{"id":28818,"date":"2026-06-02T12:55:18","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T12:55:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/28818\/"},"modified":"2026-06-02T12:55:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T12:55:18","slug":"porsche-macan-4s-2026-review-carsales-com-au","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/28818\/","title":{"rendered":"Porsche Macan 4S 2026\u00a0Review – carsales.com.au"},"content":{"rendered":"

The second-gen Porsche Macan is facing an uphill sales battle, but is its lagging popularity justified?Review Location<\/p>\n

Mandurah, Western Australia<\/p>\n

The 4S sits right in the middle of the second-generation Porsche Macan line-up and is arguably the pick of the bunch on paper. It blends a hefty cruising range with strong performance, decent equipment levels and a reasonable price in the context of a luxury EV. It\u2019s a blast to drive through the countryside and makes one hell of a grand tourer except for its rather large appetite for energy in the real world, with salt rubbed into the wound by a sub-par warranty. But hey, it\u2019s a Porsche, do those details matter?<\/p>\n

How much does the\u00a0Porsche Macan 4S\u00a0cost?<\/p>\n

The 2026 Porsche Macan 4S<\/a> is the mid-range offering\u00a0of the local Macan portfolio, starting from $149,300 plus on-road costs.<\/p>\n

It splits the cheaper and less powerful Macan 4 and the significantly\u00a0more boisterous GTS, though\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0definitely positioned\u00a0closer to the former rather than the latter.<\/p>\n

In terms of competition, the most obvious rival is the 2026 Audi SQ6 e-tron\u00a0($151,400)\u00a0which can\u00a0largely be\u00a0viewed as the\u00a04S\u2019 fraternal twin. It uses the\u00a0same PPE platform\u00a0with\u00a0similar\u00a0dimensions, while also offering a\u00a0100kWh battery\u00a0and\u00a0380kW peak power figure (but less torque for the Audi) as well as\u00a0comparable\u00a0pricing.<\/p>\n

The Genesis Electrified\u00a0GV70\u00a0($132,800)\u00a0is also in the conversation, as is \u2013 to a lesser extent \u2013 the BMW iX3 M50, and\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0before you factor in internal combustion alternatives like the Mercedes-AMG GLC.<\/p>\n

\"170226jlgmacan058\"\/What equipment comes with the\u00a0Porsche Macan 4S?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s\u00a0a\u00a0six-figure luxury electric SUV with a Stuttgart shield on its nose, so you know\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0going to be a lot.<\/p>\n

As such, headline equipment on the 2026 Porsche Macan 4S includes\u00a020-inch\u00a0alloy wheels,\u00a0heated 14-way power-adjustable front seats with memory function,\u00a0four-zone climate control,\u00a0power-adjustable steering column,\u00a0three-way adaptive dampers,\u00a014-speaker Bose sound system,\u00a0speed-sensitive steering, a panoramic roof\u00a0and active rear spoiler.<\/p>\n

However,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0worth noting our test car came loaded with optional extras,\u00a0$36,220 worth to be precise.<\/p>\n

\"porsche<\/p>\n

These range from\u00a0the\u00a0\u2018Aventurine\u00a0Green Metallic\u2019\u00a0paint ($5470), 22-inch RS Spyder wheels\u00a0($8460), two-tone\u00a0Extended\u00a0Leather\u00a0Package ($7620),\u00a0Sport Chrono Package ($1540),\u00a0ventilated front seats ($1710)\u00a0and\u00a0augmented reality head-up display ($4120)\u00a0\u2013 which we hated \u2013\u00a0to\u00a0tinted headlights ($800),\u00a0Porsche Electric Sport Sound ($860) and crested headrests ($900)\u00a0among others.<\/p>\n

The 4S, like all Macan EVs, boasts\u00a024-month\/30,000km service intervals and is covered by a\u00a0short\u00a0three-year\/unlimited-kilometre\u00a0factory warranty, with\u00a0eight years\/160,000km coverage for the battery and\u00a012 years against rust.<\/p>\n

