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.

Porsche appends the Grand Turismo Sport (or GTS) badge to its more driver-focused machines, a tradition that started with the 904 GTS in 1963. So the Macan GTS is meant to be the most engaging Macan to drive, and as we'll find out, it meets that mission brief with gusto.

It’s not an Audi in drag

Next up, let's dispel the idea that this is just an Audi SQ5 in a fancy new outfit. Yes, it is indeed based on Volkswagen Group's MLB architecture, like the older Q5. But so, too, were the previous Audi A4, A5, A6, A7, and A8—and no one says those are all the same car with a different wrapper. (The current A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, Q5, Q7, and the third-gen Cayenne all use the newer MLBevo architecture.)

Jonathan Gitlin

Jonathan Gitlin

Jonathan Gitlin

Jonathan Gitlin

Jonathan Gitlin

Jonathan Gitlin

Jonathan Gitlin

Jonathan Gitlin

Jonathan Gitlin

Jonathan Gitlin

Jonathan Gitlin

Jonathan Gitlin

Jonathan Gitlin

Jonathan Gitlin

Obviously, the Macan gets a unique exterior and interior, but the differences are more than cosmetic. It uses a seven-speed dual clutch (Porsche Doppelkupplung) gearbox rather than an eight-speed automatic. The all-wheel drive system is not Audi's (torsen) quattro but is a Haldex-style setup (also used in all-wheel drive 911s). This is biased entirely to rear-wheel drive but can send torque to the front wheels (up to 100 percent, should conditions demand it) via an electrohydraulic multiple clutch.

That power and torque come from a 3.0L twin-turbo V6, developed from the engine found in the Macan S. The intake was redesigned to reduce back pressure, and boost upped from 14.5psi (1.0bar) to 17.4psi (1.2bar). So now it provides 360hp (268kW) at 6,000rpm and 369ft-lbs (500Nm) between 1,650-4,000rpm. In addition to those two turbochargers, the engine also uses variable intake and exhaust valves (VarioCam Plus in Porsche-speak), plus direct injection. It even has a dry sump, something that will mean little to most Macan buyers but probably quite a lot to those who track their cars.

And before you scoff at the idea, bear in mind that the Macan GTS has suspension that's meant to be up to the job. Air suspension is standard, as is Porsche Active Suspension Management, the control electronics and software that adjust the ride height and stiffness to keep the car as flat as possible at all times. The GTS also rides lower than other Macans (including the turbo) to keep the center of gravity as low as possible. And the brakes are as hefty as you might expect for a vehicle that weighs 4,177lbs (1,895kg)—six-piston calipers and 360mm discs at the front, 330mm discs at the rear. (Carbon ceramic brakes are available as a rather expensive $8,160 option.)

Our test car also featured the optional Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus system, a brake-based alternative to a mechanical limited slip differential or the clutch-controlled torque vectoring system used in cars like the Audi R8 or Ford Focus RS. It will brake an inside wheel slightly during cornering, rather than overspeeding the outside wheel, which may not satisfy some purists, but it's good enough for supercars like the Ferrari 488 GTB and McLaren 650S...

It feels like a real Porsche

From the driver's seat, the Macan GTS feels instantly right. The seat holds you firmly in place, with good side bolsters and plenty of adjustability from the standard 8-way power seats. (Fancier seats with more adjustability are options but probably unnecessary.) The wheel, pedals, and PDK gear selector are all well-positioned, and visibility is good. I'm a fan of the way Porsche has designed the rather minimalist multifunction steering wheel. On the side spokes are little metal scroll wheels that feel wonderfully tactile; behind each side spoke are the paddle shifters.

At a time when the rest of the industry is moving toward a single multifunction screen for the main instrument display and as few physical buttons as possible, Porsche is determined to do things its own way. In front of you is the main instrument display—analog physical dials for the speedometer (left) and tachometer (center), plus a small, also circular, multifunction display on the right.

Just about every function gets its own button—I count 32, including the driver- and passenger-side climate controls. Ahead and either side of the gear lever are things like hazard lights and your climate controls. Farther back, on the driver's side, you'll find the ones that tweak the engine and suspension management. On the passenger side are the buttons to select off-road, to switch off auto stop-start and lane keeping, and to turn on the sports exhaust.

