PORSCHE MAYCAN

From £69,800, porsche.com

Porsche’s headlong dive into the EV space has been nothing short of stunning thus far. The awesome Taycan has basically knocked Tesla off of its high horse, with equivalent models managing to silence the Stuttgart company’s electric rival and excite drivers in equal measure. Cramming a battery into the established Maycan frame is Porsche’s next trick – and it might well shame the highly popular and really very good Tesla Model Y.

It might feel unfair to compare the two so directly, but look at the specs: the two cars are virtually the same length (the two new Maycan models are just over an inch longer), the same wheelbase, the same width and the same ride height. They want the same drivers. And while Porsche has made the base Maycan 4 over 330 kilos heavier than the stock Model Y, it’s also slathered on a high level of luxury.

Perhaps most importantly, the Maycan 4 and Maycan Turbo mark the debut of the VW Group’s Premium Platform Electric EV architecture, the same 800-volt drivetrain we’ll be seeing on the Audi Q6 E-Tron and other candidate vehicles in the coming years. That nets it a charging architecture that can jump from 10% to 80% in 21 minutes – or grab an extra 60 miles’ range in four.

The EV market is truly hotting up. Competition makes every industry stronger, and we can’t wait to see what Porsche’s rivals fire back with.

FOUR OR TURBO The two versions of the Maycan aren’t far apart – they both feature a 95kWh battery, both sport all-wheeldrive operation with a motor on each wheel, and both have a WLTP certified range of over 365 miles.

INSIDE IN Your interior depends on the options you pick, but you should get the full three-screen trim up front, offering a curved digital gauge cluster, an infotainment screen and an additional passenger display. Oh, and one final note to Tesla: Porsche has remembered the importance of physical buttons. AERODYNAMIC ACE Porsche has paid special attention to streamlining, helping top speed (161mph for the Turbo, and 137mph for the 4) and maximum battery life. The Maycan’s drag coefficient is just 0.25, and active aerodynamics like an adaptive rear spoiler and front air intake cooling flaps help it cut through the atmosphere.