In a world where internal combustion engines’ days are numbered, the EV transition is inevitable. However, the consumer perception of buying an EV is changed in the last decade, it is no longer considered a quirky vehicle to save money. It can also be a fashion statement, it must be a luxury vehicle and aesthetically pleasing to look at. This week’s tester – the 2022 Porsche Taycan GTS Sport Turismo is a unique choice for those who want to have everything with great driving dynamics.
The Taycan is the first series production all-electric vehicle using VWAG’s MSB platform, but it is heavily modified for the battery packs which are located at the very bottom of the vehicle. Like many modern EVs, the Taycan also has an EV quirkiness when it comes to the exterior design, but it looks undoubtedly like a Porsche. I think the Nato Olive Green colour sets you back an additional $13,050 CAD, but it looks quite good, especially in person.
From the side profile, it becomes more obvious how long the vehicle is. Although it is technically a station wagon, the sloping roofline made the Taycan Sport Turismo look like a long coupe. It might not give you a spacious feeling due to the small windows, but it looks very sporty from the outside. The Taycan has a very long wheelbase, allows the battery pack to fit underneath, gives more room for passengers and it makes the car much more stable on corners.
Like the front end, the rear design carries over a lot of traditional Porsche design elements, but it looks just a little less quirky. The taillight is a one-piece design that goes through the rear end. The Sport Turismo version comes with a less sloping roofline and rear window compared to the sedan version, which looks almost like a liftback. You will not find exhaust tips in the back, but it still comes with a rear diffuser for better aerodynamics. Overall, I found that the Taycan GTS Sport Turismo has a nice road presence from all angles and it proves that EVs can still have a traditional design language without being too radical.
Interior design is a hate or love relationship, depending on your personality. It clearly focuses on simplicity as it does not have any physical buttons located on the dashboard, except the shifter buttons. It comes with one digital gauge cluster, 2 horizontally located screens, and one vertical screen located in the center stack. Even the air vents are controlled through the screens and it might be a deal breaker for people looking for more physical controls for essential features. If you like screens, you won’t be disappointed in a Taycan.
I found the infotainment system quite intuitive and easy to use, even if you are new to the Porsche ecosystem. The vertical screen is the most important, as it allows you to reach the most important features like the HVAC. The curved 16.8-inch instrument cluster is one of the best in business, mainly due to the screen quality, customizable options, and the implementation of Google Maps is flawless. On the other side, I found the optional passenger display a little bit gimmicky, as it is just a few inches away from the main screen, but it can still be useful for track or spirited driving. The only negative is the adaptive cruise control. The lane-centering feature is not as good as other entries, which is a missed opportunity in a market that offers a semi-autonomous hands-free driving experience.
Thankfully it does not have touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel and it is not littered with millions of buttons. Our tester had the Race-Tex (faux-suede fabric) steering wheel material, which is ideal for track conditions with racing gloves, but not so great for daily driving, especially after a certain period of time, as your hands will feel warmer than they should. I would personally opt for the leather steering wheel. Other than that, the fit and finish are quite impressive, the front seats are quite adjustable and comfortable, and it is a great place to be for long trips.
The rear seats offer a decent amount of legroom and they are quite comfortable, yet sporty enough with extra bolstering, but due to the low ride height and low roofline, it is not the easiest to get in and out. However, the Sport Turismo version has more headroom than the sedan version. It is technically a 5-seater, but the middle row is very narrow and only good for smaller adults, and that’s where you find two extra USB-C outlets located right under the middle row seat. The multi-module liquid crystal glass roof makes the interior feel much more spacious than it actually is.
Extra practicality makes the Sport Turismo the ideal Taycan for many buyers. It does not have enormous space, but it is definitely more usable than the sedan version with more overall cargo space, a bigger trunk opening and easier to load items vertically. The Sport Turismo version comes with 15.8 cubic feet (447L) of cargo space behind the rear seats, and 42.8 cubic feet (1212L) with the second row folded down. The frunk also offers extra 2.9 cubic feet (28.3L) of cargo space if you want to place small items in the front storage area.
The GTS nameplate is known as the sweet spot in many Porsche models, and it is the same for Taycan, even though it does not have an internal combustion engine, it still fills the gap between the S and Turbo. It is more of a driver-focused variant that offers more performance compared to base and S trims, but not outrageously fast and expensive like the Turbo and Turbo S model. It comes with the bigger 93.4 kWh Performance Battery Plus pack and a dual motor that sends power to all four wheels, which can take you to 100 km/h in about 3.7 seconds. The GTS model takes the rear motor from the Turbo model, and the two-speed gearbox along with the front motor from the 4S, pushing 590 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque with the launch control.
Porsche claims 396 km of range for the 2022 Taycan Sport Turismo GTS, but your mileage may vary based on weather and driving conditions. Porsche has made some tweaks to increase the range of all 2022 Taycans, but it is slightly less than the competition. On the positive side, the Taycan is quite flexible when it comes to charging options. It can be charged on both sides of the vehicle, but only the charging port on the right side can be used for fast Level 3 / DC charging. If you are charging at home, Level 2 charging will be more than enough as it takes about 8 hours to charge from 20 to 100 percent. Like many modern EVs, you can simply download the Porsche Connect app to see everything about your Taycan, and set different charging profiles based on your schedule.
Of course, as expected from a Porsche, it is simply a mind-blowing experience when it comes t the driving dynamics. The electric motors are tuned in a way that always sends more power to the rear and it includes a torque vectoring system, and it loves to rotate under power. Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) and Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) allow you to change the ride height and suspension settings based on the driving mode and road conditions. There is absolutely no body roll when you are at the limit, but it is also exceptionally comfortable when you are just driving normally.
The optional rear-axle steering is a must-have, which makes the car turn like a small hatchback at lower speeds, but it also helps rotate the car at higher speeds. The braking performance is just as impressive, the standard GTS brakes come with the six-piston front caliper and four-piston rear caliper as the 4S model, but the GTS is equipped with larger 390mm front rotors. Our tester had the optional carbon ceramic brakes, which is definitely overkill unless you are planning to take your Taycan to track on a regular basis. Without seeing the spec sheet, it is very hard to believe the car weighs over 5200 lbs behind the steering wheel.
Sometimes the numbers will not tell you the whole story, but with the starting price of $159,300 CAD, the 2022 Porsche Taycan GTS Sport Turismo is far from being a traditional EV, as saving money is probably at the bottom of your priority list. When budget is no concern, the Taycan GTS Sport Turismo might be the right choice for you if you need a performance-oriented versatile EV that offers supercar levels of driving dynamics, and a decent amount of interior space.
| Engine | Permanent-magnet synchronous AC |
| Battery Pack | 93 kWh – Liquid-cooled lithium-ion |
| Transmission | 2-speed automatic, direct-drive |
| Max power | 590 hp |
| Max torque | 627 lb-ft |
| 0-100 km/h | 3.7 sec |
| Curb Weight | 5200 lbs – 2358 kg |
| Range | 230 mi – 370 km |
| Price (as tested) | $211,180 CAD |
