G-T-S-U-V
February 12, 2026
Tim Stevens
Is Porsche's latest EV worthy of the GTS badge?
Every time a new Porsche model comes out, it’s followed by a familiar cavalcade of editions, the same alphabet soup dished up again and again in Stuttgart’s finest bowls. It’s only on the 911 that we see the full breadth of Porsche’s alphanumeric might — 20 model variants and counting for the current generation — but over the years, the company’s SUVs have also gotten into the mix. The latest is the new Macan Electric GTS.
Prior to this, its hybrid generation, the 911 the GTS has traditionally been something of an enthusiasts’ model, the IYKYK flavor if you will. It didn’t have all the power or all the posh bits, instead gathering the most desirable go-fast options in a package slightly more attainable than the top-shelf trims. What does that formula mean when applied to the company’s new, all-electric crossover SUV? It’s much the same concept, but in a very different silhouette.
The Details
Porsche’s Macan Electric was released in 2024 in dual-motor Macan 4 and Macan Turbo flavors, joined soon after by the Macan 4S and rear-drive Macan, with prices ranging from $75,300 for the base model to $105,300 for the Turbo. MSRPs have since crept up as geopolitical stability has gone down, with the latest Turbo now costing $112,700.
The GTS, with its $105,300 start price (plus an eye-opening $2,350 delivery fee), clocks in close to the top end of the spectrum there. But that makes sense given it has largely the same hardware as the Turbo, with the same dual-motor configuration powered by the same 100-kilowatt-hour gross, 95-kWh-net battery pack.
That said, things are a bit detuned here. Maximum horsepower is down from the Turbo’s 630 to 563, and torque is down from 833 to 704. Those are still mighty figures, enough to hurtle this little SUV from a standstill to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, half a tick behind the Turbo but well ahead of the rest of the lineup.
You only get that full power when you spin the mode dial on the steering wheel over to Sport Plus, and even then, you only get it for a few seconds during launch control. The rest of the time, maximum power is actually 510, but that’s still plenty. This is really a machine designed for squirting out of corners or blasting your way ahead of traffic, not hurtling down Döttinger Höhe on the Nurburgring.
That said, should you make a wrong turn in the Rhineland and wind up on the Green Hell, the Macan Electric GTS now features Porsche’s Track Endurance Mode. This reduces maximum motor output somewhat to ensure a longer runs at higher speeds. You know, just in case.
Packaging
The three letters “GTS” on the SUV’s back, sides, door sills, steering wheel, and seatbacks may signify this is a sportier machine, but it’s still a crossover SUV at its core. How does it hold up to regular duty? Quite well, in my estimation.
The 15.8 cubic-liter trunk compartment isn’t exactly enormous, but it still looked roomy even with my TSA-approved carry-on and backpack under the hatch. A long weekend with the family should be fine, but extended trips, or those perhaps requiring specialized sporting equipment, might be a bit tight.
Loading cargo is easy, and you can even lower the ride height with a button in the rear compartment to spare your back extra grief. There’s also a little more space up under the frunk, 2.9 cubic feet to be exact, but that won’t be good for much more than a few emergency provisions.
The Macan seats five, but only very skinny individuals will want to go three-across in the second row. Two-across is much better, and there’s actually decent legroom and headroom back there, plus USB-C ports and dual-zone climate control.
The 18-way Sports Seats up front are much better. I like the look and the feel of Porsche Race-Tex upholstery, which is like a grippy, patterned microfiber material. My GTS was also outfitted with the stuff on the door cards, dash, and steering wheel, plus a few bits of shiny carbon fiber here and there to remind you of the SUV’s sporting pretensions.
The steering wheel is typical Porsche, upright and perfectly round, and blissfully does not use capacitive touch controls. There are real buttons here and thumbwheels, too.
The rest of the interface, though, is a little more touchy-feely. The center climate controls are all under a gloss plastic surface that clicks when you touch it, and above that is the primary interface, a 10.9-inch touchscreen.
