When the all-electric Porsche Taycan debuted to the world in 2019, it quickly caught on as a fast, comfortable EV with solid range and great looks. Journalists were blown away by how well it handled itself through a twisty road and around a track, too. On April 27th, 2021, journalists around the globe spilled the beans on their impressions of the next iteration of the Taycan nameplate: the Taycan Cross Turismo. It builds upon the concept of the Taycan sedan by mixing in a bit of Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo; it’s a Taycan wagon. Though there’s more to it than its body style, as Porsche has given it some off-road capability to boost its capability.
We really dig its looks. But how does it perform? How does the wagon body style and increase in non-tarmac capability impact its versatility? We’ve assembled impressions from a selection of journalists around the globe to fill you in; think of it as a sort of cheat sheet. Or Idiots Guide To… er, scratch the latter, we’re too polite for that kind of language.
On Interesting Tech and What’s New for 2022
In terms of EV range and drivetrain, the Cross Turismo uses the Taycan 4’s drivetrain exclusively, as well as the Taycan’s largest available battery, a 93.4-kilowatt-hour unit.
Steven Ewing for CNET Roadshow – “All Cross Turismos have the Taycan’s larger 93.4-kilowatt-hour battery, and four versions will be offered at launch. The 4S, Turbo and Turbo S have the same power specs as their sedan counterparts, but the base Taycan 4 is a model unique to the Cross Turismo. While the base Taycan sedan uses a single-motor, rear-wheel-drive setup, the 4 CT has all-wheel drive thanks to its dual-motor arrangement. This means the 4 CT has more torque and better acceleration than a base Taycan sedan with the performance battery.”
The Cross Turismo’s various trims’ range is almost on-par with Taycan sedans’. The Range Mode equipped to every Taycan iteration is the ideal way to conserve charge on the highway.
Dan Edmunds for Autoblog, driving a base Cross Turismo – “After 7 hours and 38 minutes, I rolled into my driveway with 208.4 miles on the trip meter, 28% in the battery, and 76 miles of remaining range. That adds up to a projected total range of 284.4 miles, which is consistent with my Taycan sedan results. After a metered overnight fill-up, consumption worked out to 35.1 kWh per 100 miles. It would seem the Cross Turismo results amount to no more than a 5% range decrease relative to the sedan, possibly less.”
On Power Figures
As expected, these mirror those of the Taycan sedan – pretty friggin’ wild.
Christian Seabaugh for Motor Trend – “Given that dual-motor all-wheel drive is standard, the powertrains predictably copy those of the Taycan 4 and Turbo models. With a permanent-magnet motor at each axle, the rear drives a two-speed automatic and the front a single-speed gearbox. The standard Taycan 4 Cross Turismo has 375 hp and 368 lb-ft of torque; the 4S model features 482 hp and 479 lb-ft; the Turbo packs 616 hp and 626 lb-ft; and the Turbo S spits out 616 hp and 774 lb-ft.”
Christian continues on to speak highly of its acceleration: “With only small mechanical changes between sedan and wagon, it’s unsurprising the new Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo feels much the same around town as the sedan version. With its 616 hp (which creeps up to 670 horses when you use launch control) and 626 lb-ft, the wagon’s power is—to crib from the Taycan’s largest rival—ludicrous.
The Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo explodes forward when you breathe on the throttle, at a pace few other station wagons—let alone sports cars—can match. And there’s a quicker version. Porsche says the Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds and cover the quarter mile in 11.1; the company says the Turbo S version will do the deeds in 2.7 and 10.7 seconds, respectively. What’s more, we expect Porsche’s estimates are conservative, based on our previous test numbers for a Taycan Turbo S sedan.”
Matt Farah and Zack Klapman of The Smoking Tire convey the Cross Turismo Turbo’s brutal acceleration quite well, too (as well as its other aspects):
On Off-Road Ability
This isn’t a dedicated, capable off-road crawler. At least not yet. If you’re after something like that with a tiny prancing horse on its badge, go for a Cayenne. But the Taycan Cross Turismo does have some capability engineered into it, byway of its Gravel Mode. This lifts the CT up a bit via its air suspension and re-programs its drivetrain to allow for a little more slip.
Dan Edmunds for Autoblog – “Soon I found myself stammering down the graded washboard dirt road, my eyes toggling between the snow-capped eastern Sierra and the sharp, embedded rocks ahead. The air suspension did an admirable job of absorbing the worst of the washboard and geologic shrapnel, but you can’t expect miracles when you’re rolling on fully-aired, low-profile 20-inch summer performance tires.
I got out a couple of times, which meant that the car automatically reverted to its Normal mode and height each time I restarted the car. I had to remember to re-engage Gravel mode, which got me thinking about the wisdom of the Corvette’s GPS waypoint-memory front lift system.
Vehicles disappeared into campsites tucked between the boulders as I pressed on, but any temptation to ‘Send it!’ was tempered by the deteriorating surface that featured an increasing proportion of pointy stones. Ah, well. Best to enjoy the view, keep the dust down and be thankful that the Cross Turismo with the Off-Road Design Package had enough clearance and extra bodywork protection to even consider coming here. It was the tires that ultimately held it back.”
The good ride quality over the rough stuff is generally agreed upon across all reviews.
