Porsche finally revealed the Taycan EV’s brother. Originally provoked as a concept in 2018 and scheduled for launch this summer, the Taycan Cross Turismo is a more utility-oriented version of Porsche’s first EV with a rear hatch, more interior space, greater ground clearance and options geared to off-road.
The new EV crossover starts at $ 90,900, plus delivery fees. Much like the regular Taycan sedan, there are four different versions with increasing price and performance: the Taycan 4 Cross Turismo, the Taycan 4S Cross Turismo, the Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo and the Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo.
different the regular Taycan, all four versions of the Cross Turismo come equipped with Porsche’s larger 93.4 kWh battery and a dual four-wheel drive engine. Each Cross Turismo finish is about a tenth of a second slower from 0 to 60 miles per hour than its sedan counterpart due to the extra size and weight, although the base model is 0.3 seconds faster than the regular Taycan 4S. The more you pay, the more powerful the engines are, with the first-rate Turbo S Cross Turismo peaking at 750 horsepower in launch control mode.
Cross Turismo also offers 0.39 inches (10 mm) of extra headroom in the front seat and 3.62 inches (92 mm) in the rear seat more than Taycan sedans. There is more space everywhere, really, thanks to the hatch and the fact that the Cross Turismo is about half an inch longer and an inch taller than the sedan. This results in a few extra cubic meters of storage at Cross Turismo as well, although the front trunk remains the same size.
Cross Turismo is not really will be an off-roader like the next Rivian or the Hummer EV, although Porsche clearly wants to make buyers to feel as if they could handle some rough terrain if necessary.
All four versions of the Cross Turismo come with an adaptive air suspension, which can be used to quickly increase the vehicle’s clearance by 0.39 inches (10 mm) and make the ride more rigid when in “Gravel Mode”. Switching to this mode also increases traction and stability control and torque management to make it easier to drive on “loose surfaces” like mud, sand and – of course – gravel. In addition, buyers can opt for an “off-road design package” that adds a little black finish around the Cross Turismo and the default is the height of Gravel mode. Roof bars and a bike rack (which would fit Porsche’s new expensive e-bikes very well) are also options.
With these decadent off-road aspirations, it’s not surprising that Taycan Cross Turismo buyers don’t have to sacrifice typical Porsche amenities or features like wireless Apple CarPlay or the same types of upgrades found in the Taycan sedan (adaptive cruise control, track maintenance, heads-up display, 14-position adjustable massage seats, Bose and Burmester audio systems, etc.).
This was essentially the main promise when Cross Turismo debuted: a slightly larger version and more SUV than it was then called Mission E. And while some people may be disappointed that the final production of Cross Turismo doesn’t look as rally-ready as the concept did, it should certainly help Porsche sell more EVs until its legitimately popular SUVs switch to electric power, too.