The Taycan 4S Cross Turismo is a monster on the road – but thanks to its four-wheel-drive powertrain, fat tyres and protective body cladding, the all-electric Porsche offers enhanced loose-surface capability too
Words: James Fossdyke
There’s a train of thought suggesting Macan, 911 and Panamera buyers should consider the kind of Porsche they want, then buy the all-wheel-drive S variant. Of course, this line of thinking doesn’t work for the 718 Cayman and Boxster models, simply because there are no all-wheel-drive options currently available, but as a rule of thumb, the approach makes plenty of sense. Not only does it mean you get all-wheel traction, which comes in handy for rain and snow, but you also get ample performance without inflating the price beyond all reason. Additionally, you don’t compromise economy or quality of ride.
Porsche doesn’t always make it easy to identify such a car. In the case of the Taycan, Panamera and 911, it’s badged 4S, whereas the all-wheel-drive Macan and Cayenne ditch the ‘4’ bit, taking it as read. Nevertheless, if Porsche’s 4S models are generally considered the ultimate all-rounders, this design of powertrain should certainly suit the Taycan Cross Turismo.
Regular readers will know we’ve driven the Taycan in various guises covering all three body shapes. While the Sports Saloon and Sport Turismo have their advantages (chiefly performance and handling), the Cross Turismo is quite literally the electric car for all seasons. Not only does it sit two centimetres higher than a Sports Saloon, but it comes with all-wheel drive as standard, meaning the Cross Turismo’s abilities aren’t restricted to the road. On paper, therefore, this should be the ultimate all-rounder among ultimate all-rounders, certainly in the EV sphere.
While the 4S might be a mid-range model in the world of Taycan Sport Turismos, it’s a fairly lowly option in the Cross Turismo line-up, which is limited to just four models — the 4S sits one place above the 4 in Taycan hierarchy, which means it isn’t too expensive, relatively speaking. Put it this way, at a nice, round £91,000, the 4S Cross Turismo is very nearly £30,000 cheaper than the Turbo Cross Turismo, but only less than a second slower to 62mph.
Of course, there’s more to life than acceleration times, but away from performance statistics, Taycan Cross Turismo trim levels are all much of a muchness across the range. They all come with the fabulous body shape, distinctive cladding and those big alloy wheels. Even the cheapest Cross Turismo models get nineteen-inch rims, which set off the swooping shape nicely and look good tucked under the oversized arches.
Whether the Cross Turismo is the most attractive model in the Taycan range is up for debate, but the fact it can hold a candle to the gorgeous Sport Turismo is good going. From the headlights to the boot shape, the former is stunning from every angle, while the purposeful cladding and raised suspension adds an air of machismo sure to appeal to many Porsche showroom visitors. Inside, however, the Cross Turismo is more or less the same as any other Taycan. Moreover, the 4S doesn’t offer anything particularly different from its stablemates. This is no great problem, because the standard Taycan cabin is more than posh enough to be getting on with.
As standard, you get the same build quality familiar across the Porsche range, but Taycans offer an even more high-tech feel. Of course, they come with Porsche’s latest-generation touchscreen technology, which is sharper and more modern than ever before, but there’s also a touchscreen on the centre console, providing controls for the heating system and providing shortcuts for the main touchscreen. If we’re honest, we’d prefer physical switches, such as those found in the cabin of the current Panamera, but the touchscreen isn’t too bad, even if it means you’re obliged to look away from the road for a moment during operation. Better is the curved digital instrument display, which is clean, fresh and easy to read. It also offers a degree of configuration.
Being an estate, the Cross Turismo places plenty of emphasis on practicality, hence the 4S getting an ample 446 litres of boot space supplemented by an eighty-four-litre ‘frunk’, allowing owners to store charging cables and the like without cluttering the main luggage area. In this regard, the 4S is the same as the basic 4 Cross Turismo, but provides an extra forty litres of luggage space compared with the loftier and more expensive Turbo Cross Turismo.
In truth, the differences between models are quite small — the Taycan 4S Cross Turismo is mostly set apart by its powertrain. And what a powertrain it is! Like that of the basic 4 Cross Turismo, it uses two electric motors, one on each axle. The motor at the back drives the rear wheels through a two-speed automatic gearbox, while the one at the front drives the front wheels via a more conventional arrangement. Unlike the standard 4 Cross Turismo, however, the 4S’s two motors combine to produce a smidge over 563bhp (overboost maximum power with Launch Control), representing an increase of just under 100bhp. Top speed is 149mph.
Of course, the Turbo Cross Turismo ups the ante, taking total output to near 680bhp, but as we mentioned earlier, you’ll pay an extra thirty grand for the privilege. To put this into perspective, in the current climate, you could buy a 4S Cross Turismo and use the money saved over selecting the Turbo to buy a tidy second-hand 997 Carrera S. And when the Taycan Cross Turismo 4S gets from standstill to 62mph in 4.1 seconds (as opposed to 5.1 seconds for the 4 Cross Turismo or 3.3 seconds for the Turbo Cross Turismo), you have to wonder where the premium commanded by the Turbo’s price tag is going — if you can tell the difference between a 4.1-second sprint from rest to 62mph and the same test despatched in 3.3 seconds, without the aid of a stopwatch, you’re doing better than most. Both Porsches are unbelievably quick, of course. Faster than most 911s, in fact. Certainly, more than enough for day-to-day use. And let’s face it, if you wanted a Taycan for the track, you wouldn’t even consider a Cross Turismo model.
