The Porsche Taycan Turbo S Sport Turismo is an express estate that delivers the goods in more ways than one
Porsche Experience Center Hockenheimring, Germany - We have just returned from a journey of discovery with Porsche’s electrified models, where we sampled its t-hybrid, e-hybrid, and full-electric cars.
The degustation menu started in Spain (for the launch drive of the 911 GTS t-hybrid in Malaga) before we headed over to Germany.
We picked up our weekend transport — a Panamera 4 S e-hybrid — in Stuttgart before driving to the Porsche Experience Center Hockenheimring to attend the Advanced Pilot Experience driving course in the all-electric Taycan Turbo S Sport Turismo, resplendent in a fetching Provence body hue with matching wheel accents.
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Performance electric vehicles (EV) are a whole different kettle of fish from EVs that are used primarily for transportation, but the Porsche Taycan Turbo S Sport Turismo ably proved it could straddle this line with its sporty silhouette, practical load area and ballistic pace.
The Taycan Sport Turismo variant is not available in Singapore (via the official AD channel), but its rugged brother, the technically identical Cross Turismo, is. Apart from the rugged body addenda and ability to raise its ride height, the Cross Turismo also features a Gravel mode—all the better for cross-country escapades, of course.
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Our initial plan was to drive the range-topping Taycan Turbo GT at the Porsche Experience Centre (PEC) Hockenheimring, but the super-sports EV sedan couldn’t join the fleet in time for our visit.
However, with close to an hour of pretty much non-stop driving around Porsche Experience Center's fiendishly technical circuit of tight to medium corners and surprisingly long straights, we quickly came to appreciate the fact that the Taycan Turbo S Sport Turismo was no consolation prize.
With 952hp on overboost and over 1100Nm of torque, the Turbo S Sport Turismo panders to our penchant for fast wagons, except this one happens to be all-electric.
There is a preoccupation with 0–100km/h times among the EV brigade, but as most dual-motor EVs are inherently fast in a straight line, it’s something of a non-event for us driving enthusiasts. Besides, it’s often said that straight roads are for fast cars, but corners are for fast drivers.
This doesn’t mean the Turbo S is a slouch, because the breathtaking 2.4 seconds it takes to blast from standstill to 100km/h will fix a permanent grin on your face — its 7.8secs 0–200km/h acceleration time is faster than lesser cars take to propel themselves from 0–100km/h.
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Such straight-line sprints are not the point of the Turbo S Sport Turismo though, because true to Porsche form, it proved to be very adroit at attacking the apices of every corner as well. The brakes too, delivered ample pedal feel and were more than up to the task of reining-in the Turbo S’s runaway freight train impression, lap after lap after lap.
The latest iteration of the Taycan Turbo S sees a longer operating range on a full charge, as well as features more efficient battery management during recuperation and charging.
Dynamically, the Porsche Active Ride variable suspension system ensures the Taycan Turbo S corners flatly when the going gets wild and winding. The car rotates obligingly during quick direction changes and as you’re turning into tighter corners so much so you often overlook the fact that it sits on an all-wheel-drivetrain.
It dishes out hard-body levels of workout torture when you’re pressing hard, because this isn’t the sort of stomp-and-spurt car that requires little to no effort to drive fast.
You’re made to work hard both physically and mentally, largely because the shocking immediacy of the electric power delivery demands intense focus and live-wire reactions, and therein lies the electrifying driving delights afforded by this pleasure-pain conundrum.
Exceptional and dynamically engaging EVs remain something of a rare breed and the Taycan Turbo S left us properly shaken and stirred after the scintillating drive, especially with its ability to deliver the good stuff in more ways than one.
(PHOTOS by Porsche / Last two photos on location by the author)
PORSCHE TAYCAN TURBO S SPORT TURISMO
Battery 105kWh (gross), 800V
Power 775hp (952hp with Overboost)
Maximum torque 1110Nm
Transmission (front axle / rear axle) Single-speed / Two-speed
0–100km/h 2.4secs
Top Speed 260km/h
WLTP range (combined) 529-604km
Kerbweight 2.3-tonnes
