What sporty EV doesn’t do the wallop of insta-torque? What sporty EV doesn’t have launch control? What sporty EV doesn’t do the null-to-sixty run in three-point-whatever seconds? Fast used to be fun and novel, but now, it’s almost a little tiring. That’s why it’s refreshing the 2025 Porsche Macan Electric zeroes-in on something else—feel.

I don’t envy the position Porsche probably finds themselves with the Macan Electric. New cars generally don’t happen overnight, often taking years before finally being ready for prime time. So, it’s safe to say Porsche started working on the Macan Electric well before we had any idea today’s EV climate would look the way it does. We can ponder all day whether Porsche would’ve been better off delaying it, nixing it altogether, or doing a Macan plug-in hybrid instead.

But there’s no going back now. Electrification comes for us all. It’s here now, so shut up—because there’s actually a lot to like about the Macan Electric.

Is the Macan Electric pretty like a Porsche should be?

I’m not ashamed to admit I waste a lot of time on Porsche’s online configurator. If you’re here, you probably do, too. And you probably know it’s possible to cook up some wild colour combos. This particular tester fits into that category, finished in Provence—a new colour for 2025—over a Bramble interior. In other words, it’s purple on purple.

I’d like to preface the following by first stating that I like Ruby Star Neo a lot. It loves the camera on grey, dreary winter days. Having said that, I first thought this purple-on-purple tester was a little much. For what it’s worth, if I wanted subtle, I’d do Copper Ruby with Bramble. If I wanted flashy, I’d do Provence over Chalk, with white wheels. Or Frozenberry over Bramble, with white wheels. See how easy it is to get carried away on Porsche’s configurator?

But the more I looked at the Macan Electric, the more details I took in, the more I began to appreciate the purple-ness. Compared to the gas-powered Macan, the front fascia’s more squared-off and doesn’t have a central grille opening on the EV, and the headlights are styled to resemble the Taycan. I love how the Macan Electric’s hips seem to flare out a little more, enveloping the tail lights—which are also styled to resemble the Taycan. With our tester’s optional 22-inch wheels and squat stance, the Macan Electric looked particularly hot hatch-ish. Not a bad thing.

How purple is the Macan Electric inside?

Inside, if you’ve spent any amount of time in a Taycan or a new Cayenne, the Macan Electric will look and feel immediately familiar. It uses an identical digital gauge cluster, central infotainment touchscreen, and optional tertiary screen for front-seat passengers. Say what you will about all the fingerprint- and glare-prone gloss black finishes, the tech behind it works great. The infotainment is easy to use and looks pretty, especially when set to match the ambient lighting. (Yes, I made the ambient lighting pink. Sue me.)

A couple of things you might notice missing in the 2025 Porsche Macan Electric: the digital gauge cluster doesn’t have the five-pod layout reminiscent of old 911s. The centre console lid for the wireless charger is matte black here, not gloss black like in the Cayenne and Taycan. Oh, and one more thing: the Macan Electric doesn’t have the cool electrochromatic glass roof you can get on the Taycan and ID. Buzz. It’s just a regular panoramic sunroof.

Otherwise, it’s a pretty great place to hang out. The leather is buttery smooth, the steering wheel is the perfect thickness, and materials and fit-and-finish look and feel top-notch. The seats feel firm at first, but your body gets used to them, and there’s plenty of space no matter where you sit. Cargo space comes in at 540 litres with the rear seats up, 1,348 with them folded, and the front trunk pitching in a solid 84 bonus litres. Not class-leading, but plenty usable.

And the purple? Well, it’s not as in-your-face as you’d think. It did grow on me after a while.

How does the Macan EV drive?

A couple of years ago, I mused if an electric Porsche can still “feel” like a Porsche. Between a 911 and a Taycan GTS, the answer was a heck yes. Now, with the Macan Electric, the answer is … still heck yes. Contrary to what you may think, the Macan Electric is not a Macan-ified Taycan. It’s built on the Premium Platform Electric underpinnings co-developed with Audi, whereas the Taycan is built on the J1 platform shared with the Audi RS E-Tron GT. However, the Macan Electric uses an 800-volt architecture like the Taycan for extra-fast charging, and a 100 kWh battery pack giving it up to 495 kilometres of range.

This particular tester being the one-up-from-base Macan 4 Electric trim, it pumps out a maximum of 402 horsepower with the overboost function activated—otherwise, you’ll have to putter around town with a paltry 382 hp—and 442 pound-feet of torque. Porsche says it’ll do zero-to-100 km/h in 5.2 seconds, but it feels way quicker than that. You can step up to the 509-hp Macan 4S Electric or the 630-hp Macan Turbo Electric, but the one-up-from-base 4 is all you need.

The most surprising part about the Macan Electric is how it all feels. It does the fast thing, sure, but it also does the feel thing. The steering has a surprising amount of feedback, there’s plenty of grip as you cut through an on-ramp, and the standard air suspension keeps the Macan Electric compliant—though it does ride a little firm. The Cayenne GTS Coupe was still fresh in our minds while we got to know the Macan Electric, and although the big red brute had plenty of theatre, we found the Macan more eager and tossable. The Macan Electric really does challenge the stereotype of EVs being appliances.

OK, but it’s a Porsche. Surely they nickel-and-dime you on everything?

Porsches and bang-for-your-buck have always felt mutually exclusive. In the P-car realm, there actually isn’t much nickel-and-diming going on here. The base, rear-wheel-drive Macan Electric starts at $94,900; the all-wheel-drive Macan 4 Electric trim is a $4,900 step up, and our optioned-out tester rang in at $113,350 as-tested. The BMW iX is probably better value all around, but the Mercedes-Benz EQE has nothing on the Macan Electric. Though it must be said: it’s absurd Porsche charges $410 for a rear wiper

Some sort of electrification is inevitable, but at least Porsche figured out how to stand out. Like the Taycan, the 2025 Porsche Macan Electric does the fast thing, but it also does the feel thing. The steering wheel is a joy to interact with, the powertrain is surprisingly punchy, and the purple-on-purple colour combo? Well, it sure gets people talking.