Like a hot hatch on steroids: The Porsche Macan GTS reviewed

Enlarge / Who says an SUV can't be a real Porsche? (credit: Jonathan Gitlin)

It's very easy to have preconceptions about a vehicle like the Porsche Macan GTS. Some people will be predisposed not to like it because it's a Porsche. Other people, people who like the marque, may look down on it because they think it isn't a real Porsche. And I'll admit, I had my own preconceptions, since I am not generally a fan of the small SUV or crossover. So imagine my surprise when, after a week, I was forced to concede that the Macan GTS deserves to be taken seriously. It's definitely a real Porsche. And in fact, it might be the best SUV I've ever driven.

Yes, SUVs can be real Porsches

First off, let's dispense with the idea that SUVs are something outside of Porsche's comfort zone. The first Cayennes started rolling off the production line in Bratislava in 2002, and that model is now in its third generation. What's more, it almost certainly saved the company in the process, subsidizing the sports cars that we normally think of when we think about Porsche.

The Macan joined the lineup in 2013, arriving on these shores in 2014. And it has been quite the sales success, with Macans making up almost a third of the 246,000 Porsches delivered worldwide in 2017. The SUV-obsessed US is an even more important market for the Macan. Last year was a record year for Porsche North America, and the Macan accounted for just under 39 percent of the vehicles it delivered. When we drove the Macan at launch, it was offered in a couple of flavors-the 340hp Macan S and 400hp Macan Turbo. Since then, Porsche has added a base model (252hp, starting at $47,800) and the $68,900, 360hp Macan GTS.

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