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VANCOUVER, BC , Dec. 3, 2024 /CNW/ - LUC LUC (Nasdaq Stockholm: LUC) Lucara Diamond Corp. ("Lucara" or the "Company") is pleased to provide operating guidance for 2025. All amounts are in USD unless otherwise stated. View PDF William Lamb , Lucara's President and CEO, commented on the 2024 progress noting that, "To date in 2024, Lucara achieved remarkable milestones at its Karowe Mine in Botswana , successfully meeting and exceeding all production targets. The Company's strategic focus on the underground mining project showed significant advancement, with shaft depths reaching new records. Further, our innovative extraction technologies are once again proving the quality of the resource through the recovery of two exceptional diamonds larger than 1,000 carats, including the epic 2,488-carat diamond and the 1,094-carat diamond. We have also demonstrated substantial progress in reducing operational costs and improving sustainable mining practices." 2025 OUTLOOK This section provides management's production and cost estimates for 2025. These are "forward-looking statements" and subject to the cautionary note regarding the risks associated with forward-looking statements. Karowe Mine Full Year 2025 Diamond revenue ($ million) 195 – 225 Diamond sales (carats) 400,000 – 420,000 Diamonds recovered (carats) 360,000 – 400,000 Ore mined (million tonnes) 1.6 – 2.0 Waste mined (tonnes) Up to 200,000 Ore processed (million tonnes) 2.6 – 2.9 Total cash operating costs ($ per tonne processed) 28.50 – 31.00 Underground project ($ million) Up to 115 Sustaining capital ($ million) Up to 13 Average exchange rate (Botswana Pula per United States Dollar) 13.0 REVENUE AND SALES CHANNELS For 2025, the Company's revenue forecast assumes that 79% of the carats recovered will come from the higher value M/PK(S) and EM/PK(S) units within the South Lobe, the sale of its diamond inventory, and the remaining carats recovered come from the Centre Lobe in accordance with the mine plan, generating revenue between $195 and $225 million . South Lobe material, while lower grade than the Centre and North Lobes, has a higher weight percentage of stones greater than 10.8 carats in size ("Specials"). MINING AND PROCESSING ASSUMPTIONS In 2025, the Company expects to mine between 1.8 and 2.2 million tonnes of combined ore and water, which will be processed in combination with stockpiled materials in 2025. The assumptions for carats recovered and sold as well as the number of ore tonnes processed are consistent with achieved plant performance in recent years. Stockpiled material (North, Centre, South Lobe) from working stockpiles and life-of-mine stockpiles should provide uninterrupted mill feed until 2027 when Karowe underground project ("UGP") development ore is scheduled to start offsetting stockpiles with high-grade ore from the underground development. Full scale underground production is planned for H1, 2028. UNDERGROUND AND SUSTAINING CAPITAL EXPENDITURES The underground development is expected to extend Karowe's mine life to beyond 2040. In 2024, significant progress was made in shaft sinking and lateral development connecting the production and ventilation shafts, with the critical path ventilation shaft being ahead of the July 2023 rebase schedule. In 2025, capital costs for the UGP are expected to be up to $115 million and will focus predominantly on shaft sinking activities to final depth, equipping of the production shaft and station development. Surface works will focus on permanent winders being installed and cold commissioned. Tendering the underground lateral development contract along with underground equipment purchases will also be completed in 2025. Sustaining capital are expected to be up to $13 million with a focus on the replacement and refurbishment of key asset components, in addition to expansion of the tailings storage facility and pit steepening activities which will extend the mine's ability to extract South lobe material from the pit in 2025. On behalf of the Board , William Lamb President and Chief Executive Officer Follow Lucara Diamond on Facebook , Instagram and LinkedIn ABOUT LUCARA Lucara is a leading independent producer of large exceptional quality Type IIa diamonds from its 100% owned Karowe Diamond Mine in Botswana . The Karowe Mine has been in production since 2012 and is the focus of the Company's operations and development activities. Lucara has an experienced board and management team with extensive diamond development and operations expertise. Lucara and its subsidiaries operate transparently and in accordance with international best practices in the areas of sustainability, health and safety, environment, and community relations. Lucara is certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council, complies with the Kimberley Process, and has adopted the IFC Performance Standards and the World Bank Group's Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines for Mining (2007). Accordingly, the development of the Karowe underground expansion project ("UGP") adheres to the Equator Principles. Lucara is committed to upholding high standards while striving to deliver long-term economic benefits to Botswana and the communities in which the Company operates. The information is information that Lucara is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. This information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, on December 3, 2024 , at 2 p.m. Pacific Time . CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain statements made and contained herein and elsewhere constitute forward-looking statements as defined in applicable securities laws. