Porsche Taycan Estate
If the Panamera proves that there’s still life in petrol, the Taycan shows that an EV future is pretty bright too
COMBUSTION or electric, coupé or Cross Turismo, there’s always one thing that remains a constant throughout the Porsche range, and that’s a lengthy personalisation list. Among the many options fitted to this Taycan 4S Cross Turismo are the black leather-free interior (£2,538), Ice Grey metallic paint (£1,683), 20-inch Turbo design wheels (£1,776), a Panoramic roof (£1,137), a 22kW AC charger (£1,179), the Sport Chrono Pack (£788), a Bose surround-sound system (£956), and the 4+1 seating arrangement (£336). Those bump up the £91,000 starting price to £101,393.
Design & engineering
THE Taycan marked Porsche’s entry into the world of fully electric vehicles in the modern era, and the project was no small undertaking. An all-new electric architecture, called J1, was developed with Audi; the project also spawned the e-tron GT, which uses very similar hardware.
The new underpinnings showcased EV technology that was, at its release in 2019, some of the most advanced on the market. Indeed, 800-volt electrical architecture means that the Taycan is available with ultra-rapid charging.
Initially, the Taycan was launched as a four-door, whose styling stayed faithful to the stunning Mission E concept revealed at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. Since then, the range has been bolstered by two estate variants: the Sport Turismo, and the slightly jacked-up Cross Turismo model we’re driving here. Mechanically, there’s little to separate the Cross Turismo from the rest of the Taycan range, but the optional off-road pack raises the air suspension by 10mm in its Medium mode, to complement a little extra body cladding.
Inside, the cabin is just like the rest of the Taycan line-up. The design is clean and understated, with physical buttons kept to a minimum. The driving position feels as sporty and low-slung as you’d hope from a Porsche, despite the 93.4kWh battery pack located under the floor.
In this 4S model, that battery provides energy for a pair of electric motors which together offer a maximum output of 483bhp and 650Nm. Unusually for an EV, there is a gearbox, which drives through the rear motor only; a first, shorter ratio is used to give a burst of acceleration, while the second is for cruising efficiency.
Driving
CHANCES are you’ll be aware of all the inherent benefits that come about with a fully electric powertrain by now. Near-silent motors, a smooth throttle response and lightning-fast performance are here in abundance; the last of these is proved by the 0-62mph time of just 4.1 seconds, making it 0.3 seconds faster than the Panamera. The way it delivers this is stunning too, with instant response.
What is more of a departure from many EVs is just how involving the Taycan is to drive. While the noises (or lack thereof) aren’t what you’d expect to hear from a Porsche, the chassis characteristics are all present and correct. It’s keen yet controlled through corners, with plenty of composure even
when confronted with nasty mid-corner bumps. The steering is precise and beautifully weighted, too, while there’s enough wizardry going on with the way that power is split across the two axles that traction is formidable. Even in slippery conditions it takes serious provocation on the throttle to encourage the tail to slide.
Most people won’t be pushing their Taycan this hard, though, and the good news is that the air suspension system delivers a soothing ride while never feeling even remotely vague or wallowy. It’s proof, if anything else, that electric vehicles need not be dull to drive.
Practicality
AT 446 litres, the Taycan’s boot is 28 litres larger than its stablemate’s. But while there’s a small cubby under the boot floor, it lacks the 230-volt socket that the Panamera has, nor does it have levers in the boot to make it easier to drop the back seats. Once down, the backrests reveal a near-flat loading area.
Of course, with no engine in the front, there’s the added benefit of extra storage here, too. The 81-litre volume is an ideal space in which to drop the charging cables. USB-C ports in the back, a small glovebox, decent door bins, and an extra shelf below the floating centre console all feature in the cabin.
As standard, the Taycan is a strict four-seater, but for an extra £336 it can be specified with a fifth, central seat in the rear. This is quite narrow, though, so it’s better suited to children.
Ownership
CHARGING is one thing to consider when living with an electric car, but the Taycan is one of the quickest and most stress-free options around. Porsche says that it’ll charge at a peak of 270kW, meaning a five to 80 per cent recharge (that’s 201 miles, based on our efficiency reading) is added in 22 minutes and 30 seconds. When we plugged the Taycan into a 350kWh charger, we saw a peak charge rate of 285kW – quicker than Porsche’s own claim.
Running costs
THE benefit of running an EV (despite rising energy prices) are the lower ‘fuel’ costs over similar combustion vehicles. We averaged 3. 2 miles per kilowatt hour in the Taycan, which at the current capped electricity unit price of 28p/kWh, means that 20,000 miles of driving will come to £1,750 per year. Average the 32.1mpg we achieved in the Panamera (without charging the battery), and it’d cost £4,807 a year in unleaded. Of course, keep the battery topped up, and while prices will also rise due to charging costs, efficiency will increase and the effective pence-per-mile cost will fall.