year Free Public Charging: This seems to be in line with competition to save on base price cost, so be prepared to pay almost definitely more to charge when on the road than gasoline after your 1 year is up. My home Taycan charging is about 1/4 of the premium gas we pay for the Macan fuel, but public charging is more than gas at stable prices with charging locations known to have wild price swings, so it is not unrealistic to expect to pay consistently more for charging on the road than for gas for the same miles.

- Driving Tech I find to be pretty solid as they were able to make Air Suspension (AS) standard with optional Rear Wheel Steer and PTV+ standard on the Turbo, but PDCC is not offered, and they may not see a need as this is not intended to be driven on track where this would matter most. Also, no PSCB or PCCB brake options as they know they will get very little use but at least offer PSCB for those of us who do not want to see brake dust, not to say they cannot offer this as an option later on.

- Assistance Tech appears to be the best they have with AR HUD to be the most advanced feature we have seen, with one notable omission: Night Vision Assist that we rely on, not to say they cannot add it later. Also, they are holding back Android Auto since it is not listed under Standard Equipment. Taycans started offering it with 2022 models. Possibly a configurator bug with Macan 4 having Surround View with Active Parking Support as an option but nowhere to be found on the Turbo. Also, Dashcam should be a factory option, with the Dashcam pre-wiring has to be the most misleading option.

- Looks are subjective but the back looks like an Audi e-tron style and not distinctive enough. Split headlights also give it a fad vibe but if Ferrari can pull it off, then they can as well by hiding them well during the day, but it will sure look awful at night with 4 round lamps blasting out of the front bumper. If they add the HD kind in the future, then you will be looking at 8 square lamps, with full Matrix function still not certified in the US.

 

[WuffvonTrips]

- Price is what it is and not out of line for a Porsche product, especially with a lot more standard equipment that Taycan ever had, but I think this will hold it back given a lot of competition that may not match the dynamics but excel at everything else that may matter more for in town commuting where EVs are most practical. One variable that appears to be here to stay is massive EV depreciation.

At least in the UK, due to the tax benefits for EVs for businesses and salary sacrifice, I expect a lot of leased Taycans will be handed back and replaced with Macans, because people compromised on the Taycan to get the tax benefits and Porsche prestige despite it not being the preferred SUV form. Others with a similar tax benefit who didn't make that compromise will now be considering the Macan.
The key thing is that these benefits are only available on new vehicles, so with all that in mind, I expect the Macan's depreciation trajectory to follow the Taycan's, with the positive for the Taycan that eventually the used market won't be getting flooded by demand primarily for new vehicles.

 

[tmrqs]

It has been confirmed the Surround View with Active ParkingSupport is standard on the Turbo, just missing in the configurator.

I also have read (and heard in early previews) that it does use Android Auto.
This not being mentioned in the configurator doesn't mean it's not in the actual car. Unless you have data that shows it's indeed removed?

 

[SergeyIndy]

It has been confirmed the Surround View with Active ParkingSupport is standard on the Turbo, just missing in the configurator.

I also have read (and heard in early previews) that it does use Android Auto.
This not being mentioned in the configurator doesn't mean it's not in the actual car. Unless you have data that shows it's indeed removed?

The only data that I am going by is Configurator and Dealer's internal communication that has no mention of Surround View with Active Parking Support for both models, which is obviously wrong, since it appears as an option on Macan 4 but not listed anywhere for Macan Turbo. There is no mention of Android Auto support anywhere.

 

[tmrqs]

The only data that I am going by is Configurator and Dealer's internal communication that has no mention of Surround View with Active Parking Support for both models, which is obviously wrong, since it appears as an option on Macan 4 but not listed anywhere for Macan Turbo. There is no mention of Android Auto support anywhere.

I went to 2 dealerships and got confirmation from both locations regarding the miss in the configurator re: the 360 camera. Given that it is available in EU, it really points to a fluke in the US configurator.

Re: Android Auto, we should know more fairly quickly once reviewers start getting their hands on them. Given all the noise made about rebuilding the entire system to run on Android, I would be very surprised if it disappeared.

