2020 Porsche Macan GTS Road Test and Review

In 2019, Porsche sold more cars and SUVs in North America than it ever has before: 61,568 vehicles in total. It’s the luxury brand's 10th consecutive year of increased sales volume. Although its sexy sports cars remain popular, SUVs have become its bread and butter. It sold over 41,000 SUVs last year, and the Macan, its smallest and most affordable crossover, was its best-selling model.

But Porsche never rests on its laurels. This year it's introducing several new versions of its SUVs, including a Cayenne Coupe, with a swoopy fastback roofline, and this 2020 Porsche Macan GTS. GTS stands for Gran Turismo Sport, and a bevy of Porsches have worn the three letters in the past 13 years, including the 911, Cayenne, Panamera, and Cayman. A Porsche's GTS model always offers more power and handling than its S version but isn't as powerful as its Turbo or GT models.

Built in Germany, the new Macan GTS is one of our favorites in the extremely competitive high-performance compact luxury suv class, which also includes the BMW X3 M40i Competition, Mercedes-AMG GLC43, and Audi SQ5. Four versions of the Macan are now available, with the GTS slotting between the 348-horsepower Macan S and the manic 434-hp Macan Turbo. Its base price of $72,650 also lands between the prices of the other two.

This isn’t the first Macan GTS Porsche has offered. A previous version was available from 2014 to 2018. It was powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 that made 360 hp. That engine is history. The new Macan GTS is powered by the same twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 you get in the Macan Turbo. It’s been detuned, however, to produce 375 hp. That’s more than you get in the Audi SQ5, but most of its rivals offer a bit more. Porsche’s excellent seven-speed PDK automatic — which is still the best dual-clutch transmission around — is standard, as is all-wheel drive.

The Macan’s twin-turbo V6, which is also used in the Panamera, is smooth, revs to a high of 6,800 rpm, and makes a load of bottom-end torque, 383 lb-ft of torque at just 1,750 rpm. And that plateau of power lasts until 5,000 rpm, so the engine is always responsive, always ready to move the 4,370-lb SUV with zest. Porsche says the Macan GTS accelerates to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds or 4.5 seconds with our test car’s optional Sport Chrono Package. However, it feels quicker than that and it surely is. Porsche is notorious for underestimating the speed of its cars.

Use its Launch Control, which unleashes the SUV at 5,000 rpm, and the GTS rockets away, its massive 20-inch tires, and all-wheel drive, putting every single horsepower to the road and converting it to forward thrust. There is no wheelspin, just motion and sharp, quick gearchanges as the transmission snatches each ratio. We suspect the Macan GTS really reaches 60 mph in about 4.1 seconds, which is quick for the class, smoking the Mercedes-AMG GLC43. The more powerful Macan Turbo is about four-tenths quicker.

Porsche has tuned its active suspension management system specifically for the new Macan GTS. The adjustable air suspension is standard. It’s the same setup you get in the Macan Turbo, but the spring rates are a bit stiffer, its anti-roll bars are thicker, and the GTS sits an inch lower than the Turbo. Our test vehicle’s optional Sport Chrono Package adds a Sport Plus Mode that tightens the suspension, increases the SUV’s throttle response, retunes the transmission, and livens up the driving experience beyond the standard Normal and Sport Modes. Porsche’s Torque Vectoring Plus system, which improves traction and handling, is also available. Staggered 20-inch wheels and specially designed Michelin tires are standard.

All that hardware makes this the best-handling SUV in its class. The Macan’s agility is amazing, especially when you consider most of its weight is over its front tires and its chassis hasn’t really been updated since 2014. Yet it’s incredibly balanced, responds quickly, offers a ton of grip, and there’s very little body roll, even in the tightest of turns.

Macan is Indonesian for tiger. But this SUV is no wild beast. It’s fast and fun, but also refined. The 2020 Porsche Macan GTS backs up its sports car performance with one of the smoothest and most sophisticated driving experiences in the compact SUV class. It’s engaging and sporty, but also comfortable and quiet with a compliant ride and light steering.

