With production of the Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman already at an end, this new Macan GTS has now found itself as the entry-point product from the marque for those looking for something compact yet imbued with the handling prowess that Porsche is famous for.
Will customers looking for a driver-oriented premium compact SUV come away satisfied with this all-electric Macan GTS?
Bolder and meaner
Take but a casual glance and you might miss the touches that have been made to this GTS variant, but trust me, they are there.
Key differences between this car and the base Macan include the modified black bumper and tinted head lights up front, while at the rear, this GTS also gets a different rear diffuser and tinted taillights to match.
There are also less obvious details, such as the different side skirts and satin-gloss black wheel arch trims.
Your car should also come as standard with gloss black sideblades (complete with GTS badging), although the car you see in the photos has had these colour matched to the rest of its exterior.
Step inside the car and the sporty touches become more evident: Porsche’s Race-Tex microfibre material features throughout the cabin, while illuminated ‘GTS’ badging adorns the sport seats.
But if these are not enough, Porsche will happily offer you this Macan complete with a Carbon Package (which should be self-explanatory) alongside a GTS Interior Package (which matches a host of interior items with your exterior as long as you have your car in either Carmine Red, Slate Grey Neo, or Lugano Blue).
Let none of these distract from the fact that this cabin remains a practical one. Space for those seated at the front is sufficient, and there are enough storage compartments for all the typical items you’d bring along on a drive. Build quality and material use here is really hard to fault.
The 12.6-inch driver’s instrument cluster offers a variety of display layouts and delivers impressive graphical quality. And those seated at the rear will also appreciate the car’s four-zone climate control system.
Upgrades, upgrades
But what you are more likely to be concerned about are the upgrades that come under skin of this Macan GTS. And there are plenty of them.
When it comes to power, this GTS continues to make use of a 100kWh battery from the other Macan variants, but unlike the base Macan and Macan 4, this car gets the same electric motor that animates the rear axle of the Porsche Macan Turbo.
What all this means is that the GTS can offer a total of 563bhp (on overboost).
Then there are the handling upgrades. This Macan GTS gets a lowered ride height, sports air suspension alongside the Porsche Active Suspension Management system, and model-specific tuning for its anti-roll bars.
The results are palpable. Show this Macan GTS a set of sweeping curves and it sticks tenaciously to your chosen line thanks to the generous levels of grip from its set of Bridgestones. That it will do so while effectively resisting body roll is nothing short of amazing.
There’s more. The steering of this Macan GTS is impressively accurate and combines with the aforementioned strengths to make this SUV feel agile and effectively mask away its substantial 2,395kg total weight. Act like a hooligan behind the wheel and this Macan GTS will take it all in its stride.
A linear throttle response and strong brakes mean this car always feels very easy to control, even when you’re doing some utterly silly speeds.
Did I mention that all this comes despite the car still being more than comfortable enough to use as a daily commuter?
I won’t say this is a car without any fault though: I found myself wishing for just a touch more feedback from the otherwise delightfully weighty steering, for starters. This is a GTS after all.
And then there’s the Porsche Electric Sport Sound — an artificially generated sound that plays when you’ve got the car in its “Sport” or “Sport Plus” modes. It’s bassy and rhythmic, in imitation of a combustion engine of course.
But I personally found it quite the tiresome thing to listen to. If you’re likewise afflicted, take heart in noting that this soundtrack can be quickly switched off thanks to a pop-up that appears on the car’s 10.9-inch central display whenever you change between driving modes.
Get this GTS?
So, is this now the all-electric compact premium SUV for those looking to get their driving thrills? Consider first the fact that if you’re shopping within this segment (and price range) you’re going to be spoilt for choice.
Both the BMW iX3 xDrive50 and Mercedes-Benz GLC400 Electric are fresh on this island, and both are available at prices quite close to this Porsche Macan GTS (which comes in at $365,988 before COE if you’re wondering).
But think also about the fact that this Macan GTS just about manages to pip the two when it comes to power output, delivers the shortest century sprint time, and arguably even comes with a touch more brand prestige.
The margins between the cars may be small — but they are still there. And if you’re already interested in this GTS, I suspect you’re the sort who’s looking for the best performance you can get. Am I right?
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This article was first published in sgCarMart.
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