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible" and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions or results "will", "may", "could" or "should" occur or be achieved. These statements relate to future events or our future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made, and they are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are difficult to predict, and which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievement expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company believes that expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. This information speaks only as of the date of this press release, and the Company will not necessarily update this information, unless required to do so by securities laws. In particular, forward-looking information and forward-looking statements in this news release may include, but are not limited to, the Company's revenues, sales, diamond recoveries, mine life, expectations regarding the updated schedule and budget for the Karowe underground expansion project (the "Karowe UGP"), ore and waste mined, ore processed, cash costs and expenses, anticipated total capital expenditures for the Karowe UGP and the schedule to develop and complete the Karowe UGP, and the Company's ability to continue as a going concern, the ability to meet its obligations under the Rebase Amendments with its Lenders, the Company's ability to fill the COF, the size distribution model, including expectations regarding +10.8ct and specials production, forecast cost at completion, expectations regarding construction and production, expectations regarding the project economics and recovery, expectations regarding the first years of the Karowe UGP recovery and production, including by source, estimated capital to reach project completion, expectations regarding the sufficiency of surface stockpiles, estimates regarding after-tax cash flow, economic risks, expectations regarding longer-term market fundamentals and price growth, the impact of supply and demand of rough or polished diamonds, expectations regarding top-up values and processing, the benefits to the Company of the diamond supply agreement with HB Antwerp and the ability to generate better prices from the sale of the Company's +10.8 carat production as polished stones, projected capital costs associated with the Karowe UGP, estimated capital costs, expectations regarding the sales changes and margin capture, the timing, scope and cost of additional grouting events, whether expected cash flow from operations, combined with external financing will be sufficient to complete construction of the Karowe UGP, sufficient stockpiled ore will be available to generate revenue prior to the achievement of commercial production of the Karowe underground mine, that the estimated timelines to achieve mine ramp up and full production from the Karowe UGP can be achieved, the economic potential of a mineralized area, the size and tonnage of a mineralized area, anticipated sample grades or bulk sample diamond content, expectations that the Karowe UGP will extend mine life, forecasts of additional revenues, future production activity, the future price and demand for, and supply of, diamonds, expectations regarding the scheduling of activities for the Karowe UGP, future forecasts of revenue, estimation of mineral resources, exploration and development plans, cost and timing of the development of deposits and estimated future production, interest rates, currency exchange rates, rates of inflation, requirements for and availability of additional capital, operating costs, timing of drill programs, timing of completion of technical reports and studies, tax rates, government regulation of operations, environmental risks and ability to comply with all environmental regulations and internationally recognized standards, and macro-economic and geopolitical risks. There can be no assurance that such forward looking statements will prove to be accurate, as the Company's results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of those factors discussed in or referred to under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's most recent MD&A and Annual Information Form, both available on the Company's website and under its profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca , as well as changes in general business and economic conditions, the ability to continue as a going concern, changes in interest and foreign currency rates, changes in inflation, the supply and demand for, deliveries of and the level and volatility of prices of rough diamonds, costs of power and diesel, impacts of potential disruptions to supply chains, acts of foreign governments and the outcome of legal proceedings, inaccurate geological and recoverability assumptions (including with respect to the size, grade and recoverability of mineral reserves and resources), and unanticipated operational difficulties (including failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate in accordance with specifications or expectations, cost escalations, unavailability of materials and equipment, government action or delays in the receipt of government approvals, industrial disturbances or other job actions, adverse weather conditions, and unanticipated events relating to health safety and environmental matters). SOURCE Lucara Diamond Corp. View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/December2024/03/c7546.html © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Fellowship: Bible lessons, sensory-friendly services and more at Sewickley area churchesfree 100 online casino
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The judge who presided over Danny Masterson ’s 2023 rape trial and sentencing had a testy exchange with one of the actor’s lawyers in a California courtroom Tuesday, but stopped short of ordering a full-blown evidentiary hearing into claims Masterson’s appellate team acted improperly when it recently tracked down jurors at their homes and workplaces . At a tense hearing in downtown Los Angeles, Judge Charlaine Olmedo ruled that she simply lacked jurisdiction to order such a hearing while Masterson’s conviction is on appeal. Still, she made it clear she was bothered by the way a private investigator approached one specific juror outside her home the afternoon of Sunday, Sept. 15. She called the interaction “tacitly coercive” and said it remains a “mystery” how the appellate team managed to identify approximately six jurors who served during the 2023 trial considering their personal information had been sealed. As she concluded the hearing, the judge said she planned to refer Masterson’s two appellate lawyers to the state bar’s attorney discipline division “for further investigation and action if necessary.” She also said she would contact the state’s Bureau of Security and Investigative Services to report the private investigator’s alleged actions. After the hearing, one of the Jane Does whom Masterson was convicted of raping said the same private investigator has reached out to people connected to her personal life. “I found it objectionable. These are people who had nothing to do with the criminal case. I’m being contacted by these people who are saying they feel harassed,” the Jane Doe forcibly raped by Masterson in 2003 told Rolling Stone . The jurors contacted by the appellate team served on a second trial that ended with Masterson’s conviction in May 2023 . An initial trial on the same charges ended in a mistrial when the prior panel couldn’t reach a unanimous decision. Both trials included emotional testimony from the three women whose allegations led to Masterson’s three charges of forcible rape. All three women said Masterson drugged them before raping them. The women were practicing Scientologists along with Masterson at the time and testified that Church of Scientology officials protected the That ‘70s Show actor. Masterson ultimately was convicted of raping two of the women. Jurors deadlocked on the third alleged victim, voting 8-4 in favor of conviction. Editor’s picks The 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in September 2023, the same month he filed his appeal. As Masterson pursued both the appeal and a petition challenging his incarceration, his appellate lawyers started looking for jurors willing to discuss possible problems with the trial. Their efforts led multiple jurors to complain to the court. Judge Olmedo sent a letter to prosecutors and Masterson’s defense on Sept. 17, 2024, stating several jurors reported “unwanted contact” where they “may have felt pressured” to talk. She said the jurors were “troubled” they were approached at their homes or workplaces. Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller, the lead prosecutor on the case, asked the court for an evidentiary hearing. On Tuesday, Mueller said he reviewed the anonymous jury questionnaires from the trial and couldn’t understand how the appellate team identified the jurors beyond the foreperson, who willingly gave some identifying information about her job. Masterson’s trial lawyer Shawn Holley attended the hearing Tuesday and shared with the court some of her personal communications to prove she had only cordial and voluntary post-verdict communications with the foreperson. In a prior declaration, Holley told the court she met with the foreperson for a lunch in Santa Monica shortly after the trial ended. She said the foreperson put her in touch with two more jurors. Judge Olmedo said from the bench Tuesday that she received a follow-up email from the foreperson on Nov. 19, 2024, in which the juror wanted to “clarify” that her contact with Holley was “perfectly appropriate and with her consent.” Related Content Jay-Z Fights Back Against 13-Year-Old Rape Accuser’s Lawsuit, Seeks Dismissal Jay-Z, Sean Combs Accused of Raping 13-Year-Old Girl in Amended Lawsuit Sean Combs Teen Accuser Reveals Name After Judge's Ruling Bassnectar's Motion to Dismiss Sexual Abuse Suit Is Denied, Case Will Head to Trial “The complete blame for harassment is with the appellate attorneys and their private investigator,” the foreperson wrote in the email read aloud by Judge Olmedo. “[The investigator’s] tactics were harassing as she showed up to private residences. We all wondered how she found out where the various jurors lived and worked. And she kept showing up, which is a form of intimidation in our opinion as we continue to communicate via group text.” When the judge turned to Masterson’s habeas lawyer, Eric Multhaup, she pointedly asked how he managed to track down the jurors on his end. Multhaup replied that his investigator is very skilled at her job. The judge seemed skeptical but said her “limited jurisdiction” during the appeals process tied her hands. “How the defense appellate and habeas teams got the names of the trial jurors is a mystery to this court as I have not ordered to unseal [them] and all trial counsel were ordered to not copy them in any way,” she said Tuesday. In one particularly tense exchange, Judge Olmedo pressed Multhaup on what happened with the juror who was approached at her home while doing yard work last September. Olmedo said Multhaup’s investigator failed to follow protocol and first inform the juror that she had a right to stay silent. Multhaup told the court that the juror “interrupted” the investigator before she could give the admonition. He said his investigator “said thank you and walked away.” “No, she didn’t,” Judge Olmedo shot back. “She said, ‘So, you decline to participate?’ In the same breath that she said, ‘So, you decline to participate?’ – which implies there should have been some participation – she should have said, ‘You have an absolute right not to talk to me if you don’t want to.’” Judge Olmedo called the investigator’s response “tacitly coercive” and an apparent violation. “Your honor, you’re putting the cart before the horse,” Multhaup said. “No, I’m not. And I will also indicate that [the juror approached at her home] is a court reporter for the Los Angeles Superior Court. Her job literally is to take down words accurately and be clear on the meaning of those words. So I take great stock in what [she] put down, the order of what took place and the words that were said,” Judge Olmedo shot back. After the hearing ended, a lawyer representing the Jane Does in their civil lawsuit against Masterson and the Church of Scientology asked the judge for a court order maintaining the sealing of everything that was filed under seal during the criminal. He said the worry was that other identifying information might fall into the wrong hands. Judge Olmedo said she wasn’t sure where everything stood amid the appeal but urged the lawyer to file a written application.Unions attack 2.8% Government pay rise proposal for NHS workers and teachers
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Israel aims to impose a "sterile defence zone" in southern Syria that would be enforced without a permanent troop presence, as the military says a wave of air strikes had destroyed the bulk of Syria's strategic weapons stockpiles. or signup to continue reading Over the past 48 hours, following the collapse of the government of President Bashar al-Assad, the military said jets had conducted more than 350 strikes on targets including anti-aircraft batteries, military airfields, weapons production sites, combat aircraft and missiles. In addition, missile vessels struck the Syrian naval facilities of Al-Bayda port and Latakia port, where 15 Syrian naval vessels were docked. Israeli officials said the strikes across Syria were aimed at destroying strategic weapons and military infrastructure to prevent them being used by rebel groups that drove Assad from power, some of which grew from movements linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State. "We have no intention of interfering in Syria's internal affairs, but we clearly intend to do what is necessary to ensure our security," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. "I authorised the air force to bomb strategic military capabilities left by the Syrian army, so that they would not fall into the hands of the jihadists." Following Assad's flight on Sunday, Israeli troops moved into the demilitarised