5 Things You Need To Know: Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo

Matt Bubbers March 5, 2021

Porsche is on a roll. The crew from Zuffenhausen keep dropping some of the cleanest new cars out – and we mean that literally. Following on the heels of the all-electric Taycan, Porsche launched its sophomore electric effort earlier this week: the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo. While it’s a car that defies easy categorization, it’s worth getting excited for. Here’s why:

1. There’s nothing like it

If the Cross Turismo looks familiar, that’s because it’s almost identical to the Mission E Cross Turismo concept first shown at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. But in reality, the Cross Turismo is the first of its kind: a wicked fast, all-electric station wagon with some light off-roading ability. We’ve never seen a dish quite like this, but the ingredient list has us excited. Could it be the one car to rule them all? We’ll see. It arrives this summer.

Taycan 4S Cross Turismo

2. Station wagons are hot right now

Everyone and their grandpa has an SUV in the driveway, but wagons have become a stylish way to buck the trend without losing any of the cargo-hauling, people-moving practicality of an SUV. To that end, the Cross Turismo offers significantly more headroom for both front and rear-seat occupants than the Taycan sedan. There’s oodles of extra cargo room too and a larger rear hatch opening. The car rides 20mm higher, which lifts the seating position just enough to make getting in and out a little more elegant. This ain’t your parents’ old wood-panelled jalopy. Station wagons are in.

Taycan 4S Cross Turismo

3. It has off-road and outdoorsy extras

The Taycan is an absolute monster on a racetrack and the Cross Turismo is looking to add some minor off-roading chops to the Taycan’s repertoire. The Cross Turismo comes with a new “Gravel Mode” to help drivers when the going gets rough (think conquering a rutted gravel road or deep snow, not Rubicon Trail), while an optional Off Road Design package adds an extra 10mm of ground clearance, plus some black bodywork cladding to protect against errant stones. To underscore the Cross Turismo’s outdoorsy chops, Porsche even designed a special roof box and rear bike-rack. The latter is perfect for carrying the new carbon fibre eBikes the brand launched alongside the new car.

Taycan 4S Cross Turismo

4. What is it going to run me?

The Cross Turismo will arrive in Canada this summer and if its rollout is anything like the original Taycan’s, it’s set to be a hot – a very hot – commodity. It’ll be available in four versions, each one progressively faster and more tricked out than the last. All are fitted with the huge 93.4 kWh Performance Battery Plus as standard, but no driving range has been provided by Porsche. We’re willing to bet that it’ll be very similar to the Taycan, which we found easily exceeded its EPA/NRCan rated range in real-world driving.

Here’s the full rundown of prices and models for the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo in Canada:

Taycan 4 Cross Turismo with 375 hp, overboost power for Launch Control 469 hp, acceleration 0-100 km/h in 5.1 seconds, top speed 220 km/h. $119,900
Taycan 4S Cross Turismo with 482 hp, overboost power with Launch Control 562 hp, acceleration 0-100 km/h in 4.1 seconds, top speed 240 km/h. $126,800
Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo with 616 hp, overboost power with Launch Control 670 hp, acceleration 0-100 km/h in 3.3 seconds, top speed 250 km/h. $178,000
Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo with 616 hp, overboost power with Launch Control 750 hp, acceleration 0-100 km/h in 2.9 seconds, top speed 250 km/h. $218,000

Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo

5. Don’t bet against Porsche right now

This car looks like the product of a confident company at the top of its game. Porsche’s sales are booming. Its sports cars and SUVs rank extremely well in all the usual consumer surveys and awards. And the brand built a new, world-class electric vehicle architecture from scratch and pretty much nailed it right out of the gate. “We see ourselves as pioneers of sustainable mobility: by 2025, half of all the new vehicles we will deliver will have an electrified drive – either fully electric or plug-in hybrid,” says Oliver Blume, chairman of the executive board of Porsche AG. “The future belongs to electric mobility. With the Taycan Cross Turismo, we’re taking another major step in this direction.”