Roadtrip with the Macan 4S – Portugal → Tuscany → Spain → Back Home

[nalves]

This summer I finally put the Macan 4S to the test on a proper family roadtrip. My wife, our two daughters, and I packed the car and hit the road with one goal: explore Tuscany, then slow down for some relaxing days in southern Spain before heading back to Portugal.


The journey

• Day 1: Oporto (Portugal) → Bayonne (France)
• Day 2: Bayonne(France) → Fréjus(France)
• Day 3: Fréjus(France) → Tuscany (Italy)
• Days after: touring Tuscan towns, vineyards, and landscapes straight out of postcards
• On the way back: two days crossing the south of France, visiting Menton, Nice, Cannes, Monaco and Saint-Tropez — because who can resist a bit of Côte d’Azur flair?
• Final stretch: down to southern Spain for rest, then back to Portugal.

The car (and family reactions)

• My daughters absolutely loved the acceleration, especially right after toll booths. Every time I pressed the pedal, there were giggles from the back seats — apparently 5.1 seconds 0–100 km/h never gets old.
• The InnoDrive system was a real game-changer. Smooth on highways, but also surprisingly smart on the national roads between cities. I could relax a bit more, while the car did the heavy lifting.
• The Macan handled everything effortlessly: long stretches, mountain roads, city stops. Comfortable, quiet, but still fun when I wanted to push.

Roadtrip encounters (a.k.a. “EV drivers united” moments)

• In France, I helped a Dutch couple at a charging station. They couldn’t unplug the cable… after a few tries, I noticed the obvious: the car was locked . Problem solved, laughter shared.
• In Italy, I guided a gentleman struggling with his Porsche card at an Ionity station. A quick demo with the app and he was back charging.
• In Spain, karma flipped: at a Zunder station that wouldn’t start for me, a Spanish driver at the next charger phoned support on my behalf and fixed it. EV community spirit at its best .

The bad…
Not everything was perfect. In France, after charging, I forgot about a low pillar next to the car and… well… the rear door has a new “souvenir” dent. Let’s just call it “roadtrip battle damage.”


Trip stats

• Total distance: 5,234 km
• Total driving time: 71.8 hours
• Total energy consumed: 1,046 kWh
• Average speed: 62 km/h
• Average consumption: 19.1 kWh/100km

Not bad at all for a fully loaded Macan 4S with four passengers, luggage, and plenty of highway speeds. The mix of performance, comfort, and practicality really stood out — a proper Porsche roadtrip machine

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[tmrqs]

Every time I pressed the pedal, there were giggles from the back seats — apparently 5.1 seconds 0–100 km/h never gets old.

Thanks for the report!

Quick q: is it a typo or did you measure that 5.1s? I believe the 4S should hit 4.1s (with LC).

 

[pm4s]

How did get 5.1s 0-100, are you using a phone app or a device like draggy?
Even fully loaded with family/luggage 5.1s is disappointing for 4S
Porsche does not release figures without LC unfortunately.

Regarding the dent if no paint damage a PDR will sort it right out.

 

[nalves]

Thanks for the report!

Quick q: is it a typo or did you measure that 5.1s? I believe the 4S should hit 4.1s (with LC).

Good catch! That 5.1s was more of a “dad-timing with family onboard and luggage” than an official launch control test. I wasn’t using LC — just regular pedal down after the tolls, with my daughters in the back laughing their heads off.

 

[chris77]

Good catch! That 5.1s was more of a “dad-timing with family onboard and luggage” than an official launch control test. I wasn’t using LC — just regular pedal down after the tolls, with my daughters in the back laughing their heads off.

In Which mode ? Normal ?

 

[nalves]

In Which mode ? Normal ?

Yes, normal mode.

 

[Splaktar]

Sounds like a great trip! Thanks for the report.

What was your wife's feedback on the vehicle? Do you have the passenger screen? Was it useful for helping with route planning / stops?

 

[Yves]

Great insight and nice consumption figure! I see you have the same wheels as I do, which tires do you have (I have the Potenza Bridgestones)

 

[nalves]

Michelin

 

[Alex74]

Great trip review and hreat karma among ev drivers.
charging was not an issue?

 

[nalves]

Great trip review and hreat karma among ev drivers.
charging was not an issue?

Thanks! Yes, overall charging wasn’t an issue at all. I used the Porsche app to plan the stops, and it worked really well.


In Portugal and France the chargers were always inside the highway service areas, while in Spain and Italy they were almost always just off the highway — but never far, usually just a short detour.


Of course, a couple of “moments” happened — like the Zunder station in Spain that wouldn’t start until a fellow driver called support for me, or the Dutch couple in France who couldn’t unplug their cable — but those actually turned into nice stories of EV drivers helping each other.


With the Macan’s range (realistically 350–400 km on highways depending on speed and load), we never felt stressed. The rhythm ended up being: drive a few hours, stop for a charge + coffee/food break, and back on the road. The stops actually fit well into the family routine.

 

[MacanRWD]

Michelin

I have Bridgestone Potenza 20". they are noisy. Think I will go for the Michelin next time.

 

[Yves]

On paper de Goodyears are the best … both from consumption and noise level …

 

[robrain]

This summer I finally put the Macan 4S to the test on a proper family roadtrip. My wife, our two daughters, and I packed the car and hit the road with one goal: explore Tuscany, then slow down for some relaxing days in southern Spain before heading back to Portugal.

Extremely jealous since 1: I haven't got my Macan yet (next week, all being well) and 2: we've not done our usual Europe jaunt this year in our big, very diesel-powered Mercedes, a Sprinter-based Carthago motorhome. Next year is Denmark/Norway and then we'll probably be selling the motorhome and switching to car-based touring. You've shown that we can probably go electric for that vehicle.

 

[nalves]

Extremely jealous since 1: I haven't got my Macan yet (next week, all being well) and 2: we've not done our usual Europe jaunt this year in our big, very diesel-powered Mercedes, a Sprinter-based Carthago motorhome. Next year is Denmark/Norway and then we'll probably be selling the motorhome and switching to car-based touring. You've shown that we can probably go electric for that vehicle.

That’s exciting — next week will feel like Christmas morning! The wait is tough but totally worth it once you get behind the wheel.

Denmark and Norway sound like perfect EV touring grounds too — great charging infrastructure and stunning drives. I think once you do a couple of long trips, you’ll find the rhythm of EV touring actually matches really well with natural break stops.

Looking forward to reading your roadtrip report once you’ve made the switch!

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