The 2020s are shaping up to be the decade of the alternative fuel drivetrain. Porsche, having had early success with the Taycan—1,500 examples of the model sold in the U.S. during the last quarter of last year—is striking while the iron is hot, and introducing a Taycan wagon to the shores of SUV-land. The model was first previewed in 2018 as the Mission E Cross Turismo, and it’s striking to see how close the vehicle was to its final form back then. The Taycan sedan concept, on the other hand, was unveiled in 2015.
At $91K, the Taycan Cross Turismo may be slotted to compete with the Tesla Model S, but being an all-wheel-drive shooting brake-inspired wagon, it steps out of the sedan demographic. It could stand toe-to-toe or better with the Audi A6 Allroad and Mercedes E-Class Wagon, but it’s more expensive, and an electric car to boot. The model variant is slated to appear in U.S. dealerships later this year, but how good is Porsche’s timing when it comes to marketing a full EV wagon in a country stubbornly tied to the ICE?
The Taycan’s range anxiety-reducing battery tenacity and the Cross Turismo’s turnkey superfamily/supercar personality may illuminate the immediate future of this road trip-ready EV. The Cross Turismo’s profile is thoroughly Porsche, with the sedan’s subtle lines elongated, and should appeal to buyers desiring not just a change to an electric drivetrain, but a shift away from the anonymity and ubiquity of SUV and crossover forms. It looks, in a word, fantastic: fast, classy and discriminating.
Fast it is—the $90,900 Taycan 4 Cross Turismo’s motors produce a total of 469 horsepower as long as the car is equipped with Overboost Power with Launch Control (375 without Overboost), and the car can snap to 60 MPH in 4.8 seconds. The $110,300 Taycan 4S Cross Turismo increases the power rating to 562 horses (482 without Overboost) and can hit 60 MPH in 3.9 seconds. The $153,500 Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo makes things even more thrilling with 670 horses (616 without Overboost) and a 3.1-second 0-60. Finally, the $187,600 Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo tops the range with 750 horsepower (616 without Overboost) and launches to 60 in 2.7 seconds.
It appears that the car will only be available with Porsche’s ‘Performance’ battery option, but that’s a good idea for range enhancement anyway. It will be available in all Taycan trim levels, and come with panoramic roof and Porsche performance features standard, including PASM: Porsche Active Suspension Management. This makes the entry-level Taycan 4 Cross Turismo a pretty good value compared with the base Taycan sedan.