With our test car’s optional 21-inch tires and the GTS’s sport-tuned suspension, you would expect a bouncy ride in exchange for the Macan’s impressive handling, but that’s just not the case. In the softest setting, its air suspension soaks up the road so well that the SUV seems to glide, even over choppy pavement.

And then there are the Macan’s incredible brakes, so massive and powerful they feel like they can slow the rotation of the Earth. And that’s just the standard setup with the red six-piston calipers and 14-inch front and 13-inch rear rotors. They look and perform like they came off a race car. But they’re easy to modulate and aren’t grabby. The pedal effort is perfect.

Porsche also offers its larger surface-coated brakes with tungsten carbide coating that produce 90 percent less brake dust. They’re identified by white brake calipers and cost about $3,500. For about $8,000 you can also have the optional ceramic brakes. They’re even larger but lighter and resist heat even better. They have yellow calipers.

Although Porsche gave the Macan a heavy update last year, the exterior changes weren’t radical. Its shape debuted back in 2014, and it still looks about the same as it did and it’s still 184.5 inches long, which makes it only about 7 inches shorter than a Lexus RX. It also remains one of the most aggressively styled SUVs on the road, with a low roofline, radically canted rear end, and butch stance. To distinguish the GTS from other Macan models, it gets tinted LED headlamps and taillights and a subtle black GTS script on its sideblades. You almost can’t see it. All of its trim is black, including its tailgate badging, rear spoiler, rear diffuser, and girthy tailpipes.

Inside, the GTS gets more heavily bolstered sport seats, which are comfortable and do a good job holding you in place when you're exploring the SUV’s ability to create g-load. Porsche also adds some Alcantara to the seats and door panels and a fair amount of brushed black aluminum trim. Contrasting stitching in Carmine Red or Chalk with matching seat belts and carbon-fiber trim are available.

The Macan’s controls look complicated, but it’s all very simple and easy to use. The interior design is extremely similar to the interiors of the brand’s sports cars, including the 911, and it works well with an upscale feel, high build quality, and rich materials.

For rear passengers, there are rear air conditioning vents and adjustable headrests. The rear seat does fit three full-size adults if the ride is short and headroom is surprisingly abundant. Still, for most families, the larger Porsche Cayenne makes more sense. Storage inside the Macan's interior is sufficient and well thought out, though. The center console bin is large enough, the sizable door pockets have slots for water bottles, and there are a couple of well-placed cupholders.

The Macan’s cargo space isn’t exactly commodious, but it’s about average for this class. The 2020 Porsche Macan GTS offers just 17.6 cubic feet of trunk space behind its rear set. The Mercedes-AMG GLC43 offers a bit more. Every Macan GTS comes standard with a 60/40 split-folding rear seat, which easily drops flat for your larger items. With the seats down, there’s 52.9 cubic feet of space.

The Macan GTS gets the same EPA fuel economy ratings as the Macan Turbo: 17 mpg in the city, 22 mpg on the highway, and 19 mpg combined. 

Despite its incredibly long list options list, which can easily drive the price of a Macan GTS past $100,000, Porsche only offers of couple of driver aids. Adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability is standard, but lane-keeping assist and a blind-spot monitoring system are optional. Front and rear parking sensors are also standard, but rear cross-traffic alert is not available.

It’s easy to think of the new Macan GTS as a Macan S with more horsepower, but it isn’t. It’s actually a Macan Turbo with less horsepower and a considerably lighter price. It’s also one of the best SUVs we’ve driven this year, delivering a unique combination of style, comfort, luxury, and performance. If you’re looking for a high-performance small luxury SUV, one that’s extremely fun-to-drive but comfortable enough to be enjoyed every day, the 2020 Porsche Macan GTS is hard to beat.