From the front the low bonnet line and stacked quad LED headlamps have echoes of the all-conquering Porsche 919 Hybrid racing car as well as the iconic 911. Twin air curtains under each headlamp direct air to brakes, while the side profile reveals a 911-like window line but a higher roofline, ending in a coupé-style tailgate. Off-road credentials are hinted at by the Cross Turismo lower valance, side skirts and rear diffuser with inlays in Brilliant Silver finish; Porsche active aerodynamics include active air intake flaps and a rear tailgate spoiler.
PERFORMANCE
All EVs have brilliant acceleration as electric motors generate 100% of their torque delivery from zero rpm. So, the Porsche Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo blitzes the 0-62mph time in just 3.3 seconds. What’s even more amazing is that it does 0-124mph in a total time of 10.7 seconds, and if you’re doing 50mph and hit the throttle you’ll get to 75mph in under two seconds. Which pretty much means any combustion engine supercar short of a quarter of a million pounds is going to come off second best. These figures are in Overboost mode, summoning up the full 680PS and 850Nm of torque. But even when you’re not doing a full-throttle launch, you can rely on 625PS flinging you towards the horizon at the flex of your right foot, with a single-speed electric motor on the front axle and a dual-speed (for even better acceleration) motor on the rear. Helping to rein it all in are Porsche Surface Coated Brake (PSCB) internally vented brake discs, 410mm diameter at the front and 365 mm at the rear.
TECHNOLOGY
It’s a flagship Porsche EV, so naturally the Taycan range has a fully digital Porsche Advanced Cockpit. Ahead of the driver there’s a cluster of instruments in a 16.8-inch panel, which you can configure to give you the readouts most important or relevant to you. Next to this is an integrated 8.4-inch centre console control panel and 10.9-inch central display for controlling climate settings, opening and closing of the charge port doors, battery level indicator and handwriting panel. There’s the further option of a front seat passenger touchscreen and another smaller one for the rear seat passengers. There are very few buttons, most controls being either via the touchscreen or the natural voice control, which is intuitive. You get the Porsche Connect system for live traffic information and Apple CarPlay – this comes with a free subscription for an initial period. The Turbo also features a 700W Bose surround sound system with 14 speakers and a subwoofer.
SAFETY
Standard safety systems include Lane Keeping Assist with Traffic Sign Recognition, Cruise control including adaptive speed limiter and the autonomous braking Collision and Brake Assist. Park assist front and rear includes a visual and audible warning and there’s a rear-view camera.