zone inside Syria created after the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, including the Syrian side of the strategic Mount Hermon that overlooks Damascus, where it took over an abandoned Syrian military post. A military spokesperson said Israeli troops remained in the buffer zone as well as "a few additional points" in the vicinity. But he denied that forces had penetrated Syrian territory significantly beyond the area, after a Syrian source said they had reached the town of Qatana, several km (miles) to the east of the zone and just a short drive from Damascus airport. "IDF forces are not advancing towards Damascus. This is not something we are doing or pursuing in any way," Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, the military spokesperson, told a briefing with reporters. Israel, which has just agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon following weeks of fighting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement, calls the incursion into Syrian territory a limited and temporary measure to ensure border security. But the scale of the Israeli strikes echoed a similar wave of attacks in southern Lebanon in September that destroyed a significant quantity of Hezbollah's missile stocks. According to the Israeli military the strikes hit most of the strategic weapons stockpiles in Syria as well as production sites in the cities of Damascus, Homs, Tartus, Latakia and Palmyra. Scud and cruise missiles as well as sea-to-sea missiles, drones, launchers and firing positions were destroyed, it said in a statement. Strikes against military airfields and bases also destroyed Syrian military attack helicopters, fighter jets and tanks. Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. We care about the protection of your data. Read our . AdvertisementIs the bracket fair?
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Many auto brands have jumped head-first into completely overhauling their top-sellers and icons, and fallen flat. Volkswagen, for example, has had issues with its latest Mk8 Golf , which lost the number one sales spot in Europe after 14 years in 2022; the current Land Rover Discovery was a big departure from its predecessors and has paid the price for it in terms of sales; and Mercedes-AMG has tuned away V8 lovers by plopping a four-cylinder PHEV powertrain into its C63 and GLC63 . Porsche avoided such blunders by making its first all-electric vehicle, the Taycan, a dedicated EV with no predecessor for loyalists and statisticians to benchmark it against. But now, the hallowed German performance vehicle brand’s top-selling Macan has gone EV-only as key markets around the globe continue to tighten emissions regulations. Since the nameplate debuted 10 years ago, the Macan has cemented itself as the world’s favourite Porsche. Over its decade-long lifespan it offered a range of four-cylinder and six-cylinder (inline and V6 respectively, not boxer) engines, and has long been lauded as the driver’s pick in the mid-sized premium SUV class. Fast forward to 2024, and the second-generation ‘Macan Electric’ has thrown the internal combustion engine out the window and adopted an all-electric platform and powertrains. Like the original, however, it was co-developed with Audi and has strong genetic links to a sister SUV from the Ingolstadt brand – this time in the Q6 e-tron rather than the Q5 . Regardless, the Stuttgart carmaker reckons the battery-powered MkII Macan is better than its ICE forebear in just about every metric. It’s quicker and more tech laden, thanks in part to Porsche’s learnings from the standard-setting Taycan sedan and wagon. This sounds like a sure-fire recipe for success, but is it? To find out, we attended the Australian media launch of the new Macan in Brisbane to see if the new and much more expensive Macan EV is a fitting sequel to the popular original. The move to entirely battery-electric powertrains has bumped up the price of the Macan significantly, with even the entry-level single-motor ‘Macan’ costing over $30,000 more than the outgoing petrol variant it replaces. For reference, the previous Macan petrol range remains on sale while stocks last – see below for MY25 pricing. To see how the Porsche Macan lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool If you’ve sat in the latest Cayenne or the Taycan , you’ll feel at home in the new Macan. A big part of the generational jump here includes an increased level of interior digitalisation, as seen in Porsche’s larger models – think Cayenne and Panamera, as well as the Taycan. But while the cabin tech upgrades are significant, the overall design and execution isn’t all that different to the most recent iteration of the old Macan, with familiar ergonomics and switchgear. Perhaps the biggest change is the new 12.6-inch digital instrument cluster, which is taken straight from those aforementioned models. It’s super sharp with buttery smooth animations, and offers a range of customisable layouts to suit