People pleaser
FOR Crisp steering and handling, sleek looks
AGAINST Using it for the family? Get the Cross Turismo instead
No one can accuse Porsche of failing to make the most of the Taycan platform. First there was the saloon, then the lifted Cross Turismo, and now that’s been slammed back down and had the plastic cladding ripped off to create the Sport Turismo estate.
The difference, at least initially, is that there is only this one GTS model in the Sport Turismo range. And since it has 20 per cent more roll stiffness than the Turbo S, it’s likely to be the raciest Sport Turismo of them all and therefore the furthest removed from the Cross Turismo – which won’t ever get a GTS variant.
Under the skin the chassis and suspension is identical to the Taycan saloon. Same 93.4kWh battery pack slung in a skateboard underneath and powering an electric motor on each axle. In fact total weight has only gone up by 15kg. The driving experience barely differs, but practicality has gained. Just maybe not as much as you might hope if you’re considering this as your next family chariot. In comparison to an Audi RS6 or Merc-AMG E63, the 446-litre boot (1,212 litres with the seats folded) is about two-thirds the size and because the roofline is 100mm lower, granny might not appreciate the long drop down. Conversely, if you’ve got an old hound, it’s less of a jump up. Swings and roundabouts.
There’s an extra 36mm of headroom in the back, although again it’s darker and pokier back there than in a big premium petrol wagon. The driver gets the best of it, sat low and snug with a cracking driving environment and mostly user-friendly screen set-up.
A full spectrum of Sport Turismos will be along shortly leaving this on paper as the middlest for price and performance. But the GTS will be the most hardcore, the most eager to be rear-drive until the algorithms demand otherwise and shuffle torque to the front motor. It’s crisp and immediate, with great body control, a satisfying thing to send down a good road. It’s hushed and refined and rides well too. But the Cross Turismo, slightly more languid and easy-going, makes more sense as a family hauler.
With 590bhp and 626lb ft during Launch Control starts (510bhp at other times) it packs more punch than strictly necessary and makes short work of the 2,310kg kerbweight. If you get the spec right, the GTS looks purposeful with great stance. It’s an appealing thing to own and drive, lacking the rumbling thunder of petrol rivals, but fighting back with flat, effective, punchy cornering.