We tested the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo: for these reasons we like it more than the Taycan

The Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo is hard to classify. Or easy, depending on how you look at it. Its propulsion system leaves no room for doubt: 100% electric. And in terms of performance and dynamic behaviour it is a sports car to be reckoned with, while the design of its bodywork is closer to an estate with coupé-style flair than to an SUV or a crossover.

But, and here’s the good part, the Taycan Cross Turismo is ready to rival the SUVs of Porsche, the Macan and the Cayenne, once the tarmac runs out. We have already been able to test the Taycan Cross Turismo’s qualities first-hand at its national press presentation, and it delighted us. Much more so even than the Taycan, which is no small achievement.

Below we explain in detail why, although it boils down quite simply: the Cross Turismo is a Taycan with more space for passengers and luggage, which loses none of the dynamic qualities of the saloon on asphalt and adds the bonus of being able to drive on tracks, all at a price (compared with the saloon) that is more than reasonable.

First, a brief note: electrification continues apace in Porsche Ibérica, which currently sells practically the same number of combustion-engined cars as hybrids and electrics. The goal is for sales of electrified cars to exceed 60% by 2023, reaching 90% by 2028. And the hybrid versions of the Porsche Panamera or the Porsche Cayenne, the Taycan itself and, very soon, the new all-electric Macan, plus everything still to come, will play a very important role in these plans.

Exterior and interior design of the Taycan Cross Turismo

As always, there is something for everyone. Personally, I feel the same way as with the Panamera: I prefer the Sport Turismo to the saloon. And the same goes for the Taycan; I think the Cross Turismo has a great deal of personality: it is one of the cars with a “station wagon” body (let’s not call it a “ranchera”, as some may still remember) that least resembles the classic family version derived from a three-box saloon.

One of the keys to this is that it is barely 1.5 cm taller than the saloon, to which must be added the sloping roofline. Otherwise, the Cross Turismo features a fixed black spoiler above the rear window and a rear diffuser with a specific design, with silver trim on all versions except the Turbo S, where it is carbon.

Another aesthetic difference between the Cross Turismo and the Taycan saloon is that the latter, as part of the Off Road Design package, can be fitted with a series of bodywork protections to prevent marks from stone or gravel impacts when driving on tracks. My view here is that you should think it over before deciding, because depending on the bodywork colour, these plastic add-ons may blend more or less into the design… or look like “stick-on” accessories that don’t suit the car at all.

Versatility: boot, roof box and bike rack

Aesthetics aside, the important thing is that the cabin offers about 4.5 cm more headroom for passengers in the rear seats; the rest of the interior dimensions do not change. The boot does change, with two major advantages over the Taycan. The first is its 446-litre capacity, almost 40 more than the Taycan, expandable to 1,212 litres by folding down the rear seat backs. The second is the easier access provided by the tailgate.

Porsche also offers pre-installation for a convenient system that can carry up to three bicycles (maximum payload of 50 kg), with the feature of being able to fold down to allow the rear tailgate to open and access the boot without having to remove the bikes from the rack. The versatility of this body style reaches a new dimension when transporting luggage with the optional roof rails, which allow a special roof box to be mounted.

Nor should we forget the possibilities offered by Porsche in its list of options, with a practical cargo separation system. The tray designed to hide luggage is removable and can be placed behind the rear seats.

“Off-road” performance: more ground clearance and “Gravel” mode

Technically there are barely any differences between the Taycan and the Taycan Cross Turismo, beyond those intended to let the “Cross” live up to its name and extend its range of action beyond the tarmac.

If you watch the promotional videos for Porsche, or those shared during the tuning and validation days for the Cross Turismo, the first conclusion is that the car is ready to “leave the black stuff behind” and seek adventures far more demanding than you might initially imagine. For our part, so far we have only been able to test it over a couple of kilometres on a track with loose and somewhat broken stone, in search of “the shot”. But what Porsche says is usually gospel. My recommendation is that you don’t miss the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBRwF0LU3Ys

What sets the Cross Turismo apart from the Taycan is that the air suspension, which comes as standard equipment, has a special programme if the Off Road package is fitted, which allows the bodywork height to be raised by an additional 3 centimetres.

In addition, all versions come as standard with a specific driving mode called Gravel, activated by the corresponding button on the centre console. When pressed, the operation of the adaptive damping, the all-wheel electric traction, the traction control, the Torque Vectoring variable torque distribution system and the PSM stability control all adopt a specific setting to make driving on gravel tracks or muddy paths easier. The Range (which limits top speed to between 90 and 140 km/h and configures the systems for maximum efficiency), Normal, Sport and Sport Plus modes are retained.

Range and price of the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo

Honestly, I think the price premium of the Taycan Cross Turismo over the saloon is very small for everything it offers: for the same mechanical version (battery and motors), it is only 1,500 euros.