different tastes. You can also option a swish augmented reality (AR) head-up display, but it’ll cost you $4120! The central infotainment system is likewise a sharp unit, based on the Android Automotive operating system. With its 10.9-inch touchscreen cleanly integrated into the dashboard, it offers connected services, third-party app compatibility, and requisite functions like wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and embedded navigation. If you’re the particularly techy type, or have kids (or other passengers) in need of something to distract them while you’re on the road, you can also option an additional 10.9-inch touchscreen ahead of the front passenger, which is like a ‘lite’ version of the central display. Personally, I think it’s a bit naff and not worth the $2700 spend. As you’d expect, the overall ambience and sense of quality is right up there with the best in this segment, even if the piano black surfaces are vulnerable to fingerprint marks and hairline scratches after wiping dust off. The toggle-style climate controls mixed in with touch capacitive buttons is very modern Porsche, and while the latter are fiddly there’s nice clicky feedback from both the physical toggles and the touch buttons. Storage is pretty good but not overwhelmingly so, with a range of nooks and crannies to stow your odds and ends. I like the damped drawer lid over the wireless phone charger, which stops your phone flying around when you’re giving it a squirt up a winding B-road or on the racetrack – unlike the Polestar 4 we drove recently. Up front we sampled a couple of different seat specs in various vehicles, and the standard Comfort seats with 14-way electrical adjustment are fine – though the 18-way adaptive sports seats are even better. The optional ventilated front seats helped quite a bit during a hot and humid Queensland day, though $1710 is a pretty penny. You can even get massaging with ventilation, for a ‘cool’ $2860. In the second row, the Macan has never offered limousine levels of passenger space, but nor have rivals like the Q5, BMW X4 or Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe. Thankfully though, there has been a small but noticeable improvement to most dimensions, which now allow 6’1′′ me to sit behind 6’1′′ me snugly. Standard rear seat amenities include a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders, bottle holders in the doors, and directional air vents. You can option luxe four-zone climate control, but that’ll cost you $810 on all but the Turbo. It’s disappointing that the added 86mm in wheelbase hasn’t resulted in a similar improvement in rear passenger accommodation, given the Macan is often bought by families with multiple children. Further back, the Macan’s boot has grown to 540 litres with all seats in place, which is up around 50 litres on the old model. That grows to 1348 litres with the rear seats folded. There’s additional 84 litres of storage under the bonnet, in lieu of an internal combustion engine. It’s accessed via a touch-capacitive lid that can be opened by swiping your hand across the lower end of the shut line – though my attempt to film it for an Instagram reel required a few takes because it didn’t seem to respond every time. To see how the Porsche Macan lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool Gone is the internal combustion engine, which is replaced by the aforementioned front storage area that’s more in line with the company’s rear-engined sports cars, come to think of it... It’s worth noting that all Macan variants offer an overboost function that raises the maximum power output by about 10 per cent when using launch control. The claimed 0-100km/h times above are using launch control, too. Also worth noting is that Porsche Cars Australia’s range claims are based on the ECE standard, which is more closely based on the older NEDC measurement than the newer, more accurate WLTP protocol. To see how the Porsche Macan lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool Perhaps the most important question here is: “does it still drive like a Porsche Macan?” In short, the answer is “mostly yes”. There’s certainly added urgency from its various electric drivetrain options to go with the welcome boost in interior tech levels, which brings the new Macan into line with the best rivals from premium and luxury brands. Our two-day launch event started with a drive from Brisbane airport down to Norwell Motorplex south of Queensland capital, followed on day two by a picturesque road drive from Brisbane through the hinterlands to the Gold Coast. The launch program centred around the Macan 4 and Turbo, since the base Macan and the 4S are still on the way to Australia despite already being on sale. We’ll bring you reviews of those when we can get behind the wheel. On the freeway, the Macan felt solid, secure and responsive. We started in a Turbo fitted with a number of options including big 22-inch wheels with carbon-fibre inserts, which cost nearly $15,000 (eek!) according to the local configurator. Even with the big rims and liquorice-thin rubber, the air-sprung Macan Turbo was comfortable over road imperfections and maintained great body control at everyday cornering speeds and on the highway. Road noise and wind noise were also impressively hushed. It’s worth calling out here the Macan’s impressive 0.25Cd drag coefficient figure, which no doubt aids the latter. And I continue to marvel at the ability of Porsche engineers to calibrate what I believe to be the perfect steering calibration when it comes to balancing response, weight and feedback, even in an SUV like the Macan. The Macan’s tiller feels incredibly accurate and the quick ratio means you aren’t twirling the wheel to do basic manoeuvres like you might in some other SUVs. It also has a great, weighty feeling about centre. At Norwell Motorplex we were given ample time to test out the Macan’s dynamic capabilities across a variety of exercises including a motorkhana-style handling course, drifting on the wet skid pan, 0-100km/h runs using launch control, and guided laps around the tight and technical circuit. The motorkhana was good fun and a great opportunity to test out the Macan 4’s sweet handling balance, while the launch control tests really demonstrated the Turbo’s monstrous 1130Nm of torque from standstill. We didn’t hook up timing gear, but it feels every bit as quick as the official 3.3-second claim, which based on Porsche tradition is likely a low-ball figure. On the skid pan we got the chance to get the Turbo a little sideways, upsetting the balance of the vehicle by opening the throttle on a rotating plate then getting skiddy on the wet concrete. The final exercise comprised a couple of guided laps around the tight circuit in the 4 and the Turbo, which again revealed the 4 to be the more balanced and sweeter steerer; the Turbo in comparison felt a little too powerful and heavy to be thrown around at pace on a circuit better suited to lightweight sports cars. On the road drive the following day, both variants proved to be lovely tourers, combining superb general comfort and refinement with strong performance, great steering feel, and eager handling. The Macan 4’s circa-75kg weight advantage is due to the smaller and less powerful electric motor on the rear axle relative to the Turbo, and there definitely is a sense that it is the lighter and more agile handler of the two. Keep in mind that even a V8-engined Cayenne is lighter than the Macan Electric... As we experienced on track at Norwell, the Turbo almost feels like too much in the sense that it’s so quick you can’t have much fun with it. Plus, its 2.4-tonne heft can’t defy physics in the kind of tight and technical conditions we drove it on during this event. I’m also not sure that many existing Macan owners will be particularly enamoured by the Porsche Electric Sport Sound, even if the old car’s turbocharged V6s weren’t particularly pleasing to the ear. The synthesised ‘engine’ note is standard in the Turbo and optional in lower grades, and while it works in the Taycan it lacks a bit of soul compared to the new Macan’s petrol forebears. The lack of one-pedal driving might also be irksome for a traditional EV buyer, but I’d imagine Porsche customers prefer the more conventional experience of controlling the brakes themselves. I’m also in the latter camp when it comes to driving an EV in a more dynamic manner. While it has grown in most dimensions, the Macan handles mostly like a smaller car, with the quick steering pointing a nose that’s eager to turn in, and a taut chassis that minimises body roll even during spirited on-road driving. As I noted earlier, it’s a really sweet thing to steer, and you don’t have to be driving at 10-10ths to enjoy it. To be frank, you’d almost never be driving the Macan at the limit anyway – it just isn’t that kind of vehicle. There’s heaps of grip and even in the 4 you can blast out of apexes early than anticipated with immediate, clinical effect, thanks to 650Nm of twist from the moment you prod the throttle. It really gives you the confidence to have a little fun on tight and twisty roads in a way that not a lot of SUVs do. That said, something like a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N delivers a more focused and sports car-like experience that will better suit keen drivers looking to dip their toes into the EV world – yes, Hyundai’s electric SUV is that good. Porsche has never been known for its ‘hands-off’ driving tech, but when the roads straighten out you can make use of the expanded and intuitive suite of driver assistance functions available in the new Macan. The adaptive cruise control does an excellent job of maintaining a set speed while managing the distance between you and a vehicle in front, without jerking the brakes or seesawing the speed. However, there’s no Active Lane Keeping function like in the Cayenne, which basically facilitates semi-autonomous driving on the freeway. There is a