Driven: Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo Turbo S, the Electric Slingshot That Will Amaze You

I must admit, I did not understand what the Taycan Cross Turismo was all about when I first saw it on the internet. I just imagined it to be like the Panamera Sport Turismo but in an electric form. It would be an oversimplification to see the Taycan Cross Turismo that way, though.

This is one of those cases where you need to see something for yourself to get a better idea of what it is, as well as drive it to understand what it can do. Since Porsche planned an off-road route for the Taycan Cross Turismo, I must admit I was intrigued.

The car did feature a height-adjustable air suspension system, so ground clearance was not my biggest concern, but I did worry about not scratching the body with gravel thrown by the wheels. I knew we had a slim-to-none chance of getting stuck, as Porsche selected the route beforehand, and I was not at my first rodeo when off-roading is concerned.

Regardless, I pressed the button to raise the front suspension, set the car into Gravel mode (unique to the Cross Turismo), and drove on. I started slow, but I then gathered confidence and a bit of speed.

I still needed to steer, as well as maintain a safe margin if I needed to stop. And stopping on gravel is an entirely different ball game. As the moment went by, I found myself trusting the car.

The route went through an old tunnel that was used for mining, and we eventually reached an old quarry that was transformed into a natural reservation. Porsche got permission to enter it and hold an event there, and the scenery was breathtaking.

But let us get back to the Taycan Cross Turismo. It is meant to be a more practical Taycan, and that is easy to see. Curiously, the Taycan is practical for a four-door coupe with electric drive. Right off the bat, you should know that the optional bike rack that pops out of the rear bumper must be ordered straight from the factory and cannot be retrofitted.

When the interior is concerned, the Cross Turismo feels identical to the regular Taycan if we stick to the front seats, while those in the back do offer an extra bit of legroom, with a bit more space for the rear passengers' heads. If we look at the front seats, though, I did not perceive any difference between the two body styles of the Taycan.

Even though most of the buttons onboard were replaced by screens, the Taycan is still easy to get accustomed to, but the first few moments onboard might find you looking for one function or another. Fortunately, Porsche has an eye for these things, and it is easy to figure out where the switch for the function you were looking for was positioned.

The center armrest has a dedicated clip that is meant to hold your smartphone while it is charging wirelessly, but you can also plug it in to the dedicated USB plug that is in there. The latter is a bit harder to reach than usual, but once you find it, it will be easy to plug into it next time.

The center console has a small storage space under the screen, which sits at the level of the driver's knee. That space does not have an edge large enough to keep things in place, and it may be semi-useless most of the time because whatever you place there will fall in the first corner that is approached with enthusiasm.

Placing your wallet there, for example, might be a regrettable decision, as you might have to search for it when you stop or end up forgetting it in the car and having to search for it again. You see where this is going, right?

Most of the surfaces onboard the Taycan Cross Turismo are covered by soft materials, which makes the interior a lovely place to sit in. We even had a version that did not come with all-leather seats but with a combination of Alcántara, leather, and fabric. The combination had a retro vibe, and it gave the cockpit a distinctive feel.

Do not worry about having trouble adapting to this cockpit, as you will be within your element after your second or third time driving the vehicle. The entire thing may “click” in your mind in just a single drive, though, so have no fear.

What is it like to drive?

The Taycan Cross Turismo is not that different to drive from a regular Taycan. Having driven both models in several versions, I can say that the difference between the Taycan and the Taycan Cross Turismo is extremely subtle. I would say that there is a bigger difference between the driving modes of each vehicle than there is between the Taycan and the Taycan Cross Turismo.

That is good news if you ask me because it means that Porsche adjusted the Cross Turismo in a way that you do not feel it any different from a Taycan. When agility is concerned, this is the kind of vehicle that can sit in a class of its own.

The mass of the batteries that power the vehicle is well concealed, and the only difference between one of these and a conventional Porsche is sound. The lack of engine sound, to be specific, along with the way that a car feels when going through the gears — EVs just accelerate, and that is it.

The Taycan Turbo S is quicker than numerous conventionally powered cars, and it feels even quicker than figures might lead you to believe, as it has instant torque whenever you press the accelerator. It never needs to downshift to be in the best possible position to accelerate as if it were a bullet been fired from a gun.

The figures themselves are compelling, while the way it makes you feel is something that would make anyone skeptical about this being a true Porsche forget they ever said such a thing. Some might say that it is too much for public roads and that no reasonable person may ever need that much power and torque. But that is a different topic.

Having driven it as dynamically as I dared and could on public roads, I can say that it is extremely capable. The steering still has a nice feel to it, and its configuration reminds me of conventional Porsche models that I test drove before this Taycan Cross Turismo.

The suspension is carefully calibrated and provides a grand-tourer experience in the Normal and Range modes, while the Sport mode, along with Sport Plus, offers a well-calculated level of stiffness. It is surprising to experience this with 21-inch wheels, which I believed to be too much for a vehicle in this category.

Somehow, Porsche made it work without transforming it into something that makes your back hurt. Potholes will have to be avoided with caution, as these wheels are expensive, and there is no spare tire in case of a flat.

Having experienced the Taycan on the track during a different event, which involved driving it back-to-back against conventionally powered vehicles from Porsche, I can say that you might feel its weight at the moment when you first hit the brakes, and in some moments when you start turning the wheel. Once those brief moments pass, the extra weight of the batteries is easily forgotten.

With that in mind, the small difference between the Taycan and the Taycan Cross Turismo in the moose test does not matter that much. If you can afford this model, that should not stop you from getting it, as the Taycan Cross Turismo is properly quick and agile, and the Turbo S variant that we drove has the capability of making someone feel sick when accelerating.

The feeling is comparable to getting kicked in the stomach, but it happens to your entire torso. The strangest part is the fact that your brain is not accustomed to that level of acceleration without any noise or the usual interruption that appears when changing gears, which makes the entire experience even more difficult to grasp.

Once you get to experience several models from this manufacturer, you get to understand that there are teams of people that work to get these vehicles to feel similar in so many ways.

The Taycan Cross Turismo feels like a Porsche from where I stand, and the fact that vehicle's software can calculate if what our charge level will be when we reach the destination that we set in the navigation system is a relief from the prospect of range anxiety.

Despite repeated hard accelerations on the way, the vehicle's estimate was spot-on every time we used it. That was probably the most surprising thing about the range estimate.

Mind you, if you drive it on the German autobahn at its top speed, the battery level will drop faster than it would in normal driving conditions on public roads, but it has sufficient range in real life for what it is and what it can do.

Since customers are expected to make informed choices when we discuss vehicles at this price point, we do not think it will be bought by people who find it difficult to plan a route depending on charging points.