When it comes to luxury SUVs, the Porsche Macan has long held a special place—an automotive cocktail of style, power, and performance. Yet, in a world increasingly leaning electric, it appears the Macan’s petrol-powered variants are being shown the door with a not-so-subtle nudge toward a battery-filled future. Porsche India, aligning with its global strategy, has officially called it curtains for the Macan S and GTS petrol variants . In short, grab your tissue boxes, petrolheads; the internal combustion Macan is becoming an endangered species.
The decision, unsurprisingly, mirrors Porsche’s larger, almost utopian vision of an all-electric lineup. In fact, Europe bid adieu to these petrol Macan models way back in April 2024, making India’s delay a sort of subcontinental buffer period for the V6 lovers still hanging on for dear life. But no more ! What we’ve got now is a stripped-back lineup of a single fossil-fuel Macan variant and a growing electric army. The 2.0-litre petrol version, now the lone gasoline ranger, churns out 265 hp and 400 Nm of torque—a far cry from the raw glory of the discontinued beasts.
And oh, those beasts! Do you remember the V6-pumped Macan S and GTS? The stuff of performance dreams? No? Well, let me jog your memory. The Macan S came equipped with a 2.9-litre turbocharged V6 that pumped out a spicy 375 bhp, while the GTS ramped this up to 444 bhp for a package as fiery as ghost pepper ice cream. Torque? The S boasted 520 Nm, and the GTS slammed with an absurd 550 Nm, roaring from 0-100 in supercar-slaying times. Prices? If you really need to ask, you probably couldn’t afford them. Now, these petrol titans have been reduced to nostalgia pieces, their remnants populating scattered dealership lots like forgotten relics.
But fear not, because where some see an elegy, Porsche sees a launchpad. Say hello to the electric Macan lineup, boasting sci-fi-level figures to replace that dirty ol’ internal combustion nostalgia. The entry-level Macan Electric starts at NZ$240k, scaling upward to the GTS Electric—the undisputed king of the lineup with a dual-motor setup producing a titanic 578 bhp and 1,130 Nm torque (yes, you read that right). Engage the Overboost function, and you’ll hit an even nuttier 630 bhp. It’s an electric rocketship that dashes from 0 to 100 kmph in just 3.3 seconds, leaving even die-hard petrol diehards quaking.
But the question remains: Is the future all that exciting? Sure, the numbers are dazzling, but how do you replace the visceral snarl of a turbocharged V6? Electric may be the future, but let’s be honest—it’s hard not to shed a tear as we wave goodbye to the Macan models that made the SUV fun again. There’s poetry in a screaming combustion engine—a wild, untamed force that’s being tamed faster than anyone expected.
Will Porsche succeed in transitioning its customer base? Probably. After all, the Macan’s shadow has expanded with prices and models catering to a wealthier, tech-savvy crowd. Yet for the old-school enthusiasts—the ones who want to “feel” their engine—it’s a somber day.
