Porsche Macan GTS Electric review: The three-letter code only Porsche people understand

[SINGAPORE] Never mind what’s in a name, because the Porsche Macan GTS Electric is a fine example of how post-nominal letters count for more instead. The “GTS” tag has promised exhilaration since 1963, when the 904 Carrera GTS first carried them onto a racetrack, and they’ve since graced a number of exquisite Porsches.

Now it’s the Macan Electric’s turn to get the GTS treatment, which is really going to save buyers a bit of time and agony, possibly even money. Porsche offers endless customisation, after all, and grappling with a given model’s options list can leave you feeling like you’ve just failed to solve Fermat’s Last Theorem. 

But the GTS trim saves you the headache of trying to build the perfect Porsche sport utility vehicle (SUV) for yourself. Just as an omakase meal lets the chef show off their best moves, GTS allows Porsche’s engineers to make a car just so.

Beyond a straightforward power upgrade, it’s essentially a superbly curated list of tasteful and meaningful add-ons: black exterior trim, lowered suspension, torque vectoring (meaning power sent to individual wheels for sharper cornering), extended Race-Tex upholstery and, here, a synthetic engine note.

It’s usually a money-saver, too. Option all that yourself for a basic Macan and you might spend more than the S$365,988 (without Certificate of Entitlement) Porsche wants for the car with this ready-made bundle. And if there are still items you want to add, such as Porsche crests on the front headrests (a snip at $1,531), you can always go crazy. 

Sadly, I only had a few hours behind the wheel, nowhere near enough to know what living with the electric Macan is like, but plenty to know I enjoyed every minute of it.

The GTS has 509 horsepower on demand, which is plenty, but if you’re feeling extra frisky you can engage a launch control programme. That conjures up 563 hp for a 3.8-second sprint to 100 kmh. It’s fast enough for hilarity and exhilaration, but not so violent that you feel your insides might become outsides.

Every other dual-motor electric car is blazingly fast, though. The appeal here is that the steering feels nice and meaty, and the Porsche actually feels connected to the tarmac. It’s not as light on its feet as the old combustion Macan, but it does manage to conceal its 2.4-tonne mass well.

Much of that weight belongs to the batteries, of course, but at least they deliver: you get 513 km of range (WLTP) from the 100 kWh (gross) pack, which charges from 10 to 80 per cent in 21 minutes.

SEE ALSO

Xpeng Mona L03: The Category A EV that could usher in robot helpers

In Sport mode, the speakers pipe in a low rumble, even at a standstill, as if from an engine. I rather liked it, though I suspect the same trick from a Chinese brand would only invite scorn.

The test car came with two options worth flagging. The 22-inch wheels look the business but turn the ride busy without really making the steering scalpel sharp, so I would save the S$13,239 it costs to have them. Blind spot monitoring, though, is money well spent at S$3,860; call it insurance against a painful prang.

The Macan is no family bus, but rear legroom has grown noticeably over its predecessor, and the boot takes 476 litres of cargo.

There’s also an 84-litre frunk that you can open with a tap of the key, which really beats fumbling for a latch near your ankles at the exact moment your spouse arrives with an armful of groceries and zero patience left.

Inside, the main touchscreen measures a restrained 10.9 inches, which some will call dated but I call correct. This is a Porsche, after all, so the only screen worth your attention is the windscreen.

The air-con controls and vents are pleasingly analogue too, proof an EV needn’t feel like an iPad on wheels. Meanwhile, the cabin materials feel properly substantial, more than some German rivals can claim these days.

The Macan will also park itself, useful for silencing the berk who asks, “My Chinese SUV can park itself, can your Porsche?” The real rejoinder is that you get to say, “My SUV feels like a Porsche. Does your Chinese SUV?”

It may not have an engine, but the steering feel, cabin solidity and sense of occasion here all honour the Macan’s badge, which still carries weight among people who know their cars.

Some will find it not nearly new-fangled enough, but tradition is partly why you buy this. It’s not the most exciting Porsche I’ve ever driven, but it’s among the most satisfying electric cars I have. You could put that in writing using just three letters.

Porsche Macan GTS Electric Motor power/Torque 509 hp (563 hp with overboost)/955 Nm Battery type/Gross capacity Lithium-ion/100 kWh Charging time/Type About 10 hours (11 kW AC), 21 minutes 10 to 80 per cent (270 kW DC) Range 513 km 0-100 kmh 3.8 seconds Top speed 250 kmh Efficiency 21.2 kWh/100 km Agent Porsche Singapore Price S$365,988 without COE Available Now