The 2020 Porsche Macan gets the GTS treatment

Porsche announced the 2020 Macan GTS today, which targets those buyers looking for maximum sportiness and driving enjoyment who also crave the pragmatic advantages of a crossover SUV.

The GTS move is a known (and loved) process by now: take the best, performance-minded options from the top-tier turbo variant, drop the top-level luxury options, and package the go-fast goodies at a considerably lower price. It’s not the top-dog Turbo trim, but you’re also not getting fleeced for top-dog money.

The Macan GTS gets the same 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-6 that you’ll find in the Macan Turbo, but output rings in at 375 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque in the GTS, slightly lower than those of the Turbo. This power propels the roughly 4200-pound GTS to 60 mph in just 4.7 seconds, according to Porsche, and that time drops to just 4.5 seconds if drivers opt for the Sport Chrono package. 

Porsche’s world-beating seven-speed PDK gearbox helps mete and dole power to all four wheels via an active all-wheel-drive system called Porsche Traction Management (PTM). Slowing that heft should be a breeze as well—the Macan GTS gets 14.1-inch cast-iron rotors up front and 13-inch rotors out back. For maximum halt, buyers can opt for either the Porsche Surface Coated Brake (PSCB) tungsten carbide-coated brakes or the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB).

The Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system has been specifically tuned to play nice with the Macan GTS’ chassis, which slumps 15-millimeters lower to the ground. Spring for the optional air suspension, and your driver-focused Macan drops an extra 10mm lower still. Factor that return-to-tarmac ride-height adjustment with the massive 20-inch RS Spyder-design wheels, and the line between “sporty crossover” and a “Golf R on platform shoes” becomes even murkier. 

The Macan GTS gets Porsche’s Sport Design treatment, which includes a new front and rear trim and special side skirts that conspire to pull the car lower to the ground. Toss in a smattering of black accents—a trademark for GTS models across all Porsche models—and the end result is a very handsome package. Inside, the story is the same, thanks to a sprinkling of Alcantara leather inserts adorning the GTS-exclusive eight-way adjustable sport seats.

The 2020 Macan GTS is will start at $72,650 (destination included). Dealers are taking orders now. Expect the first Macan GTS’ to show up in U.S. dealer lots around the summer of 2020.