Since its launch 3 years ago, the Porsche Taycan continues to set the mark for the EV market; the Cross Turismo being the most practical Taycan.
Believe it or not, three years have already passed since the Porsche Taycan first came out. Since the Taycan’s launch, many manufacturers have also released their own electric cars, making EVs a must have in almost every marque’s line-up. Where Porsche’s Taycan made a difference has to do with the car’s engaging performance, contrary to the idea that EVs are not as fun to drive as petrol cars. Its recognizable design also helped make it one of the most desirable EVs ever since it first came out.
So, the Taycan looks like a Porsche and drives like a Porsche, but as our knowledge and understanding of EVs evolved over the past few years, is the Porsche Taycan still as convincing today as it was when it first came out three years ago? Are real driving emotions truly felt? Can we really manage the Taycan’s range once we look past the good looks and performance? We took Porsche’s Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo for a drive, to find out more about this all-electric, high performance station wagon.
2022 Porsche Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo
9.00 / 10
KEY FEATURES
- Station wagon with all-terrain capabilities
- Spacious trunk with capacity up to 41.4 ft³
- Minimal interior and fully digital dashboard and infotainment
SPECIFICATIONS
- Trim: Turbo Cross Turismo
- Model: Taycan
- Engine/Motor: 93.4 kWh
- Horsepower: 616 hp (670 hp with Launch Control)
- Torque: 626 lb-ft (Max. Torque with Launch Control)
- Drivetrain: AWD
- Transmission: 2-speed
- Range: 233 miles
- MSRP: From $163,400
- [do not use] Battery: 800 Volt
PROS
- Practical and spacious in comparison to the sedan
- Performance comparable to that of a supercar
- Incredibly quiet interior
- Comfortable yet sporty seats
- Unmatched driving experience in the EV market
CONS
- Poor range
- Fully digital infotainment stystem is impractical to use
- Expensive
An Instantly Recognizable Silhouette With All The Porsche Design Codes
With its sleek silhouette, its flat front end, its sculpted front wings and its futuristic tail light, there is no need to look twice: the Taycan features all of the Porsche design codes. It looks familiar enough for you to understand that this is indeed a Porsche but it looks new enough for you to know that you’re dealing with something intrinsically different. Its new signature headlights move away from the petrol-powered siblings’ iconic circular shape to create a distinct personality for the Taycan. If you want to emphasize the Taycan’s uniqueness even more, Porsche offers this Neptune Blue paint as one of the new optional colors.
As a performance-oriented EV, the Taycan keeps a discrete front grille for aerodynamic purposes. The front grille hosts Porsche’s Active Aerodynamic flaps that open and close to either improve cooling or reduce drag. Aside from being a practical and cool looking familial station wagon, the Cross Turismo differs from the sedan version of the Taycan with its ride height and its wheel arch covers, but just like the sedan version, it keeps this wide, imposing and low to the ground look.
Now let’s talk about the Taycan’s wheels: the Turbo Cross Turismo offers its signature Cross Turismo 21” wheels but this does not come cheap, as this option will cost you about $4,000. Add to that an additional $1,500 (¥198,000) to get the gloss black look for your wheels. And just like that, your wheel options will cost you more than Porsche’s PDCC $4,100. Yes, you read that right.
A Minimalist Approach To The Interior Of The Porsche Taycan
If you were to switch seats from a 911 and hop inside a Taycan, what would perhaps shock you most is the extreme minimal twist Porsche took on its EV’s interior. Gone are the physical buttons. All are now replaced by screens: three main ones (dashboard, infotainment and center console screens) and two optional ones (front passenger screen and rear passenger screen for climate control). Porsche’s new infotainment system now offers a two screen configuration: the top screen allows you to access your music, maps and general settings, while the bottom screen is where you will now find your climate control functions, access to rear and front trunks and all of the battery-related data. Though Porsche scores points with its curved, digital dashboard, this fully digital setup isn’t without its flaws. Despite its responsiveness and its convenient haptic feedback, you often find yourself digging through various menus to access anything from your music to the ventilation settings, since you cannot physically adjust the air vents’ direction. A stylistic choice that can distract you from what’s happening on the road.
When it comes to comfort, the Taycan does not let you down. As a sports station wagon that knows very well what it is, you get comfortable and sporty seats that do an outstanding job at holding you in place. Do splurge on the pricey but worthy massage option. What makes Porsche’s massage option superior to other manufacturers’ is the unmatched precision and strength of the massage points that properly apply pressure to your back.
