RE: Porsche launches 571hp Macan GTS Electric
RE: Porsche launches 571hp Macan GTS Electric
Tuesday 21st October

Porsche launches 571hp Macan GTS Electric

GTS badge finally arrives in EV format - can it really be a chip off the old block?


Traditionally speaking, beyond the uber-expensive stuff, the GTS has been the Porsche to buy no matter which model lineup you were selecting from. Probably it says something about the manufacturer’s modern approach to car building that it requires a sporty designation at all (aren’t all Porsches supposed to be sporty?) but let’s gloss over any semantic issues a curmudgeon could conceivably have with the badge and acknowledge that virtually everything to wear it has qualified as very good to drive. Often ‘very good’ was the stepping-off point. 

This rule certainly included the petrol-driven Macan (which, you’ll recall, delivers 440hp via its V6, and is still available to buy on the configurator) and in terms of positioning, the electric version certainly hits the spot; its 571hp output means it slides neatly between the 516hp 4S and the 639hp Turbo. Ditto the price: £89k may sound like a preposterous amount to pay for an electric SUV, yet it undercuts the Turbo by £8,500 while promising a (you guessed it) sportier handling dynamic. Based on the GTS track record, that should be game, set, match - right? 

We wouldn’t be surprised if it did, though it’s worth remembering that battery power has a habit of upsetting the cart in terms of range pecking order. In previous testing we’ve already dismissed the Turbo as being too powerful and accelerative for its own good, and though Porsche has been careful not to overindulge its lower-ranked derivatives with preposterous numbers, it’s worth pointing out that the 4S is available for around the same money as the combustion GTS and already replicates its straight-line performance. 

Predictably, the electric version does move the game on. Thanks to the chunkier motor on the rear axle (shared with the Turbo), it is briefly capable of 704lb ft of torque when overboosting; enough to shorten the 0-62mph time to 3.8 seconds. A 100kWh battery ought to mean a 363-mile range if you drive in the WLTP fashion, and it’ll charge up to 270kW. Additionally, the Sport Chrono Package is fitted as standard, which means you’ll get the track mode that unlocks improved battery cooling, meaning there’s less chance of the Macan limiting power due to heat build-up. 

The chances of anyone taking it near an actual track are obviously close to zero, but the expectation that you might be subjecting your GTS to ‘sustained load’ is reasonable enough; after all, that’s why PTV Plus is standard, too, along with a rear-mounted electronically controlled diff lock. Porsche also claims the lowest centre of gravity for any Macan thanks to a 10mm lower ride height, and says the GTS gets model-specific damper and anti-roll bar settings to help get the best from its ‘refined’ air suspension. 

At least as important as any of this is the styling overhaul, which sounds modest - it mostly compromises ‘various black-painted details’, 21-inch alloys, and the sum total of a new Sport Design Package - but has the effect of making the Macan appear slightly more assertive than it did previously. Ditto the extended Race-Tex upholstery, contrast-stitched sports seats, and GT Sports steering wheel you get inside. Conceptually speaking, it’s the sort of visual leg up that has previously convinced buyers that the GTS is worth paying a premium for - and it might be as good a reason as any for taking the plunge here. If the pictures already have you convinced, you’ll be delighted to hear the new model is available to order in the UK from today. 


Author
Discussion

chirurgus

Original Poster:

372 posts

234 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
Is the Macan available only as a “coupe” SUV in this current iteration? If so, I presume that design was dictated by the need to reduce drag and so increase electric range.

Wardy78

1,877 posts

76 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
chirurgus said:
Is the Macan available only as a coupe SUV in this current iteration? If so, I presume that design was dictated by the need to reduce drag and so increase electric range.
Doesn't really look more 'coupe' than the last one? The Macan was never a 'box' rear?



DonkeyApple

64,551 posts

187 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
Looks quite nice and almost certainly fun to drive.

Wab1974uk

1,190 posts

45 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
Greta approves.

DonkeyApple

64,551 posts

187 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
Wab1974uk said:
Greta approves.
She almost certainly doesn't so that's another positive.