For reference, the\u00a0genetically\u00a0identical\u00a0Audi Q6 e-tron\u00a0is covered\u00a0for\u00a0five\u00a0years\u00a0(unlimited\u00a0kilometres), with\u00a0an identical eight-year\/160,000km\u00a0battery warranty.<\/p>\n

\"170226jlgmacan069\"\/How safe is the\u00a0Porsche Macan 4S?<\/p>\n

As usual for a premium product, the 2026 Porsche Macan 4S\u00a0hasn\u2019t\u00a0been crash tested\u00a0locally\u00a0by ANCAP, but it was tested in Europe\u00a0by NCAP\u00a0in 2024 where it was awarded a five-star rating.<\/p>\n

A\u00a0full house of\u00a0ANCAP\u00a0stars\u00a0would therefore be par for the course here in Australia.<\/p>\n

Headline safety gear on the Macan 4S includes\u00a0nine airbags,\u00a0intersection assist,\u00a0drive awareness detection,\u00a0adaptive\u00a0cruise control, lane keeping and change assist,\u00a0swerve and turn assist\u00a0and, of course, autonomous emergency braking.<\/p>\n

Matrix\u00a0LED headlights come as\u00a0standard, as does traffic sign assist, dipping wing mirrors\u00a0and\u00a0a 360-degree camera.<\/p>\n

\"170226jlgmacan008\"\/What technology does the\u00a0Porsche Macan 4S\u00a0feature?<\/p>\n

Surprise\u00a0surprise, the\u00a02026 Porsche Macan 4S features a heap of tech, some of which\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0already touched on in the sections above.<\/p>\n

The most obvious\u00a0examples are the configurable 12.6-inch digital instrument cluster and\u00a010.9-inch infotainment interface, the latter\u00a0offering satnav, wireless smartphone projection and playing through a\u00a014-speaker Bose premium sound system.<\/p>\n

As it turns out, the infotainment system provided one of this car\u2019s biggest headaches: temperamental smartphone projection.\u00a0Apple CarPlay dropped\u00a0out\u00a0numerous\u00a0times\u00a0and refused to\u00a0play ball\u00a0even after a hard restart, leading us to a black screen of death\u00a0if we managed to at least restore compatibility with our phone.<\/p>\n

During a photography run, our snapper tried to\u00a0mitigate\u00a0the issue by connecting his Android device and\u00a0we were met by a never-ending waiting game as the system refused to complete the final connection steps.<\/p>\n

\"porsche<\/p>\n

Bluetooth and the native satnav worked flawlessly, but we really expected better from what is\u00a0absolutely a luxury vehicle.<\/p>\n

The Bose sound system\u00a0is reasonable. The voice-command system works\u00a0well\u00a0and the infotainment\u00a0is\u00a0relatively easy\u00a0to navigate, save for the\u00a0seemingly\u00a0infinite\u00a0number of menus and sub-menus.<\/p>\n

EV buffs may also be shocked to learn\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0no multi-stage regenerative braking or one-pedal drive system. The regen is either on or off and\u00a0only replicates traditional engine braking. Funnily enough,\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0this author\u2019s preferred setting, but I recognise the lack of choice and configurability.<\/p>\n

What powers the\u00a0Porsche Macan 4S?<\/p>\n

Like most\u00a0Macans, the 2026 Porsche Macan 4S is powered by a dual-motor battery-electric powertrain outputting a combined\u00a0380kW\/820Nm\u00a0when using launch control, or 330kW\/820Nm when not.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0permanent magnet synchronous motors are sustained by a\u00a0100kWh (96kWh usable)\u00a0lithium-ion battery.<\/p>\n

With a full charge and the right surface, 0-100km\/h takes\u00a0a claimed\u00a04.1 seconds\u00a0while 0-200km\/h is done and dusted in 14.3 seconds on the way to a top speed of\u00a0240km\/h.<\/p>\n

\"170226jlgmacan008\"\/How far can the\u00a0Porsche Macan 4S\u00a0go on a charge?<\/p>\n

