Watch The New Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo EV Crossover Hit The Road
Porsche has shared one of the first official shots of the upcoming Taycan Cross Turismo, the all-electric wagon-crossover sibling of the Taycan EV. Based on the striking Mission E Cross Turismo Concept shown off back in 2018, it's a more upright, more practical version of an electric car than the Taycan, with Porsche sharing a few new tidbits as we wait for full launch details.
Second in the "Mission E" family of prototypes that went on to become Taycan cars, the Cross Turismo sits in a similar unusual niche as the Sport Turismo does to the Panamera. There, what traditionally might have been called a wagon gets a more sporting makeover, with a sharply angled rear hatchback that adds a little extra usability for cargo without unduly impacting on performance or style.
The Taycan Cross Turismo will follow a similar recipe. First, Porsche extends the roofline, which then flows back into Sport Turismo-esque angled glass. At the same time, though, the EV adds some extra ride height.
Exactly how much ride height has been added is unclear at this stage. The Panamera and Panamera Sport Turismo are basically the same on that front, but according to Stefan Weckbach, Taycan model line chief at Porsche, the Taycan Cross Turismo will have more talent in the rough stuff there.
"In order to enable it to handle light off-roading and gravel roads, we increased the ground clearance," he explains. There'll also be new settings for the air suspension, complete with more modes for different surfaces. "And we optimized our suspension system so the Cross Turismo comes with a CUV (cross utility vehicle) specific driving mode, called 'gravel mode,'" Weckback says. "This makes sure it does well on gravel roads in terms of stability, performance, and dynamics."
It's still unlikely to compete with full electric off-roaders, which are still in relatively short supply anyway, but it should give the EV the flexibility that crossover SUV owners are typically looking for. That'll also include roof rails for tying down cargo, plus a more spacious second row of seats and a bigger trunk too.
The example in the images and video Porsche has shared is still "lightly camouflaged" the automaker says, with the final design of the Taycan Cross Turismo yet to be officially unveiled. Similarly mysterious at this point is when exactly that will happen, or indeed a commercial launch. Porsche's original plan had been to bring it to market in 2020, but the ongoing pandemic forced a rethink there and the current timeframe is believed to be based around a full reveal in early 2021.
Nonetheless, even with that range expansion delay it seems the Taycan itself has been a hit. More than 20,000 examples of the EV were delivered in its first year of production, with Porsche looking to range and spec tweaks – as well as a more affordable rear-wheel drive variant – for the 2021 model year.