SDK

2,083 posts

271 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
"Ditto the price: £89k may sound like a preposterous amount to pay for an electric SUV"

Not really

When a petrol Skoda Kodiak vRS SUV with 265bhp costs from £54k, a Porsche SUV with more than double the power, for much less than double the price seems good value smile

DonkeyApple

64,551 posts

187 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
SDK said:
"Ditto the price: £89k may sound like a preposterous amount to pay for an electric SUV"

Not really

When a petrol Skoda Kodiak vRS SUV with 265bhp costs from £54k, a Porsche SUV with more than double the power, for much less than double the price seems good value smile
RRPs are meaningless anyway.

The comparison is the net monthly cost and as the fuel costings will be so hugely disparate one ought to consider factoring those in.

The monthly on the Skoda plus a few hundred quid of fuel might not be any cheaper than the BIK discounted Porsche with next to no electricity costs?

redroadster

1,886 posts

250 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
Only other thing that's faster about it is its depreciation.

Inbox

664 posts

4 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
redroadster said:
Only other thing that's faster about it is its depreciation.
Otherwise known as 'A highly engineered financial sinkhole shaped like a dream'.

markcoopers

706 posts

211 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
Good luck Porsche

DonkeyApple

64,551 posts

187 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
redroadster said:
Only other thing that's faster about it is its depreciation.
Only if you use the false RRP. wink

Just look at the monthly cost on a Taycan coming off its rental and compare that to its rental cost. Much of a difference?

andy43

12,005 posts

272 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
A press car in a proper colour, photographed in daylight.
Whatever next?

Freakuk

4,175 posts

169 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
I do like the Macan EV from a shape perspective, would I ever buy one... no, certainly not new it maybe a better proposition in 3-4 years time after someone else takes the EV hit.

ManyMotors

949 posts

116 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
We need more of these electric SUVs. We need more of electric everything. Unfortunately, the ignorant political environment is inhibiting growth.

Dave Hedgehog

15,416 posts

222 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
ManyMotors said:
We need more of these electric SUVs. We need more of electric everything. Unfortunately, the ignorant political environment is inhibiting growth.
who wants to buy EV's when they will depreciate 40%+ in the first year

DonkeyApple

64,551 posts

187 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
Dave Hedgehog said:
ManyMotors said:
We need more of these electric SUVs. We need more of electric everything. Unfortunately, the ignorant political environment is inhibiting growth.
who wants to buy EV's when they will depreciate 40%+ in the first year
QED.

SDK

2,083 posts

271 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
DonkeyApple said:
SDK said:
"Ditto the price: £89k may sound like a preposterous amount to pay for an electric SUV"

Not really

When a petrol Skoda Kodiak vRS SUV with 265bhp costs from £54k, a Porsche SUV with more than double the power, for much less than double the price seems good value smile
RRPs are meaningless anyway.

The comparison is the net monthly cost and as the fuel costings will be so hugely disparate one ought to consider factoring those in.

The monthly on the Skoda plus a few hundred quid of fuel might not be any cheaper than the BIK discounted Porsche with next to no electricity costs?
"RRPs are meaningless anyway"
Yes I know this - I've posted this myself here, loads of times.

For sure, someone driving 12k+ miles a year and charging at home, getting this Porsche EV on Sal Sac (2% BIK) will be cheaper than getting that Skoda (37% BIK) and filling it with fuel

SDK

2,083 posts

271 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
Dave Hedgehog said:
who wants to buy EV's when they will depreciate 40%+ in the first year
Surely that means super cheap EV's after 12 months smile

soxboy

7,073 posts

237 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
Dave Hedgehog said:
who wants to buy EV's when they will depreciate 40%+ in the first year
New Macan EV list price starts at £68.5k, 2024 models on Auto Trader start at £64k.

Darinz

180 posts

79 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
Taycan GTS has been available for some time and I believe reviewed on PH so not sure the "finally" is warranted in the headline. Ho hum