Porsche’s current software interface is bright and colorful, and a bit too Apple-style for my taste, but it is quick, responsive, and easy to use. Integrated navigation works fine, but you’re welcome to use either Apple CarPlay or Android Auto wirelessly. Use navigation through either and you can also get a map view on the gauge cluster, which is a nice touch.
Otherwise, you can cycle that 12.6-inch, curved panel behind the steering wheel through a few different views, including one meant to evoke Porsches of old, with a big central gauge flanked by two smaller ones. There’s no tachometer here, though. Instead you get an indicator of throttle position or, indeed, how much the car is using regenerative braking when you lift off the throttle.
The answer, as ever with electric Porsches, is not enough. Even on maximum regeneration you’ll still need to use the brake pedal early and often in the GTS.
Drive Time
Despite the extra stylistic and blacked-out add-ons — a more sculpted front fascia, side skirts, spoiler lip, and a mock diffuser at the rear — the Macan Electric GTS is not a particularly aggressive looking SUV. This inspires you to get inside and immediately put your foot to the floor at the first intersection, at which point this SUV makes it clear it is, indeed, not just another crossover.
No, a 3.6-second 0 – 60 isn’t quite as chiropractic as the 3.1-second Turbo S, but that’s still faster than a 911 Carrera can manage. It’s quick enough to immediately end all bickering in the back seat with a twitch of your right foot, and though the GTS doesn’t have the top-end shove of the Porsche Taycan with its two-speed transmission, it’s no slouch on the highway.
To get maximum throttle response, you need to be in Sport Plus mode, which by default enables the so-called Electric Sound system. This is a sort of futuristic whir that intensifies with speed and throttle application. It isn’t bad, but even when you’re driving aggressively on a twisty road, it just has a sort of grating, droning quality to it.
I’m not a fan, but thankfully, it’s a quick tap of the touchscreen to disable.
Also in this mode, the standard two-valve air suspension hunkers the car down by 20 mm, and everything just feels tight and eager. I don’t like the extra weight the steering picks up, but it really is delightfully sharp. Slicing through canyon roads rarely required more than 90 degrees of lock. Even tighter turns are enabled by the available rear-axle steering, which makes this SUV feel even shorter and more nimble than its 189.2-inch length (three inches longer than a regular Macan) would indicate.
When I reached the end of my canyon run, I dialed the Macan back to Normal mode. The suspension lifted and softened, the steering lightened, and the throttle response relaxed. At this point, it just felt like a regular Macan. The suspension felt extremely compliant despite the optional 22-inch wheels here, and though there was a bit of droning road noise from the Pirelli PZero Corsa tires on here, the GTS remained a comfortable, quiet machine.
It even averaged 2.9 miles per kilowatt-hour during my rather aggressive afternoon test. Given the 95-kilowatt-hour usable battery, that equates to a maximum 277 of range when driven aggressively. EPA range estimates on the GTS aren’t available yet, but meeting the Turbo’s 288-mile rating should be no problem.
Combine that with 800-volt, 270-kilowatt charging, and you have an eminently road-trippable electric SUV.
The Value Proposition
On the sports car side of the Porsche garage, it’s awfully hard to say no to the GTS. On the Macan, it’s a little less of a must-have thing. After all, the base, rear-drive Macan Electric is plenty quick, looks 95 percent as good as this one, and costs $25,000 less before options.
However, there will always be options. This is a Porsche, after all. The Carmine Red Macan Electric you see pictured here carried nearly $20,000 worth of add-ons, the priciest being $6,570 for the upgraded interior and $3,010 for the 22-inch wheels, plus a further $660 for the tires that wrap them.
The GTS definitely adds more power, more performance, and more poise in the form of that broad-spectrum air suspension. It’s hard to say any of that is a must-have in this segment, but if you have the scratch, it’s a no-compromise upgrade. The GTS loses basically nothing in the way of comfort or capability and gains plenty of power and performance.
Plus those always-desirable three little letters on the back.
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