German prestige car maker Porsche has given the Taycan electric vehicle (EV) a particularly extensive update. The new versions have more power, more range, accelerate quicker and charge faster with greater stability. The company have also sharpened the design and, especially, given the powerful Turbo version a more distinctive look that sets it apart. It may be driven by electricity but this car is and remains very much a Porsche, first and foremost.
The Looks
All three body variants will feature the numerous modifications from the date of launch – the Taycan sports saloon (sedan), the versatile Taycan Cross Turismo, which is available with an off-road package, and the sporting-yet-practical Taycan Sport Turismo. In each case, four power-train options are available, with rear- and all-wheel drive variants. Then of course there’s the Turbo.
With new front- and rear-end styling the car features revised headlights and tail lights and the overall styling has further been honed to deliver a clean, purist design for the Taycan. New front wings and flatter headlights give even greater emphasis to the width of the EV while the new headlights feature high-resolution HD matrix technology with detailed optics displaying the brand’s characteristic four-point graphics at night.
The Porsche logo in the rear light strip features a three-dimensional, glass-look design. An illuminated version of this is available for the first time, featuring welcome/leaving animations adding a touch of individuality. Among other notable features, the colour ‘Turbonite’ (see the Turbo detail image) makes the Turbo and Turbo S models stand out more distinctively from the other versions in both the exterior and interior.
The standard equipment supplied is even more extensive than before, even though the models weigh up to 15 kilograms less. Included are ambient lighting, ParkAssist with reversing camera, electrically folding exterior mirrors with mirror surround lighting, Porsche Intelligent Range Manager (definitely beneficial in managing on-the-road charge) and a heat pump with a new cooling system.
To top it off the Taycan is equipped with adaptive air suspension and aluminium door sill protectors as standard. In addition to the upgraded equipment, the improved product specification includes a battery with increased capacity but with a reduced weight.
The Interior
On the inside the instrument cluster, central display and optional passenger display feature have an optimised user interface with additional functions. The mode switch on the steering wheel now comes as standard. For Taycan models equipped with the Sport Chrono package and the Performance Battery Plus, there is a special push-to-pass button on the mode switch. This does as the name suggests, like an overdrive on a conventional classic car.
There’s a new control lever behind the steering wheel making control of the driver assistance systems even more intuitive. Apple CarPlay has been more deeply integrated into the vehicle displays and functions. The new In-Car Video function enables video streaming on the central display and the passenger display.
In addition the Taycan features heated front seats, a smartphone tray for wireless charging, electric charging ports on the driver and front passenger sides, Drive Mode switch and Power Steering Plus: All of these are now standard features.
The Charge
Depending on the body variant and engine, the official range has increased to up to 421 miles (678 km), an increase of thirty-five per cent. The updated Taycan not only requires fewer charging stops on long trips than its predecessor, but it also recharges faster. At 800-volt DC charging stations, for example, it can be charged at up to 320 kW. That’s 50 kW more than before. The fast-charging window of the new performance battery has been significantly expanded. This means that charging capacities of more than 300 kW can be sustained for up to five minutes, and very high charging capacities can be achieved more quickly, even at low temperatures.
The Road
As mentioned it’s air suspension all round but the new Porsche Active Ride suspension can be ordered as an option for the all-wheel drive versions too. This system offers unprecedented control between driving comfort and driving dynamics. The suspension keeps the body of the Taycan level at all times, even during dynamic braking, steering and acceleration manoeuvres. With a smooth ride, the system absorbs bumps almost completely, they say.
In dynamic driving situations, the Porsche Active Ride suspension ensures an almost perfect connection to the road thanks to a balanced distribution of wheel loads. If the appropriate mode is activated, the suspension can compensate for pitching and rolling motions in order to reduce the acceleration forces acting on the occupants, so no shifting about in your seat.
The simultaneous improvement of performance and efficiency is down to a number of factors: an advanced power-train with a new rear-axle motor with up to 80 kW more power than its predecessor on all models, a modified pulse inverter with optimised software, more powerful batteries, revised thermal management, a next-generation heat pump and a modified recuperation and all-wheel-drive strategy. That should do it.
In short, the Porsche Taycan EV has been improved all round and is possibly one of the most convincing electric vehicles available today. In fact, Porsche vehicles in general, electric or internal combustion, are all pretty convincing because the German car makers continual progress in performance and innovation rolls on relentlessly.
So why not choose Porsche for your next car? Contact MHH International to find out about availability of all the Porsche models from sports cars to SUV variants. Our VAT-free export service to New Zealand, Ireland, Kenya, the Caribbean and other destinations around the world has given our clients continued satisfaction as our testimonials indicate. We look forward to hearing from you.