Atop our particular Macan's dash is a little analog clock, which indicates this particular vehicle has been specced with the Sport Chrono package—the clock will double as a lap timer at the track. Sport Chrono adds more than just that stopwatch, though; you also get a Sport Plus button, which puts the car into its most aggressive mode.

Finally, in the center stack is Porsche's most recent infotainment system, which is now based on VW Group's MIB II. It is leagues better than previous Porsche infotainment systems and comes with Apple CarPlay. Android Auto is rumored to be on its way via an update, but it's not here yet.

It drives like a real Porsche

Were it not for the fact that you sit relatively high up, you'd be hard-pressed to tell that the Macan GTS is actually an SUV, based on the way it drives. If anything, it feels more like a (very) hot hatch like the Golf R or Ford Focus RS. Even with the Macan's electronic brains set to Normal, it holds the road well and resists roll in the corners. Things get more interesting when you put it in Sport or Sport Plus modes.

These remap the throttle pedal, steering weight, the gearbox response time, the ride height and suspension damping, as well as altering the thresholds at which the car's traction and stability management software intervenes. Sport Plus is the most aggressive, giving you the most immediate throttle response, a slightly higher rev limit for the engine, launch control, and—as long as the vehicle also has that torque-vectoring PTV Plus rear diff—the ability to get some throttle-induced oversteer. (There is also a separate button to firm up the suspension without remapping the throttle and transmission.)

During my week with the Macan GTS, I unsurprisingly spent most of my time in either Sport, or Sport Plus mode. Sport Plus is perfect for those times when you're having fun on a back road (or on track), but for less committed driving it can be a little much if you have the PDK transmission in automatic. That's because it will stay in each gear much longer before shifting up or down; that's great for engine braking or attacking a corner, but it also means you're burning more gas and hearing the engine more.

Then again, if you're in Sport Plus it probably means you're in a hurry or want to have fun, in which case you should be choosing your own gears. Since we're discussing the car's performance, the important figures for bench racing are these: 0-62mph (0-100km/h) in 5.0 seconds, 0-100mph (0-160km/h) in 12.3 seconds, and a top speed of 159mph (256km/h). Fuel economy is about par for the course for a sporty SUV: the EPA rates the Macan GTS at 19mpg combined (12.4l/100km), 17mpg city (13.8l/100km), 23mpg highway (10.2l/100km). (Those metric conversions are of the EPA tests, European NEDC ratings are slightly different.)

It’s expensive like a real Porsche

There's no getting around the fact that this is not a cheap vehicle. But, then, what did you expect from something wearing a Porsche badge? As with all Porsches, it's the options list that'll kill ya. Our test Macan GTS actually got off relatively lightly, its sticker price an even $85,000. Most of that was down to the Carmine Red paint ($3,120) and the leather and Alcantara interior ($4,790), both options that you could almost certainly live without. More necessary were PTV Plus ($1,490) and Sport Chrono ($1,290).

But adding navigation to the infotainment requires $1,790, and, if you also want LTE, a wi-fi hotspot, and access to Porsche's connected services, that's an extra $1,300 and a monthly fee that varies depending upon which services you want. Adaptive cruise control is $1,440, and lane keeping/lane changing assist is an additional $1,380. In fact, it only took a few minutes with the online configurator on Porsche's site to come up with $66,975 of options on top of the GTS' base price, should you wish to go absolutely crazy. Still, while it is possible to almost double the base price, most of us could live without custom paint colors, crazy contrast stitching on the seats and dash, or a leather-wrapped rearview mirror.

Even if you do as Porsche's press office did and keep the specs relatively restrained, it's reasonable to assume a lightly optioned Macan GTS will tip the scales at around $80,000. And that's more than rivals like the Jaguar F-Pace, Audi SQ5, or Volvo's XC60. But let's be honest—most Macan GTS customers are buying it because they want a Porsche and a practical car that can carry five people and their luggage. And in that regard, the Macan GTS excels.