2026 Porsche Macan GTS Electric Refines The Driving Experience Without Many Actual Changes

Porsche is not a company that ever phones it in, but when I first saw the list of changes its engineers made to the Macan Electric to create the new GTS version, I thought this might be the first time. Don't worry, though. Despite the seeming lack of upgrades on paper, the feeling you get through your sweaty palms and the seat of your pants tells you this is, indeed, a proper GTS Porsche.

In Porsche's complex trim structure, GTS cars usually fall in the middle of the range and include the sportiest options, though not necessarily the most powerful drivetrain. That's the case with the Macan GTS Electric, which gets the same motors as the Macan Turbo Electric but with a lower power output, the Sport Chrono Package with a special track mode borrowed from the Taycan, and GTS-specific tuning for the air suspension and torque vectoring found on other Macan Electrics. I didn't think that would be enough to make a meaningful difference between the GTS and other Macan trims, but I was wrong.

Full Disclosure: Porsche wanted me to drive the Macan GTS Electric so badly that it put me up in a lovely hotel, gave me sustenance for a night, and let me loose with the car in Angeles Forest.

The Macan GTS Electric starts at $107,650 including destination, and though it uses the same motors as the Macan Turbo Electric, their combined maximum output is 67 horsepower and 129 pound-feet of torque less than the Macan Turbo Electric that's $7,400 more expensive. Before you dismiss it for lacking power, just know the GTS still has 563 hp and 704 lb-ft of torque, so it ain't weak. It completes the 0-to-60-mph run in a Porsche-claimed 3.6 seconds with launch control active, which is about half a second slower than the Turbo, but trust me, you are never left wanting for power.

I drove a GTS with a relatively short list of options including Slate Grey Neo paint, the GTS Interior Package, rear-axle steering, 21-inch Turbo wheels, carbon-fiber interior trim, a Race-Tex headliner, a rear wiper, four-zone climate control, and a Bose stereo. All that brought its MSRP up to $124,200.

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According to Porsche, the reason for the GTS' lower power output is because the system has been optimized for more serious, track-oriented driving, which is why it gets a Track Endurance Mode. Engaging Track Endurance Mode cools the battery significantly in order to mitigate potential power reductions due to thermal derating, making it better at high-performance driving than other Macan EVs.

Despite not changing any actual suspension or steering hardware (aside from lowering the air suspension by 0.4 inch) the Macan GTS rides, steers, and drives light years better than the Macan 4S, which I drove back-to-back with the GTS. On the undulating and cracked surface of Angeles Crest Highway, the GTS felt composed, planted, and precise where the 4S felt bouncy, nervous, and much less eager to be driven hard. The gap between the driving dynamics of the Macan 4S and the GTS is so palpable that my fellow journalists and I repeatedly questioned the lack of mechanical changes with the Porsche rep, but apparently it's all just down to software.

Fortunately the changes have not made the GTS any less pleasant on mundane roads and freeways. The ride remains firm but never harsh, and though some tire noise makes its way into the cabin, it's otherwise very well insulated.

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The Macan GTS thoroughly impressed me on my quick day of driving in the mountains. I kept expecting it to understeer when thrown into tight turns, but there's no tendency for the nose to push wide. It clings to the road like a limpet, and my desire to avoid crashing into a mountainside won over my desire to find the Macan GTS' limits of grip. Weight-wise, the GTS is 18 pounds lighter than the Turbo, but this ain't no lightweight — it tips the scales at 5,375 pounds.

Hopping from the Macan 4S into the GTS, the steering recalibrations were immediately palpable, and though I didn't find the steering to be all that communicative, it still inspired plenty of confidence. The biggest difference in steering feel lies in the GTS's calm, stable demeanor, especially when hustling it around long bumpy sweepers that had the 4S feeling more frenetic.