Steven Ewing for CNET Roadshow, piloting a base model – “When it comes time to Cross some Turismo, the Taycan wagon is definitely better suited to rugged driving, but not by much. Even with the increased ride height, the CT still sits lower to the ground than most compact crossovers, and though all-season tires are available with some wheels, examples like my test car have summer rubber. Even so, at least you won’t clench your teeth (and butt) while approaching steep driveways. The ride quality on broken pavement and dirt roads is noticeably better, too.”
In this video, Rory Reid over at Autotrader UK demonstrates brilliantly what the top-tier Cross Turismo Turbo S is like turned up to eleven on gravel:
On Handling
There are some distinct differences between the Taycan Cross Turismo and the Taycan sedan, mainly due to the CT’s high ride height and air suspension. Generally, it sounds like it handles slightly more SUV-like than its seated-low-between-the-wheel-arches sibling. However, when configured to the right mode, it still mobs with the best of ’em.
Christian Seabaugh for Motor Trend, behind the wheel of the Turbo trim – “Although the Porsche Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo captures the sedan’s same explosive performance, there are some differences due to the suspension changes. The Cross Turismo’s 0.8-inch lift in its default ride height may be small, but it’s certainly noticeable. Around town in Normal mode, it feels ever so slightly flintier than the sedan does, as the air springs add ride height by inflating an airbag. This makes for a firmer suspension and a stiffer, less forgiving experience.
The suspension adjustments also negatively impact the otherwise fantastic ride and handling balance. Like a Dyson vacuum, a normal Taycan Turbo sucks itself down to the road, whereas the Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo in both Normal and Sport modes feels a bit more SUV-ish, with just a hint of lean and body roll. Thankfully, Sport Plus and Range modes seem to put its suspension back in its sweet spot, delivering the quick turn-in and planted feel you’d expect from a Taycan.”
Brett T. Evans for Motor1, piloting the Turbo trim – “Once comfortable with the Taycan Turbo’s linear power delivery, I began increasing the pace. I kept the Porsche in Sport mode most of the time, keen to preserve a thick safety net of stability controls (Sport Plus is available for the truly fire-haired), but I also never felt the big wagon was lacking in grip or responsiveness, nor did I notice any ESC intervention. The Taycan simply explodes out of corners with unreal ferocity and balance, and impressively linear regenerative brakes do the same wonders for deceleration that the single-speed front and two-speed rear electric motor do for speed acquisition.
For such a heavy vehicle – 5,196 pounds unloaded – the Cross Turismo changes direction adroitly, rapidly convincing the man behind the wheel that he would run out of talent far before the car would. Even dialing it back a bit to preserve my own sanity, every corner was an opportunity to try the near-perfect steering and enjoy the lower-back shove of the electric powertrain at each apex, the digitized whir of virtual engine noise soundtracking the dappled sunlight breaking through the pine trees.”
This is echoed across the wide expanse of automotive opinions.
Nelson Ireson for Car And Driver, wheeling a base trim – “You might think the weight of the Taycan would rear its head as the terrain grew steep and wizened, but it doesn’t. In fact, if you didn’t know the Taycan 4 Cross Turismo weighed north of 2.5 tons, you’d might never guess it. The Taycan carries its mass low, making a center of gravity that’s low and a boon to handling. This despite the slightly higher ride height of the Cross Turismo compared to the standard Taycan. On the brakes, the Cross Turismo is confident and brutally capable, never nervous—a useful trait on unfamiliar mountain roads.”
On Occupancy and Utility
The Cross Turismo gains a bit more cargo space over the Taycan sedan, though not to the degree of a full-fledged SUV or, say, a conventional wagon. It’s a generally more roomy place to be, too.
Steven Ewing for CNET Roadshow – “The big-deal differences are found inside, where the longroof shape pays dividends in both headroom and cargo capacity. The Cross Turismo has 3.6 inches of additional rear headroom and 1.4 cubic feet of extra luggage space. Fold the rear seats flat and the Cross Turismo’s hatch expands to 42.8 cubic feet, which is smaller than most compact crossovers, but still big enough for the occasional Home Depot run or week off the grid. Don’t forget, there’s an extra 2.9 cubic feet of space under the hood, too.”
Richard Aucock for Motoring Research – “More impressive was the sheer airiness of the interior, helped by the gigantic panoramic roof and extra glass at the rear. Not only is it more spacious, it feels it, too. While no limo, those in the back will have few complaints.
The regular Taycan has a rather restricted boot opening. There’s 366 litres (12.92 cubic feet) of space, which isn’t bad, but it’s not very user-friendly. The Taycan Cross Turismo not only has a vast hatchback opening, for much easier access, but also expands the space available to 405 litres (14.30 cubic feet).
It’s still no estate car (it’s not called an estate, after all), but it’s a much more usable space – and folding the rear seats opens up 1,171 litres (41.35 cubic feet). Given the fiddliness of the regular car, this alone is why the Taycan Cross Turismo would be my family car choice (not related to the fact I think it looks so cool, honest).”
Photos
We really dig the look of the Taycan Cross Turismo – who doesn’t like a sleek, aggressive-looking wagon? For an extensive collection of images, NetCarShow.com has us covered for all the angles!
