With luxury SUVs being more popular than ever, many automakers are finding new ways to enhance the driving experience while also increasing overall comfort. Normally, the two don’t go hand in hand. Still, modern engineering innovations have gotten us closer to this coveted balance of performance and ride quality more than ever before in an SUV.
The Porsche Macan is one of the top luxury SUVs, offering impressive, sharp handling and Mercedes-level comfort all in one package. How does Porsche achieve this ideal combination with its most “affordable” SUV? With a range of both battery-electric and combustion engine models, the 2026 Porsche Macan distinguishes itself as one of the most versatile SUVs available. Let’s break down how and why the Porsche Macan should be a priority on your list if you want an amazing combination of ride quality and performance.
The Porsche Macan Can Do It All
The 2026 Porsche Macan is one of the most versatile SUVs on the market in its segment. The combustion engine Macan offers four model variants, with the $65,400 Macan on the low end and the $94,200 Macan GTS as the top trim. On the battery-powered end, the Macan Electric, which debuted in the 2025 model year, is an entirely separate vehicle built on a new EV-specific platform. The Macan Electric starts at $80,300 on the low end and tops out with the $112,700 Macan Turbo Electric model. Let’s start by examining the top combustion Macan, the GTS.
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The Hottest Gas-Powered Macan: The GTS
If you are buying a gas-powered Macan over a Macan Electric, it’s reasonable to assume that you still care about the sound and feeling of a proper engine as part of the experience. The Macan GTS has the most to offer of any available trim in this regard, with its powerful 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-6 producing 434 horsepower. While the base model Macan with its inline-four turbo is all fine and dandy, it doesn’t stand out as significantly quicker than any of its close rivals, like the $51,300 2026 BMW X3 30 xDrive. However, the twin-turbo V-6 found in the GTS model, when paired with the seven-speed PDK transmission, is what makes the experience of driving the Macan truly special.
Regarding the Macan GTS’s handling ability, the core engineering at play is the standard Adaptive Air Suspension system. Whether you want pure comfort or to attack the corners, Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) allows you to fine-tune the suspension settings to how you exactly see fit with Normal, Sport, and Sport Plus modes. The GTS comes 0.39 inches lower than other Macan models, but you can opt to keep it at its default height if preferred. The air suspension can also provide increased ground clearance up to 1.57 inches higher than the default, or be dropped in the rear for easy loading up to 1.18 inches. No matter the situation, the Macan GTS is ready and willing to handle whatever you throw at it.
The Comfort And Configurability Of The Macan
In the 2026 Macan GTS, you will find a beautiful blend of leather and Race-tex (Porsche’s Alcantara-type material) throughout the cabin. Outfitted are the standard eight-way adjustable GTS-Sport Seats, with the 18-way Adaptive Sport Seats Plus for those who prioritize comfort. Maybe you dislike the Race-tex material and want to go full leather all around in Bordeaux Red; the option is yours. There are 22 different configuration options for interior colors and materials alone. Once you start considering the customization potential with Exclusive Manufaktur Deviated Stitching packages, the Porsche Macan is a wonderland of expressive possibilities.
Yet, perhaps one of the most important aspects of the Macan’s configurability is the audio system. Unfortunately, the base audio system that comes standard with the GTS is lackluster. The optional $1,030, 14-speaker, 665-watt Bose Surround Sound system should be standard in a $90,000+ SUV, but it’s not.
However, true audiophiles will also consider the Bose system a bit disappointing for a vehicle of this quality, leaving only the $5,900 Burmester High-End Surround Sound system as the best option. With 1,000 watts of output, including a 300-watt sub, this Burmester system is one befitting of the supreme quality found in the Macan GTS. When optioned with the extra insulated windows for ultimate noise suppression, this Burmester system should bring tears of joy to your eyes and make the Macan GTS feel like a truly special experience.
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The Battery-Electric Macan Is An Entirely Different Experience
Porsche just introduced the all-new Macan Electric for the 2025 model year, with Porsche’s latest SUV offering being built on an entirely new electric vehicle chassis. Last October, we received the first-ever Macan GTS Electric, a model built to balance sport and comfort. How does this Macan GTS Electric compare to the combustion-powered GTS? Let’s break it down.
