New Porsche Taycan offers more range and sprightlier performance

Porsche's EV offensive continues with the launch of its totally revised Taycan range.

Hot on the heels of the all-electric Macan SUV unveiled at the end of January, the update starts with revised exterior styling for a sharper, more authoritative look.

The business end of the Taycan benefits from new front wings and flatter headlights equipped with high-resolution HD matrix technology.

Porsche's four-point light graphics are now visible at night. The vehicle's tail light clusters have also been treated to a mild refresh while the Porsche logo incorporated into the rear light strip features a new 3D glass-look design. An illuminated version is also available and offers welcome/leaving animations.

The cabin of Porsche's electric flagship shows evidence of similar rejuvenation with the instrument cluster, central display and optional passenger display featuring an optimised user interface with additional functionality. All Taycan derivatives are equipped with Porsche's drive mode switch on the steering wheel as standard while models fitted with the Sport Chrono package and the Performance Battery Plus get a push-to-pass button.

Customers can look forward to more standard equipment across the range including ambient lighting, ParkAssist with reversing camera, electrically folding exterior mirrors with mirror surround lighting, heated front seats, Porsche intelligent range manager and a heat pump with a new cooling system. There's also a new smartphone tray for wireless charging, charging ports on the driver and front passenger sides and power steering plus.

The big news, however, is an increase in performance with all Taycan models offering more muscle, snappier acceleration, faster charging times and extended driving range.

This is down to a myriad of under-the-skin advancements including a new rear-axle motor with up to 80kW more power than its predecessor on all models, a modified pulse inverter with optimised software, more potent batteries, revised thermal management, a next-generation heat pump and a modified recuperation and all-wheel-drive strategy.

Maximum recuperation capacity during deceleration from high speeds has increased by more than 30% from 290kW to up to 400kW. All models come standard with aerodynamically optimised 21-inch lightweight alloy wheels shod with reduced-rolling-resistance tyres. 

The entry-level, rear-wheel drive Taycan will sprint from 0-100 km/h in 4.8 seconds, which is 0.6 seconds faster than its predecessor. When equipped with the larger 105kWh Performance Battery Plus (the outgoing pack had a gross capacity of 93kWh), Porsche claims this model offers a combined WLTP driving range of up to 678km, an increase of 175km or 35%. On the other end of the spectrum there is the flagship Turbo S model, a combustion sports car killer which benefits from dual electric motors and all-wheel drive.

Fitted with the Sport Chrono pack as standard (optional on other Taycan variants), it will go from 0-100 km/h in 2.4 seconds, or 0.4 seconds quicker than before. With push-to-pass engaged, the car's maximum power output momentarily rises to 700kW for 10 seconds. 

Thanks to its updated architecture the new Taycan can be charged at rates up to 320kW, 50kW more than the model it replaces, at 800V DC charging stations. Porsche claims the fast-charging window of the new performance battery has been expanded, meaning charging capacities of more than 300kW can be sustained for up to five minutes, and very high charging capacities can be achieved more quickly, even at low temperatures.

Depending on an individual’s driving style, among other variables, this can halve the time required to go from a 10% to an 80% charge compared to the predecessor car. In the first-generation Taycan, the charging time from 10% to 80% SOC at 15ºC is 37 minutes. Under the same conditions, the new Taycan takes 18 minutes despite its larger battery capacity.

All new Taycan models come with adaptive air suspension as standard while the all-wheel drive derivatives (4S, Turbo and Turbo S) can be specified with new Porsche Active Ride suspension as an option. Designed to keep the car's body level at all times, this system offers an unprecedented bandwidth between driving comfort and driving dynamics.

Available as a saloon or shooting brake (Sport Turismo and Cross Turismo), the new Porsche Taycan line-up is expected to reach South Africa in the final quarter of 2024.

Pricing inclusive of a five-year Driveplan is as follows:

Taycan: R2,912,000

Taycan 4S: R3,261,000

Taycan Turbo: R4,349,000

Taycan Turbo S: R5,225,000

Taycan 4 Cross Turismo: R3,239,000

Taycan 4S Cross Turismo: R3,405,000

Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo: R4,383,000