more basic lane keep assist system, which will counter-steer and alert you if you start drifting out of your lane, and there are handy blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert sensors that compensate for the Macan’s coupe-like roofline and thick C-pillar. Even better, the surround cameras (standard in Australia) make parking this 4784mm-long, 1938mm-wide electric SUV a much easier process – there are no excuses for dinged bumpers or scraped alloys. To see how the Porsche Macan lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool Porsche is pretty vague about the standard specifications of its vehicles, though Porsche Cars Australia does detail additional equipment for our market compared to the global spec. Macan equipment highlights: Macan 4 adds: Macan 4S adds: Macan Turbo adds: Australian additional equipment – all models: Australian additional equipment – select models: To see how the Porsche Macan lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool The new Macan Electric hasn’t been tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP yet. Its predecessor scored five stars in 2014, though this rating for the outgoing model has expired. Standard safety features include: As noted earlier, some standard safety features in Australian-spec Macans are in addition to the global standard specification. To see how the Porsche Macan lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool Porsche Cars Australia persists with a three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which lags behind its competitors. Also unlike its key rivals, Porsche doesn’t do advertised or capped service pricing, meaning prices can vary between Porsche Centres. Sadly, there’s also no official partnership or charging subscription tied to any public charger providers. To see how the Porsche Macan lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool Porsche has managed to maintain the essence of the Macan in this all-electric sequel, but it didn’t quite wow me like I thought it would, given how much I loved the heavily upgraded Taycan. Make no mistake, it feels unmistakably Macan in flavour, in that it’s a comfortable, refined and punchy mid-size luxury crossover wagon with one of the sweetest steering calibrations in the segment. Despite its weight, that shouldn’t come as a surprise since the old Macan was widely regarded as one of the world’s most dynamic SUVs. So the new all-electric underpinnings have unlocked more performance, but not necessarily better or more engaging handling. It’s quick – bloody quick in Turbo guise – but it’s also quite heavy and you can feel its mass more so than in the Taycan, particularly when you put it on a tight circuit like Norwell. Things get much better and more fun on a winding B-road, even if it’s a lot heavier than the old MLB-based original, making you hesitant to push like you would in one of Porsche’s sports cars, which is to be expected given this is an SUV. I’ve only driven the Macan 4 and the Turbo, but the lower-spec variants could well be my pick given they’re more than quick enough for the target demographic and will save you a big wad of cash for options and anything else you might want to funnel your funds towards. While the rear-drive Macan range-opener is the lightest and should be the most dynamic, the incoming 4S shapes as a potential sweet spot because of its improved performance while still maintaining a big price gap to the Turbo. Keep in mind, the 4S is quicker than even the fastest previous-generation Macan GTS. As you’d expect, the cabin is lovely and the new Macan offers more space than the old one, which has long been a key criticism. There’s also a much improved tech suite that brings the smaller and more attainable SUV in line with the larger Cayenne, as well as the likes of Porsche’s Taycan e-hero. But it’s still not all that big inside compared to some of its German rivals, and the lower grades in particular need a number of option boxes ticked to make the Macan feel properly special – and that can add up to some serious cash, on top of the substantial price increase for the new model, which means you’re pushing into Taycan territory. Then there’s the superficial stuff like the new exterior design, which appears to be polarising if the commentary on our site and socials is any guide, and the fact the departure of the old model’s combustion engines has taken a lot of the Macan’s soul with them. But with a more objective lens, the new Macan does a great job of transitioning into a sporty electric crossover, and continues to offer Porsche hallmarks like strong performance and fulsome handling. It will be interesting to see how warmly the original Macan’s traditional buyer demographic embraces the much more expensive and far quieter replacement for Porsche’s best-seller. Interested in buying a Porsche Macan? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here MORE: Everything Porsche Macan
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