The Macan GTS Electric Provides Superb Performance
With 563 horsepower, 704 pound-feet of torque, and a zero-to-60 MPH acceleration time of 3.6 seconds, the Macan GTS Electric is devilishly fast. But that is the experience expected of the $107,650 Porsche SUV. Yet, with the addition of the standard Sport Chrono Package and the latest GTS-specific sport air suspension with PASM, this electric SUV allows several tiers of driver configurability for whatever situation.
Porsche Torque Vector Plus (PTV Plus) comes standard on the GTS Electric, whereas it is optional on the gas-powered GTS model. Optional Rear Axle Steering (RAS) is also offered on the GTS Electric, where this option is not available on the gas-powered GTS. We wouldn’t say the RAS is a must-have option, but it is certainly nice for tight turning maneuvers. Either way, you’ll see that the GTS Electric is more than capable of handling like a proper Porsche at high speeds. At low speeds, the brand’s Power Steering Plus, when combined with RAS, offers some of the best low-speed steering feedback you will find in any luxury SUV.
The Macan GTS Offers Mercedes-Like Comfort Features
The interior of the Macan GTS Electric is a mix of leather and Race-tex material, like the gas-powered GTS, but Race-tex is also featured on the heated GT Sports steering wheel, along with several other interior pieces. Interestingly, the GTS Sports seats offered on the gas-powered GTS are not available; rather, 18-way Adaptive Sport Seats come standard. These are not the same seats as those found on the gas-powered GTS model, but a different set of seats entirely that have a more sporty design.
If you want the ultimate comfort package, the obvious option is the optional $1,380 14-way comfort seats that are heated, ventilated, and massaging. Five different massage programs with increasing intensity are available, crafting the interior of the Macan GTS Electric into a personal spa whenever you see fit. This Porsche offers a sub-four-second zero-to-60 MPH sprint time with massage seats and a gorgeously high-quality interior. What more could you ask of a luxury SUV? Safe to say the Macan GTS does it all in style.
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The Porsche Macan Can Do Well In Multiple Ways
With all these different Porsche Macan models, you may still be wondering which truly is the best if you are looking for an ideal blend of comfort and sporty handling. Although the Macan GTS Electric is the ideal blend of sport and comfort within the Macan Electric line-up, there is another relevant alternative: the Macan Turbo Electric. At $115,050, the Turbo Electric is only $7,400 more than the GTS, which is really nothing if you are contemplating an SUV in this price range. The Turbo is always considered the top model in the Porsche line-up, which has all the latest and hottest innovations on display. Yet, what are the real differences between the Turbo Electric and the GTS Electric model? Let’s discuss.
The Macan Turbo Electric Is Also A Valid Option
Yes, the Porsche Macan Turbo Electric does offer more power than the GTS Electric, but not so much more that you will notice a giant difference between the two models. Both models are comfortably in the sub-four-second zero-to-60 MPH range, which is more than enough for any street-based application. The GTS does come standard with the Sport Chrono, whereas this option is a $1,180 premium on the Turbo Electric model. If you must have the absolute fastest model, the Turbo Electric is the clear choice, but thinking the GTS Electric isn’t fast enough is plain wrong.
You Can’t Go Wrong With A Porsche Macan
So among the gas-powered Macan GTS, the Macan GTS Electric, and the Macan Turbo Electric, which is the best if you want sports-car handling and Mercedes-level comfort? Well, it depends. No matter the modern narrative, nothing beats the feeling and sound of the gas-powered Macan GTS, and with its sport-specific add-ons, its on-road performance is admirable. The newer Macan Electric variants are certainly faster, but they do lack character compared to the older, yet lighter gas-powered Macan.
However, if comfort is more of a priority, the Macan GTS Electric does just about everything right while still offering more than enough performance. If you simply want the fastest Macan you can buy, the Turbo Electric is the clear option. If this information helps even one person pick their next luxury SUV, we did something right. Happy hunting!
Sources: Porsche, BMW