Even a 4S will pin you into your seat more effectively than most buyers will find comfortable. For those yet to experience the world of electric performance cars, the Taycan’s acceleration is neck-snapping, with no need to worry about transmissions kicking down or turbochargers spooling up. Admittedly, the Range and Normal modes feel a little bit lethargic, but only when compared with the drama of the Sport and Sport Plus modes. The instantaneous torque (479lb-ft, in case you were wondering) makes overtaking a doddle. Almost regardless of how fast you’re already going, the Taycan will punch you in the back like a mule, forcing you forward faster than you can read the numbers on the digital display.
For our review, however, performance isn’t the only aspect of the Cross Turismo that needs consideration. Range is also a key factor in the buying decision of an EV, after all. Here, the 4S performs strongly, not least thanks to its chunky 93.4kWh battery. Officially, it’ll return between 258 and 304 miles on a single charge, which puts it on par with the less powerful 4 Cross Turismo and represents a slight improvement over the Turbo Cross Turismo, which maxes out at 301 miles on the official economy test. Admittedly, in the real world, you’re looking at something in the region of two hundred miles on a charge, which should be more than enough for most buyers.
Better still, it’s possible to charge at speeds of up to 270kW, which means a suitable charger will take the battery from five percent to eighty percent charged in less than twenty-five minutes. Officially, this means you’ll take on about a hundred miles of range for every ten minutes charging, although the maths doesn’t quite work out like this at battery levels above eighty percent. Nevertheless, it’s impressive performance and means you’ll be able to use most charging points to their full potential. Assuming they work, of course.
All of this means the 4S Cross Turismo is fast and efficient enough for most drivers’ needs. It’s certainly better in corners than it needs to be. Few owners will ever exploit the model’s bountiful limits on the road — at least not legally — but rest assured there’s plenty of grip, even on greasy surfaces, and the all-wheel-drive system allows the motors to put power down early on the exit of a corner. Add in Porsche’s trademark steering feel and the unmistakable sense the car is pivoting around your hips, and the 4S Cross Turismo is mighty impressive. Despite being totally different to, say, a 911 Carrera 4S, Porsche has ensured the two cars clearly share plenty of DNA.
Of course, for all its brilliance, a Cross Turismo isn’t quite as brilliant as a Sport Turismo when it comes to handling. The extra ride height is well hidden, although the increase isn’t too pronounced to start with, and though the Cross Turismo rolls a little more in corners and feels very slightly less agile, it gets much closer than you might expect. It still turns in keenly, but the body takes a fraction of a second longer to follow the wheels, plus there’s a slight softness to the action. Even so, the battery is positioned low in the car, ensuring there’s no great issue with roll. Ultimately, the difference between a 4S Cross Turismo and a 4S Sport Turismo is very small indeed.
By the same token, the Cross Turismo has fractionally more compliance to its ride than other Taycan models, making it just a mite more comfortable over long distances. Again, the difference is almost imperceptible, but there’s a tad less rigidity to the suspension and a hint of extra suppleness. That said, the Sport Turismo was already remarkably comfortable, and both cars get a bit firmer when you make the suspension stiffer by changing driving mode.
Leave the 4S Cross Turismo in one of its more supple settings, though, and it’ll be a fantastically comfortable way of eating miles. A refined one, too. Of course, this is true of all Taycans, and you expect electric cars to perform well in terms of noise and vibration, but even though the 4S Cross Turismo is handicapped by its bulkier body, it’s still eerily quiet, even when speed builds. Yes, there’s a bit of road and wind noise — perhaps even very slightly more than you’d get from a 4S Sport Turismo — but no more than you expect from a luxury estate, and not enough to seriously detract from the driving experience.
What really sets the 4S Cross Turismo apart from other Taycans, however, is not its on-road capabilities, but what it can do away from the public highway. Of course, despite the twenty-millimetre increase in ride height, this model doesn’t have the ground clearance to rival a Cayenne, but it’s more competent than you might expect. We tested our 4S Cross Turismo on a rutted, potholed green lane, where the standard Gravel mode gave the car the traction and clearance to cope. A Sport Turismo would have been beached.
Admittedly, we scraped the underside once or twice, but by taking care and picking our route, we got through unscathed, much to the relief of our benefactor, Porsche Cars Great Britain. Naturally, a Cayenne would have had no trouble whatsoever, but for a 563bhp estate, and despite the conditions, the Cross Turismo performed admirably, coping where even a Panamera would have faltered.
And that’s what really makes the Cross Turismo special. In most areas it’s as good, or at least very nearly as good, as a Sport Turismo, but it comes with that little bit of extra capability, thereby bringing peace to the mind of those in the countryside. And the 4S version, with its sensible combination of price and performance, is unquestionably the model to own.
