Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo review

The next step in Porsche’s electric strategy. We’ve had the Taycan, this is its crossover cousin, the Cross Turismo. Think Audi Allroad and you’re spot on. There’s also the Sport Turismo which comes with the same estate-y features, but without the extra ground clearance and body cladding.

So it’s a Taycan, but estate-ified?

Mechanically, the Cross Turismo is largely identical to the Taycan. Same 93.4kWh battery slung underneath and powering the same motors with the same power outputs across a very similar range (4, 4S, Turbo & Turbo S – the Cross Turismo doesn’t get the sportier GTS model). Even the same suspension (double wishbone front, multilink rear) with adaptive air springs and four-wheel steering (not as standard on all models – Porsche knows how to upsell customers all too well). The raw changes are limited to new wheel mounts, strut supports and a revised self-levelling system.

Plus the bigger boot, obviously.

Yeah, just don’t get too fixated on carrying capacity. In terms of raw figures its 405-litre load bay is not in the same league as an E-Class wagon (640 litres), but it does give the Cross Turismo added versatility over the regular Taycan even though overall length is only up by 11mm. The rear seats get no more legroom, but the impression of space is boosted hugely by an extra 36mm of headroom.

It must be heavier though, surely?

Weight has only increased 25kg, but a 2,320kg estate is still very weighty, no matter how low slung it may look (at 1,409mm tall it’s lower than a BMW M3). The three-chamber air suspension fitted to the higher-ranking Cross Turismos lifts the body by up to 30mm, and Porsche has thoughtfully added a Gravel mode that also adapts the torque distribution, throttle response and, in their words, gives the Cross Turismo “increased Bad Road Capabilities”. The capitals are theirs, so they must mean it. You can also spec a £1,161 Off-Road Design Package which gives you those little flicks fore and aft of each wheel to protect from stone impacts and the like.

And what will I need to pay for the whole car?

Prices have risen near enough £10k since the Cross Turismo arrived in late 2021. The base version is now over £88,000 – which is also £10k more than the equivalent Taycan saloon. But from there on the price gaps narrow as the equipment levels align more closely. The 4S Cross Turismo is £95k, the Turbo £127k and the Turbo S £149k. The power figures read as follows: 470bhp, 563bhp, 671bhp and 751bhp – but note these are only available in Launch mode. In regular driving it develops around 80bhp less depending on model – in fact both Turbo and Turbo S develop the same 625bhp.

Crikey. It must be quick…

None of them are slow: 0-62mph times sit in a range between 2.9 and 5.1 seconds. The 4S is a sweet spot: you don’t need to hit 62mph faster than 4.1s or do more than 149mph. In fact, in our tests the 4S hit 60mph in 3.8s, and 100 in 8.3s. That’s genuine super saloon speed, ballpark with a BMW M3 Touring or Audi RS6. In our hands the Turbo S version was plain nuts, taking a second out of the 4S’s 0-60mph time and two out of the 0-100mph. That’s downright disconcerting speed.

What about the question of range?

The Turbo S is the least efficient at a claimed 266 miles from the 84kWh usable portion of its battery – but that’s up from 241 miles when the car was first launched. Battery, inverter, electrical system and software improvements are the reason you should now get 2.75mi/kWh rather than 2.5. In reality, expect 2mi/kWh, maybe 2.3-2.5 for the lower spec cars.

What about rivals?

Sporting electric estates are countable on one finger. It’s this or nothing. However, the Tesla Model S, despite being a saloon, is just as practical and has the speed element covered. However, it’s nowhere near as good to drive. Similarly you could line up the Mercedes EQE or EQS, and the Audi e-tron GT. The latter is the pick of those. It drives very well indeed, looks great and is versatile to just about make it as a family machine.

It’s fair to assume that given the e-tron GT is built on the same bespoke EV platform as the Taycan, it’ll be making similarly extensive use of it in due course. Until then, the Cross Turismo occupies a unique position in the market. And occupies it very convincingly indeed.

But the competition isn’t so much other electric cars as other fast estates. In terms of handling, reward, versatility, comfort, price and ethos the Cross Turismo is much more aligned to the BMW M3 Touring, Audi RS6 and Mercedes-AMG E63 than to anything electrically powered at the moment. The new M3 Touring is a very convincing all-rounder. We’d now have it over either of the bigger estates. You could argue – and we would – that the Cross Turismo’s closest rival comes from within: the Panamera Sport Turismo. It’s bigger and more expensive, but the Taycan beats it.

The Cross Turismo is arguably the most complete fast estate available today. Not the biggest or most practical by a long chalk, maybe not the most engaging alongside a petrol M3 Touring, but in terms of its breadth of ability and fulfilling the role it sets out for itself, it is brilliant. We’d have it over an Audi RS6 or any Panamera. Only the rowdier M3 and E63 could possibly tempt us to the petrol side.

More than that, it’s a better car than a regular Taycan – marginally blunter to drive, but moving away from a purer sporting focus serves the Cross Turismo well. Similar underneath they may be, but this is a different car in terms of outlook, ability and ethos and further distanced from the four-door than we expected. Its comfort and dynamic range is dazzling, it comes across as even more thoroughly developed and capable. Porsche has moved the game on. Not cheap, but quite possibly the best sporting electric car on sale today.