Porsche Taycan GTS Sport Turismo test (2022): the boosted station wagon

Like all models in the Porsche range, the Taycan is now entitled to its GTS version. This is a sharper version, but in a logic of compromise: with a power of 517 hp, the GTS thus fits into the range between the 4S and Turbo. It uses the rear engine of the latter, the large 93.4 kWh Performance Plus battery and adopts running gear with specific settings. The reworked sound and differentiating look are also part of the GTS signature.

The shields and sills are given a sporty treatment with contrasting glossy black parts, the calipers are painted red, and inside a nice mix of leather and Race-Tex (a coating reminiscent of Alcantara) ensures the sporty atmosphere, complemented by beautiful bucket seats. The Taycan GTS is offered as a sedan, but also in a new body version called Sport Turismo. It corresponds to the road derivative of the Cross Turismo station wagon, the SUV-type appendages and 2 cm less ground clearance. In the end, this very elegant car, whose line tends even more towards the hunting station wagon, offers a little more cargo volume than the sedan (446 l instead of 407 l) and a higher rear roof clearance of 45 mm. .

Price, range and charging time

At € 136,619, the price of the Taycan Sport Turismo GTS is logically halfway between those of the 4S and Turbo versions. About 22,000 € separate them on either side if we consider the Cross Turismo versions for comparison. Very high-end prices for this exceptional model. Only the supplement requested to switch from the sedan body to the Sport Turismo is very reasonable: € 960. This is less the case for certain options, which are nevertheless essential, such as adaptive cruise control (€ 1,764), comfort access which allows you to keep the key in your pocket (€ 1,104) or rear parking assistance. with reversing camera and 360 ° view (€ 1,428).

Even the practical aspects concerning the electrical part are not all standard, such as the on-board charger of 22 kW instead of 11 kW (1,680 €) or the heat pump (852 €) which allows an optimization of the management of the electricity. air conditioning energy. In sedan version, the Taycan GTS is the first in the range to exceed 500 km of WLTP range. Less aerodynamic, the Sport Turismo still points to 491 km. This gain in autonomy is not to be attributed to the battery, unchanged, but to the optimization of the management of the battery and the engine, in particular with phases where the front unit is more often cut when driving. in Normal driving mode. Ultra fast, DC charging reaches 270 kW on a compatible terminal thanks to the 800 V architecture. Thus, the battery can go from 5 to 80% in 22 min according to Porsche (93 min on a DC terminal in 50 kW).

Driving

The Sport Turismo body weighs just 15kg more than that of the sedan, but it’s anything but featherweight with almost 2.4t displayed on the scale. Yet this mass is not felt at the wheel, literally erased by the still bluffing efficiency of the Taycan. The more dynamic suspension calibration of the GTS version further accentuates this impression of great agility, supported by a configuration including as standard the active air suspension with variable height with PASM (Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus) and 4D Chassis Control.

The acceleration sticks of course to the seats thanks to the 517 hp (598 hp overboost) delivered by the two synchronous permanent magnet motors. They allow radical acceleration, requiring only 3.7 s to go from 0 to 100 km / h and 12 s to reach 200 km / h. In order to support these performances, the soundtrack is to measure, with a reworked Sport Sound particularly present and fortunately disconnectable. New 390mm front discs and six-piston calipers provide smooth braking, which the ceramic disc option can further improve.

A few laps of the circuit – unfortunately in very wet conditions – allow us to realize the impressive efficiency and balance of the car. Well wedged in the Sport Plus buckets, we appreciate its direction with surgical precision and its ability to be playful if desired, but without tricky reactions. Certainly, the electronic guardrails help not to get carried away by the masses in the event of excess optimism, but that does not detract from the pleasure of the phenomenal raises with a pleasant feeling experienced during the passage of the second gear.

In short, everything contributes to pampering the driver, who will be able to analyze his exploits on the track with the new Porsche Track Precision App. Comfort is not forgotten, however. It appears to be of an excellent level except in Sport Plus mode, where the suspensions are lowered and stiffened significantly until they become jerky on small bumps in the road. Finally, WLTP official consumption announced between 21 and 24.1 kWh / 100 km is well below what we noted (around 32 kWh / 100 km in fast driving), which gives us a real autonomy of about 260 km. With the lighter foot it is of course possible to do much better.

In the cockpit

Competetion

It is difficult to find competitors for such a unique model on the market. There is of course its cousin Audi e-tron GT, but this one does not have a comparable body variant. Among the available offers, the one that perhaps comes closest to it is the Kia EV6 GT crossover, strong at 585 hp and capable of close acceleration with 3.5 s claimed from 0 to 100 km / h. Its voltage of 800 V also allows ultra-fast recharging. But the services, the behavior and the presentation are from another register. Just like its price of only 66,990 €. We may have to wait for the arrival of premium electric start-up models like Lucid Motors to see if they are able to reach the German level.

Find the results of the Porsche Taycan GTS Sport Turismo test, the technical sheet and the equipment on the following page.