For personal reasons* I’ve been on a bit of a mission lately to prove to myself that SUVs and/or electric cars don’t have to be boring.
Here’s an argument for, the luxurious Porsche Macan 4 I had the pleasure of knocking around in for just shy of a couple weeks.
Some cars are built to shout about themselves but the Porsche Macan 4 isn’t like that. It just quietly goes about being one of the most sorted, confidence-boosting SUVs you can take out on the open road, and after a slew of varied trips, it was hard not to be impressed.
We put it through its paces by taking it to see some of the places I grew up in as a child, including Burwell in Cambs and Bishop’s Stortford in Essex, as well as a collector’s fair up the M1 to Redditch in Worcs. for the day.
Put it this way, in the space of 10 days it experienced every kind of road imaginable, especially the sort of roads that seem designed to catch out anything tall and heavy. And everywhere I went where an SUV shouldn’t feel at home, the Macan felt like it was born for it.
First things first, the Macan 4 looks right. It has that unmistakable Porsche stance, and most importantly to me, didn't feel like a compromise on wheels. Even in park mode in the supermarket car park, it looks ready for adventure without pretending it's got lost. You can tell its build materials can handle both muddy boots and shopping bags without feeling precious.
Metallic Oak Green on the outside, olive Night Green leather on the inside, the high-quality premium-feel interior of our model perfectly matched the outstanding driving dynamics that give it a sports car feel, and versatile performance (the Turbo edition does 0-100km/hr in a blistering 3.3 seconds).
The higher driving position is spot on - high enough to give you a commanding view of the road, but low enough that you still feel connected rather than perched.
Out on the road, the Macan 4’s real talent reveals itself. It’s astonishingly good as well as fun to drive. The steering is precise and properly weighted, giving you confidence even when the road narrows and the hedges close in. You don’t wrestle it through corners, more so guide it. For something with enough space for the family dog, it feels impressively agile.
Power delivery is smooth and instant, making overtakes on country roads quick and stress-free. There’s no drama, just a reassuring surge that gets the job done. Wet patches, loose gravel, uneven surfaces... the Macan just shrugs and carries on.
Ride comfort is another highlight. Country roads can be brutal, but the Macan 4 soaks it all up beautifully. You still feel what’s going on beneath you, but without the crashing or jolting that makes long trips tiring. After hours behind the wheel, I stepped out feeling fresh, not frazzled.
The countryside also gave the Macan a chance to show off its practicality. There’s plenty of room for bags, coats, and all the random bits that seem to accumulate in cars over time. Rear passengers are well looked after too. It’s a car that genuinely works for real life, not just to look good in a brochure.
We don't have our own driveway and I still think that electric cars make more sense if you own one and aren't reliant on public chargers, but the Macan 4 got me some way to realising that things are getting better on that front. This car will do a fast charge of 10% to 80% in just 21 minutes for example.
The advertised range is around 344 miles on a full charge but I would put that as more realisable if you are mostly just driving in towns on a daily basis, and closer to 270 if you do a lot of motorway driving.
What really stands out, though, is how the Macan 4 makes you feel. Confident. Relaxed. Capable. It doesn’t demand attention or effort. It simply lets you enjoy the journey, whether you’re gliding through sleepy villages or zipping up the motorway. One of my passengers on a particularly lengthy all-day drive described it as 'the most comfortable journey I've ever had in a car'.
With an electric Porsche obvioulsy the downside is that you don't get to experience the roar of its famous engine. But sometimes, the best cars aren’t the loudest, they’re the ones that just get everything right.
The Macan 4 blends Porsche driving DNA with everyday usability in a way few rivals manage. I'd go so far as to say it feels like a proper Porsche that just happens to be practical. I just have to persuade my wife it's worth the £72,000 starting price, plus extras.
(* My wife is expecting twins and apparently babies need doors... who knew? So my two-door coupe is making way for a Dadmobile...)