The short answer here\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0exactly short.<\/p>\n

Porshe claims the 4S will cover up to 619km on a full charge against the\u00a0WLTP cycle\u00a0\u2013 averaging\u00a017.1kWh\/100km \u2013 however,\u00a0our experience was vastly different.<\/p>\n

Our test car, with its myriad options, scarcely returned less than 22kWh\/100km\u00a0during\u00a0our time with it, which included a dedicated efficiency test\u00a0<\/a>through WA\u2019s blissful South West region.<\/p>\n

\"170226jlgmacan218\"\/<\/p>\n

Through our testing it\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0prove\u00a0as frugal as Porsche\u00a0claims. Yet,\u00a0it should be noted\u00a0that\u00a0most\u00a0of the driving conditions included\u00a0highways, freeways, country\u00a0roads\u00a0and dual carriageways due to your tester\u2019s\u00a0not-metro-but-not-regional place of residence. And we all know EVs\u00a0aren\u2019t\u00a0at their best on the open road.<\/p>\n

City slickers would\u00a0likely see\u00a0much lower numbers day-to-day, but\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0still an\u00a0important consideration for out-of-town excursions.<\/p>\n

What is the\u00a0Porsche Macan 4S\u00a0like to drive?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s\u00a0nice.\u00a0There\u2019s\u00a0something wonderfully refreshing about getting into an expensive or premium vehicle and\u00a0immediately\u00a0knowing\u00a0where and what your cash has gone towards.<\/p>\n

Even with its huge (but sexy) 22-inch wheels, our 2026 Porsche Macan 4S rode sublimely over\u00a0city, suburban and country roads with just the right amount of\u00a0information transmitted from the road to the driver \u2013 via the suspension \u2013 in all conditions\u00a0for comfortable and confident motoring.<\/p>\n

That said, the suspension\u2019s composure and refinement (in Comfort) is undermined somewhat by the\u00a0Bridgestone Potenza Sport tyres\u2019 propensity to tramline, that is,\u00a0to\u00a0follow\u00a0any ruts,\u00a0divots, creases or contours in the road surface\u00a0and cause the car to\u00a0pull\u00a0left or right without any steering input.<\/p>\n

\"170226jlgmacan003\"\/<\/p>\n

The Potenza Sports can also make a bit of noise over broken bitumen, but away from that\u00a0and the tramlining, the Macan 4S is a lovely open road cruiser. With\u00a0820Nm on tap\u00a0just about all\u00a0the time,\u00a0you can make effortless progress.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s\u00a0also more than enough for a laugh in the twisties. Even in Comfort mode, the 4S can hustle through bends\u00a0quicker than most\u00a0traditional SUVs. Sport mode does a wonderful job in tightening the body control\u00a0further\u00a0without sacrificing too much ride comfort, so much so Sport+\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0necessary.<\/p>\n

The angriest suspension setting\u00a0minimises the already very mild body roll\u00a0but ends up reminding you the Macan is\u00a0still indeed an SUV, emphasising its height in a surprisingly disappointing way. Best to leave that setting alone and pair the\u00a0aggro powertrain\u00a0parameters\u00a0with one of the more relaxed suspension modes.<\/p>\n

\"170226jlgmacan013\"\/<\/p>\n

For all their uncouthness on country roads, the Bridgestone tyres grip reassuringly well\u00a0when pressing on and\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0squeal like other performance rubber can during low-speed manoeuvres\u00a0\u2013 like parking or doing a three-point turn.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The steering\u00a0is\u00a0accurate\u00a0and\u00a0gives you enough feedback to know\u00a0roughly what\u2019s\u00a0going on with the front-end.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In town, the Macan can feel wide (because\u00a0it is),\u00a0but\u00a0it\u00a0is easy to potter\u00a0around in. Although,\u00a0issues arise via\u00a0the\u00a0enormous blind\u00a0spot created\u00a0by its sloping\u00a0roofline and the\u00a0oversized C-pillars,\u00a0which can make oblique intersections\u00a0and shoulder checks tenser than they ought to be.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"170226jlgmacan206\"\/What is the\u00a0Porsche Macan 4S\u00a0like inside?<\/p>\n

