What happens when you mix the everyday usability of the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo with the on-road dynamics of the Taycan sports saloon? Well, you get a Sport Turismo of course and here it is. It’s a fully electric vehicle (EV) and over time there will be no less than five members of the Taycan Sport Turismo family. The first model off the blocks was the GTS version which immediately became popular especially when it comes with an optional electric panoramic roof with ‘Sunshine Control’ a special feature offering glare protection.
The introduction of the Sport Turismo as the third body variant delivers the practicality of the ‘Cross’ variant matched with the driving dynamics of ‘Sport’. The range features everything from an incredibly agile rear-wheel drive car to the extremely powerful Turbo S.
On The Outside
By design, this can only be a Porsche. It’s unmistakeable. The Taycan Sport Turismo shares the usual sporty silhouette, the rearward-sloping roof line and functional design of the sibling Taycan Cross Turismo. In contrast to its sibling model however, the Sport Turismo foregoes any off-road design elements. It is also available with rear-wheel drive at base level.
The new optional panoramic roof with Sunshine Control has electric glare protection and it’s a bit special. The large glass surface is divided into nine sections that can be individually controlled. This means that specific sections or the entire roof can be made transparent or opaque. When set to the latter, the interior nevertheless remains flooded with soft light.
In addition to these Clear and Matt settings, Semi or Bold can also be selected. These are predefined patterns with narrow or wide segments. Why, it even boasts a dynamic Roller Blind setting, which activates a switching sequence in the individual segments when the fortunate driver slides their finger over an image of the roof in the display. How about that?
On The Inside
The Taycan Sport Turismo is, as might be expected, cutting edge in terms of comfort, safety features and infotainment. With the optional Remote Park Assist, the driver can remotely control entering and leaving a parking space without needing to sit behind the wheel. Automatic control is possible for parallel and perpendicular parking spaces as well as garages. The system automatically detects a space and measures it with the aid of ultrasonic sensors and a camera.
In addition to Apple Car Play, Android Auto has also now been integrated into the Porsche Communication Management system as an update. As well as the ubiquitous iPhone, smartphones using the Google operating system, Android, are now also supported.
The headroom in the rear is more than 45 millimetres greater than that of the earlier Taycan sports saloon. An additional 9 mm of height is available above the driver's seat. The large tailgate also means that the luggage compartment can be accessed with ease. The opening is much longer than in the saloon too.
The precise capacity of the rear luggage compartment depends on the included equipment (see the options list as ever). In combination with the Sound Package Plus, the luggage compartment can hold up to 446 litres. With the BOSE Surround Sound System on board (included as standard in the Taycan Turbo Sport Turismo by the way), it can hold 405 litres. With the rear seats folded down (split-folding 60:40), the capacity can even be expanded to 1,212 or 1,171 litres respectively. And that's before adding in the 84 litres in the front luggage compartment.
Moreover, the Voice Pilot voice assistant is now even better at understanding instructions in normal speech. The navigation system calculates more quickly, primarily uses the online search to find points of interest and displays its information more clearly. The Charging Planner has also been further improved and is better than previously at planning for fast-charging stations, thus avoiding long charging stops.
On The Road
From a standstill, the range-topping Taycan Turbo S Sport Turismo accelerates to 100kph (62mph) in an astonishing 2.8 seconds and its top speed is 161mph (260 km/h). The model with the greatest range is the Taycan 4S Sport Turismo, which stretches to 498 kilometres (309 miles) on the official figure. As ever this could vary depending upon conditions and the driver. Being part of the latest Taycan generation, the all-wheel drive Sport Turismo models have a particularly efficient drive strategy. Thermal management and charging functions have also been improved to aid range.
The middle-range GTS is the most popular version; it is fast enough and hard enough to offer a great drive without compromising comfort. Not that any Taycan drives harshly. The adaptive three-chamber air springs and low centre of gravity combine to create a car with fantastic handling while at the same time being ideal for family comfort.
Over all, the Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo offers a smooth and quiet ride, with great responses to driver inputs. In short, any model will do, particularly if buying through the tried and trusted MHH International export service from the UK to New Zealand, Kenya, the Caribbean and other destinations around the world. See our client testimonials here.
