2022 Porsche Taycan

2022 Porsche Taycan

The Taycan is Porsche’s first electric car, a high-end model that offers thrilling acceleration and handling while defying convention at every opportunity.
This year, a new GTS version joins the lineup to offer a solid balance between performance and value, while all models add Android Auto as well as an upgraded infotainment software incorporating improved voice recognition and Spotify streaming audio compatibility.

Sedan, Sport Turismo (think wagon), and Cross Turismo (think wagon with rugged styling) body styles are available, though not necessarily with every powertrain choice.

The Taycan ranges from base rear-wheel-drive setup through several models to a 750-hp Turbo S flagship, with prices to match. Performance takes precedence here, with electric driving ranges running from 199 to 227 miles – hardly impressive, but that’s not the Taycan’s mission.

Porsche fits automatic emergency braking, parking sensors, and active lane control to every Taycan, while the automaker charges extra for adaptive cruise control, night-vision cameras, a surround-view camera system, and other driver-assist features. The Taycan has not been crash tested by either the feds or the IIHS.

Model Lineup

Starting around $84,000, the Taycan includes goes tech-heavy with a standard 10.9-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and newly standard Android Auto, an 8.4-inch climate-control touchscreen, and a 16.8-inch digital gauge cluster. It also includes 19-inch wheels, leather upholstery, power-adjustable and heated front seats, LED headlights, and a 9.6-kw onboard AC charger.

The Taycan 4 Cross Turismo adds a second electric motor for all-wheel drive, plus a longer roof and chunky body styling. It runs about $95,000 to start.

From there, the lineup skyrockets beginning with the $104,000 4S that offers the most range.

This year’s new Taycan GTS starts around $133,000 with specific drivetrain, suspension, and steering tuning plus a host of minor tweaks.

All in, a Turbo S Cross Turismo runs just south of $190,000, but few Porsche buyers can resist the myriad options the automaker offers. Building one to $200,000 or more is no challenge. As with any Porsche model, the laundry list of optional equipment will take picky buyers ages to sort through.

Exterior

The Taycan samples other Porsche models and yet winds up looking like its own distinct electric beast.

Its exterior is most overtly Panamera in its silhouette, but the details have some Cayenne and 911. Squint a little and you might see some Cayman to its roofline, too.

Sedans are more like sloping hatchbacks, while Turismo models have a wagon-like profile. All are distinctive, but the most dramatic of the bunch is the faux-butch Cross Turismo. This year’s new GTS trim level adds consistent, well thought-out sporty touches for a racier look.

Interior

If the Taycan is reminiscent of other Porsche models outside, it may preview their interiors. Its cabin is subdued in most hues with a combination of simple lines and high-tech displays – everywhere, that is.

In some ways, its simplicity almost nods to the past, but there are plenty of modern features here.

There’s also 21st-century comfort from the supportive front buckets, which offer standard 14-way adjustment and can be upgraded to 18 directions.

Rear-seat riders will find a little less space. Form takes precedence over function here. Adults can sit in row two’s outboard seats, though a third passenger might wind up being unhappy.

Two trunks offer almost 15 cubic feet of space, though the rear has far more space. Turismo versions can swallow considerably more – upward of 40 cubes with their rear seatbacks tumbled forward.

Driving Impressions

With 79.2 or 93.4 kwh of battery on tap and either one or two electric motors, the Taycan can zip silently to 60 mph in between 5.1 and just 2.6 seconds. Even the slowest ones feel downright quick, their power easily overcoming prodigious heft.

Taycans are not one-trick EVs, though. Their grip and balance is Porsche-grade, and the optional air springs soak up rough terrain.

Optional chassis control systems make those responses even snappier, with more adjustment on hand for fine tuning from the driver’s seat. Braking is spectacular, especially for an electric car, too.

Final Word

Porsche’s first electric model is a polished, breathtakingly fast offering with seductive style and a high-tech interior. A Taycan Cross Turismo checks plenty of boxes—even the green ones.

 

–by Andrew Ganz, with driving impressions from The Car Connection