Porsche Taycan spearheads 2021 model rollout

The Porsche Taycan has finally arrived in Australia, bringing zero-emissions performance motoring to the market from a traditional premium brand after years of Tesla having that sector to itself.

We’ve now driven the ground-breaking new EV on home turf and our first local review will be published at 4:00pm this Thursday (February 25). The Porsche Taycan officially goes on sale two days after that, although local pricing was announced back in June 2020.

The Taycan won’t be the only new product to reach Porsche showrooms this year, however. Buyers began taking deliveries of the updated Panamera and the Cayenne Coupe e-Hybrid during January/February, and the new 911 Turbo has been reaching local customers since December of 2020.

Next month, Porsche will commence delivering the first PDK automatic variants of the six-cylinder 718 Boxster GTS/Spyder and Cayman GTS/GT4. There’s a 25th anniversary edition of the Boxster due in April, and the new 911 GT3 remains on track for local release in the second half of this year.

Porsche is not officially discussing details about the Taycan Cross Turismo or the rear-wheel drive Taycan, which was ostensibly developed for the Chinese market, but has since gone global and will certainly be sold in other markets. It’s still too early to say whether the car is certain to reach Australia.

If it does, the rear-wheel drive Taycan will slot in beneath the three model variants launched in Australia this week, introducing emissions-free sports car performance and dynamics in a prestigious four-door package.

For now, the 2021 Porsche Taycan is priced from $190,400 for the entry-level Taycan 4S, a sports sedan that features an AC synchronous electric motor for each axle, meaning all-wheel drive across the range.

Collectively, the two motors pump out 320kW and 640Nm, but an overboost function bumps that power figure up to 390kW. Porsche claims even the sub-$200K Taycan can polish off 0-100km/h in just 4.0 seconds.

Add a Performance Battery Plus pack ($13,690) and the Taycan 4S picks up more power – 360kW or 420kW on overboost – as well as more torque (650Nm) and longer range, increasing from 365 to 414km.

The Performance Battery Plus pack is standard for the Porsche Taycan Turbo, the mid-spec trim level priced at $268,500. Peak power is 460kW or 500kW on overboost, and maximum torque is 850Nm. Porsche claims the Taycan Turbo will reach 100km/h from a standing start in 3.2 seconds, and the range between recharging is 420km.

At the summit of the range is the Porsche Taycan Turbo S at $338,500. Offering the same 460kW as the Taycan Turbo, but jumping all the way to 560kW on overboost, the Taycan Turbo S also produces a mammoth 1050Nm for a claimed 0-100km/h time of just 2.8 seconds. The driving range for the flagship model falls short of the Taycan Turbo, at 405km.

A unique technical feature of the Taycan is its two-speed transmission on the rear axle. All models make do with just a single reduction gear for the front axle.

Electrical energy is stored in a battery pack rated at 79.2kWh (gross) for the Taycan 4S, or 93.4kWh (gross) for models with the Performance Battery Plus pack – optional for 4S, standard for Turbo and Turbo S.

As standard, the Taycan 4S comes with 20-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, dual-zone climate control, privacy glass, 14-way electrically-adjustable front seats with position memory, front seat heating/ventilation, partial leather upholstery, satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay and a BOSE 14-speaker audio system with digital radio.

The Taycan Turbo also rides on 20-inch alloy wheels, but in a different design. Standard features of the Taycan Turbo over and above the 4S specification include: LED matrix headlights, four-zone climate control, rear-seat heating, Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control and leather upholstery, to name a few.

Riding on 21-inch Mission E alloys, the Taycan Turbo S has the following items of standard equipment in addition to the Turbo’s spec list: 18-way electrically-adjustable front sports seats, two-tone leather-free interior (with leather a no-charge option) and a heated GT multi-function steering wheel bound in leather.

Safety kit and driver-assist technology comprise an active bonnet system, 10 airbags, lane change assist, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking and a 360-degree camera system.

How much does the 2021 Porsche Taycan cost?
4S – $190,400
Turbo – $268,500
Turbo S – $338,50
*Prices exclude on-road costs