Porsche's mid-size sport utility vehicle (SUV) Macan is an entry-level model unveiled in 2013 to target consumers new to high-performance sports cars. Starting with the second-generation model released in 2024, it is produced only as an electric vehicle, but it is seen as maintaining Porsche's signature high-speed performance and driving fun.
Launched in Korea in May, the Macan GTS (Gran Turismo Sport) Electric—considered the most complete of the Macan's five trims—was test-driven over about 400 km, including highway sections.
In the Porsche lineup, GTS is the name given to models that pursue both high performance and the convenience to handle long-distance travel. The Macan GTS Electric also felt fully equipped with both lively high-speed performance and a range of features that support comfortable driving.
High-performance vehicles often have a heavily weighted accelerator pedal and a somewhat stiff steering setup for fine control, but this car allowed smooth acceleration and steering at both high and low speeds and on both curves and straights.
On curves, some body roll could be felt due to the SUV's inherently higher body, but on straights it hugged the road, and the vehicle's stability held even over bumps. Sudden lane changes were also stable.
The Macan 4 is designed with a length of 4,784 mm, a width of 1,938 mm, and a height of 1,622 mm, while the Macan GTS measures 4,805 mm long, 1,952 mm wide, and 1,613 mm high. It is wider and longer, and only the height is lowered by 10 mm. That is because it adopts a GTS-specific sport design and sport air suspension. It also features Porsche Traction Management all-wheel drive with response five times quicker, which is applied to other Macan models as well.
High-speed driving was lively, as expected from Porsche. The Macan GTS Electric delivers a maximum output of 516 horsepower and peak torque of 97.4 kg·m. With launch control (a function that optimizes the engine, transmission, and drive power for maximum acceleration from a standstill), overboost output reaches 571 horsepower. It takes 3.8 seconds to accelerate from a standstill to 100 km/h, and top speed is 250 km/h.
It was impossible to verify the car's full capabilities on public roads rather than a track, but its characteristic power was evident when brief bursts of acceleration and output were needed, such as when overtaking.
Driving assistance features such as the advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) were somewhat difficult to use. You push the ADAS stalk down to activate the function and push it up to set the cruising speed. Unlike other brands that use buttons, it took time to get used to.
The performance of the driving assistance features was excellent. It accurately recognized vehicles cutting in, and acceleration felt smooth when increasing speed. Even though deceleration during regenerative braking was at the level of engine braking, the typical jolting sensation of electric cars was barely noticeable.
The ride felt firm. The air suspension absorbs impacts when going over speed bumps and other road obstacles, but there were moments when it felt stiff. Consumers who prefer a cushy ride may find this off-putting.
This car offers Normal, Sport, and Sport Plus driving modes. In Sport and Sport Plus, it produces distinct sounds through Porsche Electric Sport Sound, but the differences between modes did not feel significant.
Inside, the first row featured sport seats wrapped in black leather with red stitching that looked well matched. Up to three displays can be installed. A 12.6-inch curved instrument cluster and a 10.9-inch center display are standard, and an optional 10.9-inch passenger screen can be added. The passenger screen supports not only navigation and infotainment control but also video streaming.
The second row looked cramped compared with peers in the same class. The Macan Electric GTS has a wheelbase of 2,893 mm, smaller than the Mercedes-Benz the electric GLC (2,972 mm) in the same class and similar to the new BMW iX3 (2,895 mm). It is larger than the Genesis GV70 (2,875 mm).
When a man 172 cm tall sat in the second row, knee room was about one and a half fists. Trunk space is 540 liters. You can fit two golf bags diagonally, but not lengthwise. Folding the second row expands it to 1,340 liters.
The Macan GTS is equipped with a 100 kWh battery. Based on WLTP, the driving range on a single charge is 437 km. When the vehicle was received, remaining range was 415 km. After driving 180 km, the indicated remaining range on the cluster was 197 km, and energy efficiency was 4.5 km/kWh. The official combined efficiency of the Macan GTS Electric is 4.2 km/kWh. It supports up to 270 kW fast charging, taking 21 minutes to go from 10% to 80% state of charge.
The base price of the Macan GTS starts at 133 million won. The test vehicle, with various options added, was priced at 176.5 million won.