 

[SergeyIndy]

I went to 2 dealerships and got confirmation from both locations regarding the miss in the configurator re: the 360 camera. Given that it is available in EU, it really points to a fluke in the US configurator.

Re: Android Auto, we should know more fairly quickly once reviewers start getting their hands on them. Given all the noise made about rebuilding the entire system to run on Android, I would be very surprised if it disappeared.

I agree that it would be super odd if Android Auto is not supported on a fully rebuilt Android OS PCM.

 

[cometguy]

Regarding price, it is indeed steep. My 2019 base Macan listed for $50k USD MSRP before options. These things were not standard then (but are standard on the 2024 base Macan, which starts at $10k higher MSRP): heated seats, PDLS lighting, ACC, smartphone wireless charging, comfort access, auto-dimming mirrors. This is about $3k-$4k difference in just these options. In addition, the Macan 4 has these standard features that the base Macan ICEV 2024 does not have (with costs for each if ordered with the ICEV Macan): air suspension ($2750), glass roof ($1670), heated steering wheel ($280), LCA ($700), LKA ($800), ambient lighting ($430*), 20-inch wheels ($2320), drive-mode dial on steering wheel ($1220). The asterisk (*) is from the 2024 Cayenne, as ambient lighting is not an option in the base Macan ICEV.
The wheel cost is the cheapest 20-inch wheel option for the base Macan ICEV. So this comes out to $10170 USD in new standard stuff that was previously optional. Add in the cost of a movable "rear diffuser" below the rear window, and you're probably at around $12k-$14k USD in extras.

So regarding the OP's point about price, he's dead-on correct: Porsche is making a big mistake here in not making most/all of these new standard features to be optional as on the base 2024 Macan ICEV, and having a starting price around $66k-$68k USD instead of $80k. Let people decide if they want a glass roof (I don't), PDLS headlights (I don't), wireless charging of phones (I don't), air suspension (I don't), LKA (I don't), ambient lighting (I don't), 20-inch or larger wheels (I don't), deployable rear spoiler/diffusor (I don't). That's the whole point about Porsche: they let you choose what you want and don't want, even if the options list can get pricey real fast.

As for depreciation in BEVs, and luxury cars in particular: depreciation accelerates (as a percentage of MSRP) as MSRP goes up linearly. I would expect that this Macan 4 will hold its value, as do the cheapest Taycans, much better than the Macan Turbo BEV or the Taycans that have MSRP of $120k and up. If depreciation is a big issue, one should only get the cheapest of these vehicles. Personally, if I buy a Macan 4 (likely), it'll be lightly spec'd ($4k-$5k in options only), and I'll plan to keep it for 5-10 years and not worry about depreciation, because I'll get my worth out of it. But I'm still unhappy that Porsche decides to cut the range on my future Macan 4 by adding things like air suspension, glass roof, and 20-inch wheels (vs. 18- or 19-inch wheels) -- all of which will cut down on range significantly (especially in concert together) because of their added weight in an already-very-heavy car, not to mention the extra wear-and-tear on tires (and more frequent replacement needs thereof).

As for first production year of Macan Electric vs. first production year of Taycan: I'd be much less hesitant to buy a Macan 4 in the next year because Porsche has learned so very much from problems with the Taycan over the last 4 years. I'm betting that there will be many fewer problems with the Macan Electric than there were with Taycan upon the opening curtain -- and many fewer problems with Macan Electric than most other non-Porsche BEVs on the market. Yes, there's some concern that this is a new platform, and the 400/800-volt split-battery charging architecture might cause some to pause just because it's new and complex. But I'm more worried about the air suspension failing (because it happens a lot across all car brands, including Porsche) or about the glass roof cracking or breaking due to kicked-up or falling debris (rocks, branches) than I'd worry about the drivetrain and electric structure within the car.

