Yahoo Autos Tested: 2021 Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo 4S Raises Model's Appeal
The last time we drove the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo 4S was over the tough terrain of Colorado's Ophir Pass. Yet while that outing revealed Porsche's off-road-oriented wagon to be a capable all-terrain EV, at least when equipped with 19-inch wheels wrapped with Falken Wildpeak AT tires, we failed to put it through its paces on paved roads. Now we have, though the powers that be only had a 2021 model on hand for us to test, despite a handful of updates coming to the 2022 version.
Still, our test car is mechanically the same as its 2022 analog. For the new model year, the Taycan's changes include an expanded color palette, the addition of a remote parking option, refinements to the battery pack's thermal management system to better prep it for fast-charging, and enhancements to the infotainment system's voice control functions and on-screen menu display. Android Auto connectivity also joins the existing Apple CarPlay compatibility.
The 2022 model's infotainment upgrades alone are reason enough to choose it over last year's car. But the updated setup's user experience will almost certainly still leave us wanting, as this Porsche's touchscreen-heavy operation brings a needless layer of complexity. Just as an example, certain basic operations that historically have been handled just fine by tactile buttons and switches, such as positioning the front air vents and adjusting the climate control, are now screen-based tasks.
Power Wagon
Overlook these ergonomic quirks and the Taycan Cross Turismo 4S's straight-line acceleration impresses. Its dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain produces a combined 562 horsepower with launch control engaged (482 horses otherwise). Aided by a rear two-speed transmission that remains rather unique in the EV space, that output is sufficient to vault this 5197-pound Porsche to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and through the quarter in 11.8 seconds at 121 mph—only a smidge behind the equally powerful and 69-pound lighter 2020 Taycan 4S sedan we previously tested.
However, the Taycan Cross Turismo 4S's lateral grip and braking distances fell notably behind those of its sedan counterpart. Although the wagon's extra weight and 1.2 inches of additional ride height surely impacted its adhesion, its staggered 20-inch Michelin Pilot Sport 4 summer tires were likely the biggest contributors to our test car's middling 0.88-g skidpad orbit and 161-foot stop from 70 mph. In contrast, the aforementioned Taycan 4S sedan with its staggered 21-inch Pirelli P Zero summer tires (which, it must be said, are also available on the Cross Turismo 4S) pulled 1.03 g's and came to a halt from 70 mph in 147 feet. Subjectively, this difference manifests in the higher-riding 20-inch-shod wagon's tendency to understeer through turns, though the small-diameter steering wheel does provide plentiful feedback on how well the front tires are holding on to the road.
