Porsche readying its all electric Taycan Cross Turismo for launch
Porsche’s Taycan Cross Turismo is an electric soft-roader with style
Porsche has released some further information on the upcoming Taycan Cross Turismo estate today, with the head of the Taycan model line, Stefan Weckbach, putting the pre-production car through its paces against a frozen European backdrop.
It’s been three years since the striking Porsche Mission E Cross Turismo concept was launched, and the pre production Taycan Cross Turismo features in the below video, lightly camouflaged and retaining many of the design elements of the Mission E concept.
Porsche’s 2018 Mission E Corss Turismo concept. Image: Porsche
“With the Taycan Cross Turismo, we wanted to offer a little bit more space, a little more flexibility and versatility,” Weckbach says from behind the wheel. “We developed a completely new roofline, fitted with roof rails, a more generous second row and bigger trunk, all to make a car that is perfect for an active lifestyle. A car that is perfect for both an urban environment and the countryside.”
Weckbach didn’t divulge any specifications of the Taycan Cross Turismo, but expect similar Turbo S/Turbo/4S drivetrain options to the standard Taycan. It appears to have a longer wheelbase the the standard Taycan too, possibly creating additional interior and storage space. Naturally, as an elevated soft-roader, the Taycan Cross Turismo has light off roading capabilities. “In order to enable it to handle light off-roading and gravel roads,” Weckbach states, “we increased the ground clearance. And we optimised our suspension system so the Cross Turismo comes with a CUV (cross utility vehicle) specific driving mode. This makes sure it does well on gravel roads in terms of stability, performance, and dynamics.”
The Taycan Cross Turismo undergoing final pre-production testing.
The Taycan Cross Turismo is a big car on a big wheelbase. Image: Motor 1
The Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo prototype. Image: Motor 1
Porsche’s Taycan has been a success, with the company selling over 20,000 vehicles in 2020. Porsche obviously wants to capitalise on the Taycan platform, and it’s likely that we could see a non-elevated version—a Taycan Sport Turismo—sometime in the future too. As previous owners of German fast wagons, we’ve big fans of the fact that Porsche is continuing to launch fast wagons. With the global trend towards big heavy SUVS, let’s just hope that people actually buy the Taycan Cross Turismo. Porsche is expected to announce a launch date sometime in the second quarter of 2021.