driving experience with a ridiculously fast electric SUV

On the path towards the mobility of the future, it is not very clear which technology will dominate in the future. But Porsche It does have well defined options that will allow it to continue offering the high sporting performance that characterizes its models. Combustion engines, with the use of synthetic fuel if necessary, hybrids and 100% electric.

One of these latest examples is the new Macan, a model that although its figure and its electric condition do not refer to the cars that built the brand’s reputation, its behavior positions it as a faithful representative of the sporty lineage of the Stuttgart house.

Clarion could try this new generation of the Macan in its Turbo version, the most powerful in the range (it has peaks of 639 horsepower) which is already available in Argentina and whose first units will be delivered at the end of this month.

It is a medium SUV that can offer great comfort for everyday use but that can also unleash its wild side and accelerate as much or more than a 911, in addition to offering chassis management capable of delivering sensations unthinkable for a vehicle of these proportions. .

It is also the first model of the brand to use the new PPE platform (Premium Platform Electric) developed exclusively for 100% electric architectures and which will also be shared with Audi, another of the Volkswagen Group companies.

An electric “Turbo”

The first clarification that must be made is why the electric Macan has a Turbo version, since due to its type of mechanics it is not capable of receiving supercharging. The turbo is used in combustion engines to introduce more air into the combustion, which allows more fuel to be injected into the cylinder, burning it more efficiently and thus generating more power.

Porsche used this technique for the most powerful versions of its famous 911, which it ended up naming directly as Turbo. An electric motor, on the other hand, relies on electromagnetism to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. Therefore, a turbo or a compressor would not make sense. Except for Porsche, since that magic word represents the most powerful version of the range.

The Macan Turbo comes with two electric motors that give it a combined power of 585 horsepower, with performance peaks that reach up to 639 horsepower. This happens, for example, when using the Launch Control (program that adjusts everything to accelerate as quickly as possible): that way it can travel from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.3 seconds.

The Porsche Macan offers a third screen for the passenger.

At that moment, the first thing that happens is that you will not be able to “stop” the head. You’re going to go backwards. If the headrest is not present, neck pain could last for weeks. The eyes reach their widest possible opening in surprise and the mouth does the same but to draw a giant smile out of emotion.

The side effect appears immediately: an uncontrollable desire to do it again, one more time, and another time, and another time…

In a “normal” electric car, this repetition of accelerations can reduce the overall performance. But Porsche developed a battery cooling system and architecture that works with a voltage of 800 volts (twice what most current electric cars use) that precisely avoid this loss of performance.

The Porsche Macan's dashboard is 100% digital, somewhat reminiscent of the 911.

This decision also contributes to the general reduction in weight, a critical aspect in an electric vehicle due to autonomy, since by working with such a high voltage, it is possible to have finer and, therefore, lighter wiring.

The two motors, located on each axle, give you four wheel drive and the delivery of torque, which is worth two pickups pulling together (1,130 Nm), and power is managed by a system that is five times faster than a conventional all-wheel drive control and can react to the slippage of one of its wheels. in 10 milliseconds.

That’s why the pulling power is amazing in this SUV, allowing you to exit a corner with shocking acceleration power. The management of the chassis and the pneumatic suspension, added to the directional rear wheels, make us forget that we are driving a model that is 4.7 meters long, almost 2 meters wide, 1.6 meters high and almost 2.5 tons in weight. It is a ridiculously fast, agile and fun vehicle..

Las "address" Porsche appear when driving this Macan even if it is electric.

It has a steering assembly with variable ratio. That is to say, the rotation of the wheels will not always be proportional to the rotation of the steering wheel: it is a little slower in short steering wheel movements, but it becomes faster as the rotation increases.

The battery, with a capacity of 100 kWh, gives it a declared autonomy of 592 kilometers. Its 800 volt architecture also gives it benefits for recharging, since it is capable of supporting powers of up to 270 kW in direct current, which would allow it go from 10% to 80% in 21 minutes.

Inside it has several details that are reminiscent of the 911, such as the “Start/Start” button to the left of the steering wheel or the shape of the instrument panel and the quadrants that it draws on that digital display. By the way, it is very striking (negatively speaking from an aesthetic point of view) that the board does not have the classic visor. It looks like it has been sliced. Although in truth, the image quality does not cause any problems if sunlight hits it.

Being a Trubo version, the Porsche emblems on this Macan are monochrome.

Compared to traditional Porsche sports cars, the objective of this Macan is different, with a spacious, comfortable space, with a lot of quality, a very good combination of textures, colors and designs; and high digitization. What’s more, there is even a touch screen so that only the passenger can operate it.

What does not change is what was detailed above: that unique characteristic of excitement and vertigo that accelerating and turning with a Porsche generates. Although, as in this case, it is electric.