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The GTS also gets two model-specific sound profiles when Sport or Sport Plus drive modes are engaged, and I think they're a remarkably convincing impression of an internal combustion engine, particularly at "idle." Is it fun to drive? It's fun in an EV way, meaning it's nauseatingly quick and has a very low center of gravity that makes it feel nicely planted, but I prefer my cars to be more playful. An electric crossover that weighs nearly 6,000 pounds with two certified Big Boys onboard isn't really a recipe for a playful driving experience, but boy is it quick and capable.

Unfortunately the GTS doesn't visually distinguish itself from the rest of the Macan Electric lineup very successfully (though most other GTS models don't either). It gets reworked bumpers front and rear, with larger vertical air intakes up front and a diffuser-like element at the rear, as well as extended rocker panels and the usual GTS treatment of black-painted elements, topped off with a barely noticeable lip on the retractable spoiler. The rest of the 2026 Macan Electric lineup will be able to order a Sport Design package this summer that includes the GTS front and rear fascias.

All Macan Electrics are also available with some new technology features for 2026, including a transparent front view for the surround-view camera system, up to five programmable trained automatic parking maneuvers, remote park assist, and reversing assist that allows the car to reverse up to 164 feet of distance previously traveled forward. They also gain a new feature for the Drive Assist adaptive cruise control that allows the system to make lane changes when prompted, so long as the driver's hands are on the steering wheel.

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None of the press cars at the first drive had the feature, so I was unable to test it. The final change for 2026 Macan EVs is one that I was also unable to test: an increased maximum towing capacity. All dual-motor Macan EVs are now rated to tow up to 5,500 pounds. Porsche said it underrated their capacity previously, so this updated figure comes without any mechanical changes.

Looking inside the Macan GTS reveals acres of Porsche's Race-Tex fabric, an Alcantara-like material that's very grippy and comfortable, but gets warm fast. Cars painted in Carmine Red, Slate Gray Neo, and Lugano Blue are available with color-matched stitching, seat belts, and GTS logos as part of the GTS Interior package. If you want real leather there are still plenty of options for that, too.

Otherwise GTS's interior is virtually the same as the standard Macan Electric, which I found to have too many hard plastics when I drove the Macan and Macan 4S last year. That's still the case with the GTS. The center console is hard plastic, and my right knee became entirely too well-acquainted with that plastic over the course of my spirited drive. At least the GTS comes standard with Porsche's excellent widely adjustable 18-way Sport Seats that did a good job of holding me steady on twisty, winding roads.

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Porsche's infotainment is well laid-out and easy to operate while driving, and there are lovely knurled knobs to control climate functions. There is one total dealbreaker for me that's hiding in all 2026 Macan Electrics: the digital odometer is done der Deutsche weg, which means it has a period instead of a comma.

As shown in the photo above, the odometer should read 1,870 miles, but instead it shows 1.870 miles. Total dealbreaker. Obviously I'm being facetious, but why on Earth would Porsche do that? Every other metric on the driver's display is U.S.-ified, from the 12-hour clock to the temperature readout, so why leave the odometer with the German punctuation?

Porsche showed us the Macan Electric's buyer profile, and it differs a fair bit from that of the rest of Porsche's lineup. Nearly 87% of buyers use their Macan EV as their daily drivers, which is a much higher number than the average Porsche owner, and Macan EV buyers are more likely to be first-time Porsche buyers. The customer who walks into a Porsche dealership seeking an electric Macan is a very different one than the average Porsche buyer. Apparently, most people who come in for a Macan EV have no interest in the brand's internal combustion vehicles, and vice versa.

All things considered, the Macan GTS Electric is a true Porsche GTS model, and as such, it drives wonderfully. It's one of, if not the, most enjoyable electric SUV to drive hard, though Porsche told us the only benchmark in Macan GTS Electric development was the gas-powered Macan GTS. The buyers who step into a Porsche dealer seeking the Porsche of electric crossovers will love it, but old-school Porschephiles and any members of the Gasoline Forever crowd need not apply.