Porsche Taycan upgraded for 2022

If the all-electric Porsche Taycan wasn’t futuristic and flashy enough for you already, a host of upgrades announced for MY22 will surely get you over the line.

Production of the 2022 Porsche Taycan range, pricing and specs for which were announced in June, will commence in September ahead of first local arrivals in late 2021 or early 2022.

Porsche says technical advancements have allowed it to increase the driving range for all-wheel drive variants (all versions except the new entry-level Taycan), including the upcoming Taycan Cross Turismo.

It says that in Normal and Range driving modes, the front electric motor in AWD models is now almost completely decoupled and de-energised during partial load conditions.

In addition, no drive is transmitted to either axle when the car is coasting or at a standstill. Porsche says this ‘electric freewheel’ function reduces drag losses and that the e-motors switch on again within milliseconds when the driver requests more power or changes the driving mode.

Meantime, improvements to the EV’s thermal management system are said to allow faster charging, as the high-voltage battery can now cope with higher temperatures than current models.

However, Porsche is yet to confirm exactly what effect all that has on range or charging times.

As it stands, the current range-topping Taycan Turbo S offers around 405km of range, while the slightly tuned-down Taycan Turbo delivers around 420km – both combined ADR figures.  

The newly announced entry-level Taycan RWD model (from $156,300) comes standard a Performance Battery with outputs of 300kW/345Nm, maximum charging capacity of 225kW and a 369km range.

The optional Performance Battery Plus increases outputs to 350kW/357Nm, can be charged at up to 270kW, offers a longer 434km range and delivers the same 0-100km/h acceleration performance (5.4 seconds) and the same 230km/h top speed.

The all-wheel drive Taycan 4 Cross Turismo (from $176,600) scores the Performance Battery Plus as standard, delivering 350kW/500Nm, 0-100km/h acceleration in 5.1sec and a slightly longer 437km range.

In a flashback to Porsche’s 964-series 911 of the early 1990s, classic colour options including Rubystar (pictured), Acid Green, Moonlight Blue Metallic, Riviera Blue and Viola Metallic have also been revived via the Paint to Sample process with the car-maker’s Porsche Manufaktur personalisation department.

In addition to 17 standard paint colours, no fewer than 65 Paint to Sample colour options are available, while Paint to Sample Plus now allows customers to also have their Taycan painted in almost any colour they desire.

But if you want your Taycan to match your favourite accessory, be prepared to pay up to about $20,000 extra for the privilege.

A new Remote Park Assist function that allows the Taycan to park itself has also been announced in Germany, however, a spokesperson for Porsche Cars Australia has confirmed the new feature will not be available for Aussie examples of the Taycan.

Porsche has also announced a further expansion of its EV charging locations in Australia, where the car-maker now offers 43 charging destinations across the nation.

The technical updates join equipment upgrades previously announced for the MY22 Taycan range, including the addition of Android Auto connectivity for an updated Porsche Communication Management (PCM) infotainment system.

So following the same update for the latest 911, Cayenne and Panamera, Taycan drivers who use Samsung smartphones – and others that use the Google Android operating system – can now also rejoice.

Apple CarPlay was already available in the Taycan for iPhone and Porsche says the Taycan’s navigation system calculates more quickly and displays information more clearly via a revised central touch-screen with five menu icons on the left side instead of the previous three and the option to rearrange the icons.

As we’ve reported previously, 2022 Porsche Taycan 4S, Turbo and Turbo S variants all gain a head-up display, grey top-tinting for the windscreen, tyre sealant and electric air compressor, Traffic Jam Assist and Power Steering Plus (previously standard for the Taycan Turbo S).

Other standard equipment for the 2022 Taycan and Taycan 4 Cross Turismo includes Comfort Access, Lane Change Assist, ParkAssist (front and rear) with Surround View, Adaptive Cruise Control with Traffic Jam Assist, Head-Up Display and Power Steering Plus.

In addition for Australia, there are auto-dimming mirrors, electrically-folding exterior mirrors, LED headlights with PDLS Plus, Privacy glazing, steering wheel heating, rear side airbags, 14-way Comfort seats with memory package and digital radio.

For MY22, the Taycan Turbo and Turbo S also receive the 22kW on-board AC charger that’s – surprisingly – still optional on lesser Taycan models.

All Taycan owners receive a complimentary three-year subscription to the Chargefox Ultra-Rapid DC charging network (up to 350kW), and complimentary charging at selected Chargefox-managed Fast DC charging sites (mostly 50kW).

They also come with the Porsche Charging Dock, a Mobile Charger Connect module, a charging cable for domestic sockets, two charging cables for industrial sockets and the Home Energy Manager to assist with the set-up of charging infrastructure at home.

How much does the 2021 Porsche Taycan cost?
Taycan – $156,300
Taycan 4 Cross Turismo – $176,600
Taycan 4S – $194,700
Taycan 4S Cross Turismo – $205,300
Taycan Turbo – $276,300
Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo – $279,000
Taycan Turbo S – $345,800
* Prices exclude on-road costs