What does need to be considered is that the Taycan Cross Turismo is always paired with the higher-capacity Performance Plus battery and all-wheel drive. This means the entry-level version of the range starts at 95,995 euros, while you can get a Taycan saloon for 85,710 euros; though the latter has rear-wheel drive and a “small” battery, a combination not offered on the Cross Turismo. These are the prices for the range:

• Taycan 4 Cross Turismo: 85,995 euros
• Taycan 4S Cross Turismo: 111,508 euros
• Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo: 157,826 euros
• Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo: 191,706 euros

The power outputs are the same as on the saloon: 476 CV for the Taycan 4 Cross Turismo, 571 CV for the 4S, 680 for the Turbo and 761 for the Turbo S. These figures are always with the Launch Control activated and with overboost, for a limited time. Output without overboost is 380 and 490 CV for the 4 and 4S respectively, and 625 for the Turbo and Turbo S versions.

As I mentioned earlier, all of them have the “Plus” battery, with a gross capacity of 93.4 kWh. Theoretical ranges go from 456 km for the Taycan 4 Cross Turismo down to 419 km for the Turbo S, according to the WLTP cycle. It accepts AC charging at 11 kW with the standard charger and at 22 kW with the optional charger, and DC fast charging at a maximum output of 270 kW.

With the new Porsche Charging Planner, the system plans charging stops during a journey so that you arrive at the destination with the range the driver specifies. It does this by taking into account the output of the charging post and conditioning the battery while driving so that it reaches the ideal temperature. Optionally, it can be complemented with the Porsche Intelligent Range Manager, which works in the background optimising the route, limiting top speed or the selected climate control mode if necessary.

In any case, although range will depend greatly on driving style, the best approach for long journeys is to plan legs of around 300 km, no more than 350 km if you really push it before recharging, so that you always leave a small margin.

Dynamic behaviour and performance: perfect balance

Since there are no significant differences in weight or aerodynamics, in pure performance terms there are practically no noticeable differences between the saloon and the Cross Turismo, barely a tenth of a second in acceleration. The “slowest”, the Taycan 4 Cross Turismo, accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.1 seconds and has its top speed limited to 220 km/h. This figure rises to 240 km/h on the 4S, which shaves a second off the sprint time.

The Turbo and Turbo S are simply on another level. Top speed remains self-limited, in this case to 250 km/h. But the Turbo accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.3 seconds, and the Turbo S breaks the 3-second barrier by a tenth, stopping the clock at 2.9 s. For reference, the Porsche 911 Turbo does it in 2.8 seconds, and a Panamera Turbo S needs 3.1 seconds. The real “bogeyman” here would be the Tesla Model S Plaid +, which claims just over 2 seconds.

And since we’re mentioning the Tesla, its direct rival – more so of the Taycan than the Taycan Cross Turismo – being also a 100% electric car and performance-oriented, there really aren’t many alternatives to this electric off-road sports car. One of them could be the Audi e-tron S Sportback, with 503 CV, although it has a clearly taller, crossover- or coupé-SUV-style body. The same could be said of the Jaguar I-PACE.

Behind the wheel of the Taycan it would be practically impossible to tell whether you are driving the saloon or the Cross Turismo. Logical: there are no changes to the suspension tuning, the weight distribution, the very low centre of gravity or the motors’ output. All of them, from the Taycan 4 Cross Turismo onwards, impress with their pushing power and the ease with which they gain speed, although the Turbo and Turbo S play in a different league. There is no gear lever or paddles on the steering wheel, and getting used to that takes some time when talking about a Porsche. But after just a few kilometres you are enjoying genuine sensations.

Above all, it is still a Porsche

Depending on the chosen programme, the motors will recover energy when you lift off the accelerator, with strong deceleration… or let the car coast in search of those extra metres that help efficiency and add up to total range; it depends on how you configure the system for each programme. The same applies to the so-called “Electro Sport Sound”, which you can switch on or off at will; in my view it sounds rather too “synthetic”. At first it adds an extra sensation, but you will almost certainly end up switching it off or linking it only to Sport Plus mode, the sportiest.

The Taycan’s cornering is incredible: “stuck to the tarmac like a limpet” is more literal here than on any other Porsche. The agility a car of this weight achieves is also impressive: 2.4 tonnes in the case of the Turbo, which is more than a Panamera Turbo S Hybrid, even though it is smaller; and all that without needing four-wheel steering, which comes as standard on the Turbo S.

To round off the picture, the brakes offer a magnificent feel. Optionally, high-performance brakes can be fitted – standard on the Turbo – with discs coated in tungsten carbide. And above those are the carbon-ceramic discs – standard on the Turbo S – which only seem essential to me if you plan on doing laps of a circuit. Because the Taycan Cross Turismo, besides leaving the tarmac and reaching places you would never imagine, can also take on “hot laps” on a circuit, with results that would put many sports cars that seem more suited to such tasks to shame.

Image gallery Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo

Technical specifications of this car

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