2017 Porsche Macan GTS

Owning a smaller, sporty SUV like the 2017 Porsche Macan GTS would seem like my kind of a deal, not to mention fun.  These machines are really nice to drive on the road and have a credible off-road ability to match the SUV shape.  As a front-engine AWD SUV capable of carrying five passengers in comfort quickly, Porsche’s Macan GTS has to be at the top of the list for best contender.

When Porsche designs a vehicle, you know you are going to get a machine that covers the road quickly.  With the Macan GTS, Porsche has focused on the ‘sport’ part of SUV more than the ‘utility’ bit, and that’s to most people’s liking because what you have is a sensationally rewarding drive.

Heralding a new 3.0-litre, 6-cylinder engine with Turbo thrust there is no shortage of power and torque.  Passing the 265 kW from the engine to the road via AWD is carried out via a smooth operating PDK 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox with a manual shift mode.  A full 500 Nm of torque is instantly available at the driver’s right foot from a low 1650 rpm.  And this steady flow of torque continues up to 4000 rpm, where the 265 kW of power takes it through smoothly to 6000 rpm.  Being a petrol-fed engine, the smooth running is uncanny, while the glorious engine notes – when under load – always brings a smile to your face.

Porsche claim that the new Macan GTS will smite the 0-100 km/h time in just 5.2 seconds, while the acceleration between 80 and 120 km/h can take as little as 3.4 seconds.  With Sport+, the sprint time drops to five seconds flat.  This is an exhilarating drive that always feels really well connected to the road.  A top speed in excess of 250 km/h can be accomplished on the right bit of road without the blue twinkly lights.  Considering the performance potential of the Porsche Macan GTS, the fuel consumption which averages out around 10 litres/100 km doesn’t sound all that excessive; it is a sports SUV after all.  Depending on how heavy your right foot is all the time will affect how economical the new Macan GTS proves to be, but ain’t that the same for any car?

2017 Porsche Macan GTS

To look at, the Macan GTS has a lovely shape that boasts quite a low roofline for an SUV.  Always looking ready to pounce, it sits nicely squat on its rear haunches.  Porsche have given the Macan GTS a sports suspension that can lower the ride height for seriously quick driving, while Porsche have managed to keep the Macan GTS centre of gravity to around 24 inches above the ground – meaning that the handling ability of the Macan GTS is simply outstanding.  The Jaguar F-Pace is another sporty SUV that takes the sporting part of SUV very seriously.  The Macan’s centre of gravity is 10 percent lower than that of the F-Pace – just to give you an idea of what the Macan GTS is like in the twisties.  Keeping the weight low and light is important, and Porsche have the Macan built with plenty of aluminium in its design.  An aluminium bonnet is standard kit.

2017 Porsche Macan Interior

You have plenty of trim and colour choices for the Macan’s interior, and you can even enjoy the Macan GTS interior with a full carbon fibre trim, accented stitching for the dash and sport seats, a multi-function heated steering wheel, heated and cooled leather front seats, keyless entry and start, a panoramic glass roof that both front and rear occupants will enjoy, and the steering wheel covered in a suede-type material that is both  grippy and nice-to-the-touch.

Sitting in the cockpit of the new Macan GTS, you’ll appreciate just how snugly the seats make you feel.  Looking through the steering wheel to the dials on the instrument panel and you’ll see an eye-catching conglomerate of circular housings for speedometer, rev counter and vehicle information.  The multi steering wheel has mounted controls for the instrument display associated with vehicle information that the driver can see beyond the steering wheel.  Using these controls you can scroll through information for phone, audio, satellite navigation, trip information, tyre pressures and torque split between wheels.  Glance your eyes down the centre console around where the gear lever is housed, and you’ll see quite an array of switches that control various functions like the sport modes, suspension tuning, suspension lowering and lifting, automatic start and stop engine functions, seat heating and sports exhaust resonances.  At first all the buttons looks a little overdone but actually they are all easy functions to use and you quickly get used to them.

In the centre of the dash is the 7-inch touch screen that uses the latest PCM features, and the graphics are very clear with intuitive functions.  AppleCar Play is a standard feature for all you music lovers.  It would be nice to have a larger screen though, just because.

The new Porsche Macan GTS comes with plenty of driving aids that include lane change assist, blind spot monitoring, ESC, emergency braking systems and active cruise control.  Cameras and smart parking features make things easy around town.

The luggage space isn’t too bad for what is a smaller sports SUV.  Around 510 litres will swallow cargo at the rear with the seats in place, so this should prove plenty enough space for a romantic weekend away!  Of course, the rear seats will fold flat, and there are some good storage compartments around the cabin.

The 2017 Macan GTS is a top-notch Porsche that you’re going to enjoy driving.  Truly, the Macan GTS is the class leader at the time of writing, particularly when sportiness is paramount.  Though the Jaguar F-Pace needs full attention, too.

2017 Porsche Macan GTS

The current 2017 Porsche Macan GTS models include the:

• Macan GTS
• Macan GTS Sport+

For any more information on the latest Porsche Macan GTS models or, for that matter, any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181.  If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Porsche dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours.  Private Fleet – car buying made easy!