Porsche Macan EV's interior shown off, and we go for a high-speed ride

LEIPZIG, Germany — Fully electric, and electric only, the next-generation Porsche Macan will make its debut in 2024. Details about the model are trickling out: the Stuttgart-based brand unveiled the EV's interior, provided additional powertrain details, and gave Autoblog a high-speed ride in a prototype.

Inside, the Macan EV looks familiar if you've seen other recent additions to the Porsche range, like the new versions of the Panamera and the Cayenne. The driver faces a 12.6-inch digital instrument cluster that can be configured to display a wide selection of information. There's a round start button on the left side of the instrument cluster and the increasingly familiar razor-shaped shifter located on the right side of it.

The middle part of the dashboard houses a 10.9-inch touchscreen that displays a new, Android-powered infotainment system. The software boots up as soon as it detects that the driver is approaching the car with the key, so it's ready to go by the time you're buckled up, and it's compatible with third-party applications such as Spotify, Amazon Music, and YouTube. Users can download apps like on a smartphone. This function will come in handy while charging, and the front passenger can stream videos on-the-move via an optional 10.9-inch touchscreen integrated into the right side of the dashboard. I tried this feature in the Cayenne and couldn't tell the screen was on from the driver's seat.

Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility come standard, though Miriam Mohamad, the manager of infotainment and connectivity for the Macan line, tells me over 85% of Porsche owners are Apple users. Smartphone integration goes beyond merely overlaying the touchscreen with a new interface: when using Google Maps or Apple Maps, the driver can send the third-party map to the Macan's instrument cluster.

When it goes on sale in a few months, the Macan EV will stand out as the first Porsche model offered with an augmented-reality head-up display. The system uses interactive color-coded symbols, such as arrows, to provide navigation directions and other information. Porsche notes its new head-up display projects data approximately 33 feet ahead of the driver on what corresponds to a gigantic 87-inch display.

As we've previously reported, the Macan EV will ride on the modular Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture developed jointly by Audi and Porsche. It will ship with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain configured to deliver rear-biased handling, and engineers dialed in a 48-percent front and 52-percent rear weight distribution. It shouldn't feel like a 911, but it likely won't feel like a front-heavy SUV, either.