Electric propulsion is becoming a clear choice in all segments of the automotive industry. For those that doubted its potential on a sports car, Porsche has provided the answer in the clearest of forms: the Taycan sedan. And has recently doubled down with its off-road Cross Turismo. Enough to put anyone at peace with the future.
Who’d have thought? If we’d told you ten years ago that Porsche would manage to make its clients drool with the presentation of a 4x4 electric car in 2021, admit that you’d have laughed! And yet here we are... In late 2019, the Stuttgart-based firm unveiled its first all-electric sedan, the Taycan. Bingo, an instant global bestseller with 20,000 units sold within the year. As the manufacturer modestly acknowledges, the “goal was to herald the era of electromobility”. And to surf on its success to launch its estate version, the Cross Turismo, in March 2021:
Equipped with protective features to allow it to venture off-road, the Cross Turismo sends a clear signal. The rounded sport-estate body is easy on the eye, and gives passengers in the back seats more space and makes for a bigger boot, gaining 400L when the rear seat backrests are folded down. Nothing new on the engine front, as the Cross Turismo is equipped with the same as the sedan, from 380 to 625hp (making for hair-raising performance). The announced range is also in line with the average for the category at between 280 and 300 miles.
There’s no mistaking Porsche’s target market, namely a young, hip clientèle, the give-away being that the Taycan Cross Turismo is presented with an optional bike rack that can fit 3 bikes without preventing the boot from opening. And for purists, the brand even proposes electric bikes to match the car!
You’ll no doubt be wondering what it feels like to be behind the wheel of an electric Porsche, given that electric means silent. Indeed, sports drive fans will tell you that the engine sound and exhaust are key factors when it comes to the thrill of the drive. Well the Stuttgart engineers had the right idea when they fitted the Taycan Cross Turismo with an option that SoBARNES simply loves: Porsche Electric Sport Sound. To put it simply, the car activates on demand a carefully studied sound combining the engine’s electric output and its noble origins. Which brings us back to the question, who’d have thought?
Taycan Cross Turismo, from £79,340
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