I worry about any BEV having a ground clearance of less than about 8 inches, because any scraping of that battery pack on speed bumps, driveway dips, hitting debris on the highway, etc., can total the car if the low-lying battery pack is not close to indestructable; the Macan 4 with its air suspension has only 7.2 inches of ground clearance in "normal" mode, which is enough to make me nervous. I'm going to be eager to hear how fast one can drive the Macan 4 at, say, 8 inches (I realize that 8.8 inches is the highest it can be raised). The only serious problem I've ever had with my two Panameras was the air suspension (both had it). And, no, you can't hit the diamond button and raise the body quickly enough by an inch or two when you come across something quickly on the road that you don't see until the last minute. Plus, in my Panameras, the raised ("lift") height only lasts til 18 mph; above that, it reverts to the much-lower ground clearance. Hopefully in the Macan Electric, you can drive faster at higher ground clearance ("lift" mode).

Public-charging infrastructure continues to be a huge problem in the US, and it's the number-one reason I've hesitated on buying a BEV til now (and bought three PHEVs in the last 6 years instead). In recent years, I've driven as much as 8-10 weeks a year on cross-country trips. If I had to deal with public-charging infrastructure for that kind of driving, it would conceivably add 1-2 weeks a year of my having to be on the road, with the less daily driving I'd be able to do; that's unacceptable. When I'm old and feeble and can't do long-distance driving any more, I'll have zero range anxiety driving close to home in a BEV. As it is, the Macan 4 is appealing to the adventuresome part of me, feeling that it's got enough battery pack and fast-charging capability to actually brave cross-country roadtrips in it; but my family would never want that hassle, and I could never ask that of them, so any such long roadtrips in my Macan 4 would surely be solo, with no extra drivers. I could attack long roadtrips in a Macan 4 (or Taycan) as a fun challenge, because these are vehicles I enjoy driving (Porsches generally). But my family would be stressed out at worrying about finding public charging stations that work and getting too low on battery charge, even when they normally enjoy long driving trips because of all the people and places that we see that you can't see when you fly over America. (I doubt that I'd enjoy driving any non-Porsche BEV across the country. Porsche has really done a superb job at making BEVs, like no other automaker has.)

I generally like the interior of the Macan 4, and I'm not impressed with the exterior rear of this Macan Electric -- as very few people seem to be. I like the non-moving over-lip spoiler atop the back window in the Macan ICEV and the Cayenne much better than what we have in the Macan Electric. I've always thought that the opening/retracting rear spoiler on all four-door Porsches have looked pretty over-the-top ostentatious and even absurd. At least on the Panamera Sport Turismo, it was put atop the over-lip spoiler above the rear window, even if somewhat crazy-looking; at least its deployment won't obstruct an already-small rear window.

 

[SergeyIndy]

@cometguy, you are making a great point on how too many optional items elsewhere come standard, limiting choice to reduce price, but most likely to simplify packaging at launch, anticipating that most will want those options. However, the usual approach was to offer them in Premium, Premium Plus, and Tech Packages.

I am also discovering that some critical hardware components are totally different from Taycan so they may have to learn from zero about them, specifically, Single Speed Transmission, Integrated Power Box, and as you pointed out this split Battery Pack, and most likely different enough tech for cooling and heating that needs time to properly be tuned up. This is in addition to a completely new software stack based on Android OS.

Bottom line, too many things to go wrong with the launch edition.

 

[cometguy]

@cometguy, you are making a great point on how too many optional items elsewhere come standard, limiting choice to reduce price, but most likely to simplify packaging at launch, anticipating that most will want those options. However, the usual approach was to offer them in Premium, Premium Plus, and Tech Packages.

I am also discovering that some critical hardware components are totally different from Taycan so they may have to learn from zero about them, specifically, Single Speed Transmission, Integrated Power Box, and as you pointed out this split Battery Pack, and most likely different enough tech for cooling and heating that needs time to properly be tuned up. This is in addition to a completely new software stack based on Android OS.

Bottom line, too many things to go wrong with the launch edition.

Good points! Especially on the software. Porsche is saying that they won't be able to keep up with orders for the Macan Electric this next year. That's fine with me; I'll wait a full year, like you seem wanting to do, to see how it all plays out.