2024 Porsche Taycan Review: Perfect Round Two
Now with more standard equipment, more power and more efficiency.
The Taycan is the first modern electric car from Porsche and showcases what the Volkswagen Group in general is capable of at the upper luxury end of the market.
At the time of its launch, it was instantly recognised as a true Porsche in the way it goes, rides and handles. Despite being an EV, it was accepted into the range rather endearingly. Since then, Porsche has launched its second electric car, the Macan EV, while facelifting the Taycan to keep it updated.
The changes are significant, but mostly beneath the skin. On the outside, the car looks almost similar to the pre-facelift car, save for some details like the Porsche logo in the rear light strip that can now be illuminated (an optional extra). Otherwise, it is still a low-slung, attractive looking saloon, looking particularly fetching in its Provence paintwork as well as with those 21-inch rims.
This base Taycan has a single electric motor at the rear axle, which now generates 107 bhp more than before, while weighing 10.4 kg less. The result is a 0.6 seconds faster 0-100 km/h time of 4.8 seconds - an impressive figure for an ‘entry’ into the range. The rear motor configuration is my favourite for an EV as it avoids the tricky management of power between two electric motors, as well as the exponentially higher road tax (1+1 does not equal 2). You also get sweet rear-wheel drive dynamics.
Efficiency has also improved. The standard battery on the base Taycan with a 89 kWh gross content is now good for 566 km (WLTP), bettering the range of the last model even with a large battery pack. The facelifted car with the larger battery pack can now hit a whopping 678 km. These are figures that I would say are well above the average for EVs today.
The same can be said for charging speeds. The Taycan can be charged at up to 320 kW at DC charging stations, allowing a 10% to 80% charge in just 18 minutes.
On our test drive which spanned just about a day, the Taycan proved to offer a rare mix of abundant power as well as ample range. For Singapore driving, there’s absolutely no need to go for anything more than the base model. You would outrun most cars at the traffic lights. The battery meter also seemed very stubborn to deplete despite some hard driving.
And just as before, the Taycan is tuned to feel like driving an ICE car. So there’s progressive throttle response, mild regenerative braking (even when turned ‘on’) and awesome brake feel. The latter in particular has been managed by Porsche engineers such that even when the car is regenerating instead of braking, the driver wouldn’t feel the difference. In practice, it’s terrifically done.
With the very low centre of gravity, feelsome steering and otherworldly damping, the Taycan blends daily drivability with sports car abilities quite unlike any other EV. Its responses are pure and predictable, it’s genuinely engaging and there’s virtually no ills in its dynamism. It’s no exaggeration to say that the Taycan is probably the best driving four-door EV out there, period.
Now Singaporeans should sit up and read the next few lines closely. The Taycan isn’t just better than ever before, it also now comes with more freebies. Adaptive air suspension is now standard for all facelifted Taycans - a key enabler for the blend of comfort and sportiness. Standard interior equipment is also more extensive than before, just to name a few: Porsche Intelligent Range Manager (PIRM), 14-way adjustable seats, Drive Mode switch and Power Steering Plus, ambient lighting, ParkAssist including Surround View with Active Parking Support, Four-zone Climate Control and a BOSE surround sound system. Unlike the infamous belief that Porsches normally come lightly optioned, this time round, Porsche is giving a lot more.
With the standard car now so well-optioned and so much improved, it’s hard to dissuade someone from the Taycan. The main weaknesses of the Taycan remains - the rear seats can feel cramped and the boot is not very big. But if you could already look past these in the pre-facelift Taycan, then getting the facelifted car is a no-brainer.
Photos by James Wong
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