As\u00a0per\u00a0the\u00a0previous\u00a0section,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0nice.\u00a0The\u00a02026\u00a0Porsche Macan\u00a04S\u00a0has a clean,\u00a0elegant\u00a0and minimalist interior\u00a0that\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0left wanting for ergonomics or controls.<\/p>\n

Out test car\u2019s\u00a0two-tone Extended Leather Package, Sport Chrono Package, ventilated front seats and augmented reality head-up display\u00a0added an extra element of quiet sophistication\u00a0to the ensemble\u00a0and seating experience.<\/p>\n

Most of the surfaces, materials and touchpoints all feel of decent quality and\u00a0well-screwed together, however,\u00a0the\u00a0haptic\u00a0climate control panel\u2019s piano black\u00a0finish\u00a0smudges and gets dirty if you so much as look at it.<\/p>\n

\"porsche<\/p>\n

There\u2019s\u00a0plenty of room and adjustment for the driver and front passenger to get comfortable,\u00a0but the second row is alarmingly tight for adults\u00a0in the context of an electric mid-sized SUV.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0only\u00a0very\u00a0marginally\u00a0roomier\u00a0than\u00a0in the back of\u00a0a Kia EV3,\u00a0which sits an entire segment (and many price points) below.<\/p>\n

The boot is likewise a little disappointing with a high floor, minimal underfloor\u00a0storage\u00a0and an official capacity of\u00a0480 litres. For comparison\u2019s sake,\u00a0an Audi SQ6 e-tron\u00a0\u2013 the 4S\u2019 fraternal twin \u2013 offers 526\u00a0litres\u00a0of storage\u00a0behind the rear seats.<\/p>\n

\"porscheShould I buy a\u00a0Porsche Macan 4S?<\/p>\n

This is the tricky part. On paper, the 2026 Porsche Macan 4S is easily the sweet spot of the range. It sits in a perfect middle ground of spec, price and performance\u00a0while offering the second-best cruising range<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s\u00a0a beautifully built beastie\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0hugely capable\u00a0on\u00a0virtually any\u00a0road,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0involving for an EV and can gobble up distance\u00a0like a\u00a0hungry hippo. Yet,\u00a0its\u00a0real-world\u00a0efficiency leaves a lot to be\u00a0desired\u00a0outside of town and\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0definitely not\u00a0the most practical offering\u00a0in its segment.<\/p>\n

If\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0specifically after a Porsche and\/or\u00a0a truly involving\u00a0luxury\u00a0SUV to drive, then yes, buy the 4S.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0lovely to drive, as fast as\u00a0you\u2019d\u00a0ever need\u00a0and infinitely more practical than a 911, as well as significantly cheaper.<\/p>\n

But if\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0less fussed about dynamics and more about everyday usability\u00a0and\u00a0longterm\u00a0ownership prospects,\u00a0perhaps shop\u00a0around first.<\/p>\n

2026\u00a0Porsche Macan 4S\u00a0at a glance:
Price:\u00a0$149,300\u00a0(plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain:\u00a0Two asynchronous electric motors
Output:\u00a0380kW\/820Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery:\u00a0100kWh lithium-ion
Range:\u00a0619km\u00a0WLTP
Energy consumption:\u00a017.1kWh\/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested<\/p>\n

\"170226jlgmacan020\"\/Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The second-gen Porsche Macan is facing an uphill sales battle, but is its lagging popularity justified?Review Location Mandurah,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":28819,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21181],"tags":[27257,24281,5354,27259,27258,20991,42,8406,28398,22864],"class_list":["post-28818","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-porsche","tag-advice","tag-car-reviews","tag-cars","tag-carsales-carsales-com-au","tag-latest-car-news","tag-new-cars","tag-news","tag-porsche","tag-porsche-macan-4s-2026-review","tag-used-cars"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28818","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28818"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28818\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28819"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28818"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28818"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28818"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}