Porsche dished all the dirt on its new Macan EV this week, including details of the entry-level model that wasn’t covered in the earlier teaser releases. But one aspect that strangely received zero mentions from Porsche at the launch is the synthesized powertrain soundtrack.
The fake noise didn’t merit a single line in Porsche’s substantial blurb, but you can clearly hear it for yourself in the videos the automaker put out to accompany the reveal. And you can see it for yourself on the Macan configurator where it’s listed as “Porsche Electric Sport Sound” and is a $490/£353 option on the base Macan 4 Electric and the Macan Turbo Electric in America, but standard on UK Turbos.
On the consumer site, it is described as follows: “[The] Porsche Electric Sport Sound enhances the vehicle’s own sound, making it sound even more emotional, both outside and inside the vehicle. This feature can be activated or deactivated via Porsche Communication Management.”
Maybe Porsche didn’t think it was worth highlighting for the Macan’s debut because the same system has already been available to Taycan customers for over four years. Back in 2019 Porsche said of Electric Sport Sound that “disturbing noises from the drive architecture are deliberately minimised, and harmonious, emotive sounds matching what the car is doing are amplified.”
In both the Taycan and Macan drivers can activate and deactivate the sound effects through the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) infotainment system, or via the configurable diamond-shaped steering wheel “joker” buttons. But the Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) that emits a noise to warn pedestrians can’t be switched off. That’s a legal requirement in many countries, though regulations vary concerning the speeds it must remain activated before it switches itself off.
Related: 2024 Porsche Macan EV Arrives From $79k, Turbo Is Faster Than A 911 GT3
While it looks broadly similar to the combustion Macan that will be sold alongside it for the foreseeable future in the U.S. (the ICE car is being withdrawn in Europe this spring), the EV is longer, taller and wider, and rides on a totally different platform that has been designed specifically for VW Group electric vehicles. All-wheel drive is standard, but while the base $78,800 (before taxes or delivery fees) Macan 4 Electric pumps out 402 hp (300 kW) and 479 lb-ft (648 Nm) of torque and goes from 0-60 mph (06 km/h) in 4.9 seconds, the $105,300 Turbo generates a meaty 630 hp (470 kW) and 833 lb-ft (1,128 Nm) of torque that drops the sixty time to 3.1 seconds.
Take a listen to the sounds in the video above (as well as the Taycan’s in our clip below) and let us know what you think. Would you splash $490 to make your Macan sound like that?