The Porsche Macan GTS Electric Is Excellent. But Who Is It For? Review

In case you hadn’t heard, Porsche’s EVs are in a little bit of a pickle at the moment. With talk of the company canceling the electric Cayman entirely, scaling back EV investment, and generally taking wound-licking precautions against serious losses, a shift in strategy is already in motion. And apparently it starts with this model.

It’s much of what we’ve come to expect from other GTS models, which arguably represent the core of Porsche’s lineup; lots of power and lots of standard features, while still retaining that iconic driver-focused philosophy. A Macan for the enthusiast is nothing new, but this one’s a bit odd because of that one dirty word: Electric. Ew.

That’s not just me saying that, either. Even Porsche acknowledges that it has some heavily anti-EV customers, customers who refuse to buy any other Porsche simply because they make EVs. Yet Porsche says that there is an ass for every seat, and that is part of its strategy moving forward. Serve every niche, and chase down the customers that it knows it has. The Macan GTS Electric is evidence of that.

Much of the GTS standard fare is here, which is to say, this is basically a derated and purified version of the top-level Macan Turbo. It uses the Turbo’s electric motors, inverters, and battery pack, but with slightly less power; 509 continuous horsepower versus 576 hp. In exchange for less oomph, which is only limited by software, Porsche includes a track battery and motor cooling program that allows you to bash on the GTS for extended sessions. Seems ridiculous, but this will make more sense later.

The GTS also gains much of the Turbo’s handling upgrades, with a full suite of adaptive dampers, two-chamber air suspension, and active sway bars. Rear-wheel steering is a $2,150 option. It also gets optional 22-inch Pirelli PZero Corsa summer tires, which are rated at 80 treadwear, or the standard Michelin Pilot Sport EV on 21-inch wheels. Of course, the Pirelli comes with a range penalty that Porsche hasn’t specified, and the Michelin will provide the best range.

Photo by: Chris Rosales / Motor1

Photo by: Chris Rosales / Motor1

Photos by: Chris Rosales / Motor1

Inside, the $6,570 GTS-specific interior classes things up significantly, with a suite of technology to match. A healthy mix of leather and Alcantara makes the interior a genuinely nice place to be, while new-for-2026 features like a virtual transparent hood camera and neat self-parking functions add to the toy chest. You can even “train” the Macan GTS for a specific parking situation, and the car will, apparently, do it repeatably (though the feature wasn’t active on my tester).

Completing the treatment is a GTS-specific front bumper with a more aggressive fascia, side skirts, and rear bumper diffuser. You also get an awkwardly placed GTS sticker on the door moulding, though there isn’t really anywhere else great to put it.

Photo by: Chris Rosales / Motor1

Pros: Incredible Handling, Intuitive Steering, Lovely Cabin Space

I drove two variations of the Macan GTS—one with the Pirellis and another with the Michelins. Opting for the Pirelli-shod version along my Angeles Crest Highway test route revealed some magic about the Macan GTS.

The typical Porsche stuff is done right: You sit low, bring the steering wheel close, and feel completely comfortable in the car within a few seconds. The 10.9-inch center screen and 12.6-inch curved gauge cluster display and UI are mostly intuitive, though I’m no fan of the current half-haptic center button panel found across most of the Porsche lineup. Usability is high, with plenty of pockets and ample phone storage.

Photo by: Chris Rosales / Motor1

Photo by: Chris Rosales / Motor1

Photo by: Chris Rosales / Motor1

Photos by: Chris Rosales / Motor1

Granted, the GTS’s ride was a little rough around town. The noise, vibration, and harshness were high, emanating from the varying road surfaces and cracks. Though a lot of that turned out to be a result of the Pirelli tires. A later drive on Michelins calmed down the NVH and driving character considerably.

What doesn’t feel very Porsche-like is the powertrain. As with most modern EVs, it’s completely invisible if not extremely effective. The Macan GTS packs a 95.0-kilowatt-hour battery pack and two electric motors. The throttle is linear, though I found the regenerative braking to be on the touchy side. There aren’t even any funny tricks or gimmicks to make it more interesting, but Porsche says it is experimenting with fake engine sounds and the like, at least. The current fake sound is all Jetsons and just a bit annoying.

The handling, however, makes up for some of that; this car corners exceptionally well. Even at 5,375 pounds, the Macan GTS has 911 GT3 levels of precision and feedback. It also corners with unflappable stability and balance; body control during mixed cornering and bumps is among the best in the industry. It’s freaky how much you can manhandle this thing.

Photo by: Chris Rosales / Motor1

Cons: Harsh Around Town On Pirellis, Overactive Steering For Daily Driving, Expensive

Grip is functionally limitless, and there’s a wide, welcoming pocket where you’re able to find it. The front offers more grip on entry with a slight application of brake pressure, or a lift-off, but the rear axle grips the pavement with absolute resolution. And the torque management post-apex is genuinely unbelievable. I’m able to sweep to full throttle unreasonably early in the corner with the car simply accepting the input and driving out. Zero drama and nary a peep from its tires.

Sure, it can use a little more fun in terms of slipping around and giving me a show, but the precision and intuitiveness more than make up for it. Perhaps it’s a function of the incredibly fast steering (I barely turned more than 45 degrees for my entire canyon drive), or maybe it was the freakshow-level active sway bars and air suspension. Either way, the GTS has handling behavior that rivals quite a few sports cars.

Verdict

Photo by: Chris Rosales / Motor1

While having what could be the best-handling electric SUV on the market (looking at you, Hyundai Ioniq 5 N), the kicker is that the Macan GTS Electric starts at $107,650. As tested, my Carmine Red unit was $125,920. That is quite the price tag, though Porsche says that they aren’t worried about price, and neither are its customers.

The niche Porsche wants to fill with the GTS Electric is tiny, but it believes that people will buy into an exceptionally good-handling luxury super-SUV. Putting it shortly, if it isn’t for you, Porsche doesn’t really care. They know who they’re selling to.

As a car, the GTS Electric is undeniably excellent. Is it a good value? No. But that’s not really the point.