Car review – Porsche Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo

G-force defier

You need strong neck muscles and a strong stomach for this electric sports car with crossover tendencies. This does not take away the fact that it can also be used as a daily driver.

The handier brother

The handier brother

The Taycan has become a familiar sight on the street. The Cross Turismo will undoubtedly boost the success of Porsche's electric 'mini-Panamera' even further. It has clearly gone for lifestyle with its 2 cm raised suspension and its coupé-crossover lines. In the rear, passengers have 36 millimetres more headroom, while the boot is 405 litres and can be expanded to 1,171 litres by folding the rear seats. This is rather limited, but more than the sedan, which also has a much lower boot opening.

Unperturbed

Unperturbed

The Turbo, like the Turbo S and the 4S, is a four-wheel drive. With its huge power (680hp in overboost) and ditto torque (850Nm), this is no unnecessary luxury and it's impressive how the Taycan stays in control of any situation. Never before have we experienced such cornering stability as aboard this Taycan Cross Turismo, despite its slightly higher suspension and therefore greater natural roll. However, our test car was not equipped with the optional rear-axle steering, which reduces the turning circle and increases the stability at high speeds.

Cockpit feeling

Cockpit feeling

The sleek dashboard contains a 10.9-inch touchscreen in full HD, which is part of the standard Porsche Communication Management (PCM) with online navigation and smartphone integration. The screen may be small, but it is easy to operate and well laid-out. The Passenger Display appears to be more of a gadget than a real added value. For the same budget, you can opt for seat ventilation, which is what you want on summer days. For the rest, you can personalise this Taycan as much as you like. This customisation option contributes greatly to the appeal of a Porsche, as do the high-quality materials. However, in the case of the Taycan, they don't always look as luxurious.

Limited range, lightning-fast charging

The Taycan Turbo's official driving range is only about four hundred kilometres, while the Tesla Model S Long Range model promises 652 kilometres and has a similar performance. The Porsche is therefore less efficient, but compensates this somewhat by its lightning-fast charging speeds. The Taycan's 800V architecture allows it to generate 270 kW at super-fast DC stations. Charging from 5 to 80 per cent takes just 22.5 minutes. Apart from that, the heat pump seems like a sensible investment, but at this level this efficiency-enhancing technology should have been standard, just like the Porsche Intelligent Range Manager.

The Cross Turismo is more practical and usable on a daily basis than the sedan. With its 680 horsepower, the Turbo is an unperturbed racer. Its physical limits are far beyond your comfort zone, but it can also be very docile if you want.