Porsche Macan GTS Review: Time To Hulk Out

“That’s my secret cap! I am always angry!” These words were spoken by Mark Ruffalo in the Marvel movie ‘Avengers’ playing the role of likeable and affable Dr. Bruce Banner as he turns into his enormous green monster avatar, the Hulk’ and punches an alien warship, breaking it! As I flexed my right foot, pressing the accelerator to the floor, the 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 engine on Porsche Macan GTS lets out an angry growl and leaps ahead with the ferocity and urgency of a rocket. The growl in question is more of a mellifluous symphony than raucous noise, something that my ears grew accustomed to over the two days that I drove the Macan GTS.  

Porsche Macan GTS India Relay

(The Porsche Macan GTS looks stunning, especially in the Python Green colour, that is an optional extra)

Driving a Porsche is a special occasion in itself but having a tricked out Porsche Macan GTS all to yourself for a road trip from Chandigarh to Srinagar is the stuff road tripping dreams are made of! So, I welcome you on the Porsche Macan GTS India Relay. And fasten your seat belts because it is going to be an exhilarating drive! So, our route for the Porsche Macan GTS India Relay was a relatively simple one! We started our drive from Chandigarh and had to reach the beautiful city of Srinagar in Jammu & Kashmir. It was a distance of 570 odd km.

Porsche Macan GTS Performance

First off, the Python Green colour on the Macan GTS commands massive attention on the road. At speed, it feels almost as if the Hulk is barrelling down the road, in your direction. Talking about barrelling down, the performance on this SUV is something that a superhero would appreciate! The Macan GTS feels equally at home, whether it is pushing you back in your seat, springing G-forces beyond your imagination or being stuck behind a slow-moving truck ahead of you for kilometres on end. Oh! And in case you were wondering, GTS stands for Gran Turismo Sport.

(0-100 kmph sprint comes in just 4.3 seconds, for a car that weighs over two tonnes)

Like I told you before, the Macan GTS that I am driving is tricked out! It gets the optional sport chrono package, which means it does the 0-100 kmph sprint in a shade over 4 seconds and that means it will catapult you into reaching silly, stupid speeds in the blink of an eye! I mean, the tiny devil on my shoulder says I need to, and I can go faster but the angel on the other side keeps me from turning the highway into a racetrack! 

(The Porsche Macan GTS is a corner-carver and the best performance comes in the Sport Plus mode)

Now, there is no two ways about the fact that the Porsche Macan GTS has a stiff suspension. You will be most comfortable in the comfort mode but in case you want things dialled up, choose the Sport+ mode and the steering and suspension stiffens up to the point of being bumpy and noisy, throwing you all around! But that is best left for a racetrack. For day-to-day driving, the car does best in the comfort and sport mode. In terms of dynamics, the Macan GTS is spot on!

(The Macan GTS is likely to leave all other cars in its rear-view mirrors, on the highway)

Few stretches of road in J&K were in hill country, with some really fun stretches that allow you to put the pedal to the metal and test the Macan GTS. And I really had a hard time deciding whether it was more sportscar or more of an SUV/crossover. The grip from the Pirelli P Zero tyres and the AWD system was phenomenal and it felt like the Macan was driving on rails, with negligible body-roll for a high-riding car. 

(Just to give you an idea of its dimensions, the Macan GTS is longer and wider than the Mahindra XUV700)

The way the Porsche Macan GTS handles is noteworthy. The feedback from the steering is incredibly precise and it feels nicely weighted too. All said and done, the Macan GTS is a delight to drive and it is not easy, getting enough of it! And the Porsche 7-speed PDK has a huge part to play in giving you that precise power and torque delivery all throughout! It is truly one of the best gearboxes out there!

(There was a lot of night driving involved, which wasn't a problem, with the Macan GTS)

What also has us in awe, is the efficient manner the Macan GTS puts the power down, or actually, the sledgehammer down! For most part, the rear wheels get maximum power and torque, but the moment, there is a hint of the rear tyres losing traction, the torque vectoring kicks in and it sends some of the power to the tyres up front! And if you are feeling really naughty, you can switch off the electronics completely and just go for it! But of course, you do that on a racetrack! 

(We particularly like the lighting detail at the rear, on the Porsche Macan GTS)

Porsche Macan GTS Interior & Features

The Macan GTS comes loaded with a bunch of features. There is a nice, slick touchscreen that can gets Apple CarPlay but not Android Auto. The dashboard and cabin is typical Porsche, loaded with adjustment options and carbon fibre inserts. Now, the seats while sporty, are definitely not comfortable for a long ride. And especially for someone who is plus-sized. 

(The cabin is all black and it does give off that sporty vibe! We particularly like the carbon-fibre inserts)

The panel surrounding the gear lever get a multitude of backlit buttons that offer haptic feedback but aren’t the most ergonomically placed as you need to take your eyes off the road to operate them. There are buttons to amplify the exhaust note, raise the suspension, engage the off-road mode, parking assistant and lane-keeping assistant. The lever itself feels good to hold and operates with an old-school ‘thunk’ that is likeable.

(The touchscreen display is slick and is quick to respond to touch)

If you like playing songs while driving and need help with reversing and parking, then we suggest you get the optional Bose audio system and the reverse camera with surround view, priced at Rs. 2.45 lakh and Rs. 1.52 lakh respectively. We think it is good investment too. And so is the sunroof for Rs. 3.43 lakh, which can fill some light in the otherwise blacked out cabin, except for the green seat belts and green stitching on the seats. Those are likeable touches!

Porsche Macan GTS Pricing and Optional Extras

(The three pod instrument console, with an analogue tachometer and speedometer is just old-school cool. Definitely like it)

Right! Now comes the important part! Pricing! The Porsche Macan GTS, by itself, costs a cool Rs. 1.47 crore (ex-showroom). But, there are a variety of optional extras that you can add to your car! For example, the car that I was driving, had the sport chrono package worth Rs. 22 lakh. Oh! And before I forget! If you want the python green colour, you will have to shell out an extra Rs. 4.92 lakh. So, with the additional trimmings, the total ex-showroom cost of the Macan GTS goes upwards of Rs. 1.8 crore, which is eye-watering!

Porsche Macan GTS Verdict

(The Porsche Macan GTS posing with the Dal Lake in the backdrop)

We wish we had more time to explore the beauty that Kashmir has to offer, but next time! But this! This road trip has been an absolute banger! The Porsche Macan GTS is truly the master of all trades, well most of them and even with the tall asking price, we say it is a brilliant piece of investment! Performance, practicality and pose value! The Porsche Macan GTS has it all and then some more!

Photography: Arvind Salhan