The rear seats are not forgotten either, as they are relatively spacious and comfortable. But where the Cross Turismo shines is with the spacious storage space it offers. Not only do you still get the 2.9 ft³ storage space at the front just like the sedan, you now get 14.3 ft³ worth of trunk space (from 12.9 ft³), which transforms into a generous 41.4 ft³ once you lower the rear seats.
And even though at this point your bill might start getting expensive, do get the $2,000 sunroof and the most expensive option of them all: the $5,800 Burmeister sound system. If you are familiar with the not-so-quiet 911 interior, it’s the complete opposite here. The Taycan’s lack of engine plus its well insulated cabin create an incredibly peaceful interior, which makes the soundsystem splurge worth your while.
There’s More To The Taycan Than Lightning Fast Acceleration
Like any performance EV worthy of its name, the Taycan accelerates fast. The Turbo Cross Turismo reaches 60 mph in 3.1 seconds, which is 0.1 seconds slower than its sedan counterpart, and 0.5 seconds slower than the fastest Turbo S sedan, but it still feels just as quick thanks to the instant power delivery from the electric motors. With up to 670 hp and up to 626 lb-ft of torque with launch control engaged, the Taycan feels relentless. With the Taycan’s 800V high voltage lithium-ion battery and its capacity of 93.4kWh (understand a powerful battery that can store a lot of kW), you can keep accelerating, taking corners, braking, and it’s ready to do it all over again until it runs out of battery. The Taycan is razor sharp, the steering is extremely responsive and the car will follow where you tell it to go and what you tell it to do with incredible precision. The Turbo Cross Turismo is smoother than the Turbo S sedan, but it is not far behind in terms of sharpness and speed.
The battery is located underneath the floor; a pretty standard EV layout that helps bring the car’s center of mass down. And you might have guessed it, the Cross Turismo isn’t a light car but it isn’t necessarily much heavier than the sedan. With a weight of 5,196 lb, the Cross Turismo is only about 55 lb heavier and just like the sedan, its weight is something you barely notice when driving. The Taycan feels incredibly smooth and comfortable when cruising. In corners, it feels grounded. With its low center of gravity and its active suspension system to help counter body roll, you always feel glued to the road. And that very much makes the Taycan unmistakably a Porsche. And there’s even the Taycan’s sound to accompany this experience. Thanks to Porsche’s unique creation, a two-speed transmission fitted on the rear axle, the Taycan “downshifts” and “upshifts” just like a petrol car would and this sound element completes this brilliant driving experience.
Where the Cross Turismo differs from the sedan is with its all-terrain capabilities. The Cross Turismo gets wheel arch covers and an increased ground clearance of 0.78. Its new Gravel Mode that will automatically raise the chassis to its maximum height when going off the beaten path. It isn’t the ultimate off-roader but it’ll definitely take you places where the sedan won’t.
As for the Turbo Cross Turismo’s range, Porsche claims its combined range can go from 262 miles up to 301 miles. Of course, lots of factors influence this suggested range, such as driving reasonably with no launch controls. And forget about using the air conditioning features. So yes, you might be likely to encounter some range anxiety depending on how far you go and especially how hard you drive.
Here’s What You Need To Know If You Plan On Buying The Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo
There is no debate there, the Taycan rightfully deserves its raving reviews, thanks to its flawless performance, design and practicality. Sure, dealing with the whole charging experience and the current charging infrastructure might leave you feeling a bit stressed, but as far as EVs go, it’s hard to do better than the Taycan. Even 3 years after its launch, the Taycan delivers with its engaging drive, its recognizable silhouette and its signature electric sound. With its station wagon features, the Cross Turismo can be as fun as it is practical, both for families and lovers of the great outdoors. However, the Taycan is not a cheap car and as it goes with all Porsche vehicles, you will not want to skip the options in order to enjoy the best of what the Taycan has to offer. This specific Turbo Cross Turismo will cost you a total of $213,000 (¥28,335,000) here in Japan, which includes a hefty $59,000 (¥7,775,000) worth of options. Ridiculously expensive? Yes. But it is a Porsche afterall. Porsche only faces one issue with its Cross Turismo: the popularity of the station wagon in Europe does not translate as well in North America, as drivers tend to favour SUVs when purchasing new vehicles. But while there are plenty of electric SUV options to choose from, if driving pleasure is at the top of your list, then the all-electric Taycan simply has no rivals.
