2024 Porsche Taycan

An electric Porsche always seemed like a contradiction in terms, as the lack of an internal combustion engine and excessive weight would surely conspire against the lithe feel and gravity-defying handling that the automaker has mastered. So everybody was skeptical when the Taycan electric sedan launched with a curb weight north of 4,500 pounds, but we needn't have worried. Porsche has imbued the heavy car with quite incredible handling prowess and managed to make it as rewarding to drive as any other Porker. The cabin is also a technological tour de force with digital screens aplenty, and built from only the best materials.

A dizzying array of powertrains will let you have smaller and larger batteries, launch control, Overboost mode, each with a different output. On paper, the base car has only 321 horsepower, but that increases to up to 402 hp on Overboost. The 4S delivers up to 562 hp, and the GTS maxes out at 590 hp. Various rivals hail from the USA, notably the Tesla Model S and the Lucid Air, but the Taycan has in-house competition, too, in the shape of its platform sister, the Audi e-tron GT. The Taycan is a brilliant car, but it's always been let down by poor efficiency and range - and it's expensive. Can the stellar driving experience make up for it?

The 2024 Taycan is a carry-over model except for two small changes. The first is the availability of an optional leather covering for the cupholder in the center console, and the second is that Android Auto smartphone integration happens wirelessly from this year, joining iPhone users in not having to plug in their phone via USB to connect to the infotainment system. Other than that, there aren't any changes to any of the three existing trims in the range, except for a round of price increases; the price of a new Porsche Taycan breaches $90k at the base level for the first time.

The price of a 2024 Porsche Taycan starts at $90,900 for the base model. The 4S will cost you $111,700 and the GTS $139,300. These prices are MSRP and exclude the $1,650 destination charge.

The 4S is arguably the best all-rounder in the lineup, because you get better performance, all-wheel drive, adaptive air suspension, adaptive headlights, and an upgraded keyless entry system. However, to make the most of its capabilities and shore up the limited standard spec, you'd want to add the bigger battery pack, the Performance package (rear-axle steering, PDCC Sport, PTV+, and the Sport Chrono package), and the Premium package (Bose audio, panoramic roof, 14-way seats, surround-view camera, and lane-change assist). Specced like this, it might be the best regular Taycan - and still $8k cheaper than a GTS without any extras - but it's still down on range and performance next to a $90k Model S Plaid, so the decision may depend on what you want from your electric speedster.

The cabin of the Taycan is a modern marvel, with hardly any hard buttons in sight. The steering wheel is a familiar three-spoke Porsche item, but the dials you see in the gauge cluster are digitally rendered on a screen, while more screens are provided in the center stack of the dashboard for the infotainment and even for the HVAC system. You can even add a fourth screen for the front passenger to play with.

A horizontal theme dominates, and the materials used are high quality. The seats are comfortable and supportive, but the rear cabin is a bit tight for taller folk, and interior space is not a particularly strong point compared to rivals, perhaps due to its shorter wheelbase. With a low-riding ground clearance of less than six inches, it's quite a step down to get inside the Taycan, and the roof slopes markedly at the rear, so watch your head. Once seated, the businesslike environment feels both sporty and purposeful, if a bit somber. The view out the back is a bit restrictive over the high parcel shelf, and there's no standard surround-view camera, so you'll have to rely on the backup camera and parking sensors.

The Taycan seats four people by default, with the second row tailored for two, but it's rather snug in the back, and people taller than six feet will feel hemmed in. You can optionally have a bench with a small rear center seat, but it will be cramped back there for three across, so it's a temporary position at most. No such problems in front, where the space is generous, and the low-slung seating position gives a sense of sportiness.

The Taycan has a traditional trunk and not a hatchback-style liftback like the Model S, so it's not as practical as its American rival. Trunk space is 14.3 cubic feet, compared to the Tesla's 26.3 cubes. Even the Lucid Air, a traditional sedan, offers a 22.1-cube cavern, so the Taycan is outclassed in terms of trunk volume. At least the 2.9-cu-ft frunk in the nose is bigger than the Tesla's, but soundly beaten by the Air, which offers more than three times as much. The Taycan's rear seats fold to increase loading space, but Porsche does not provide a number for the cargo hold in this configuration.

Cabin storage is quite generous, with a traditional glovebox, door pockets in all four doors, covered under-elbow console storage, and front and rear cupholders, but it's a shame that more has not been made of the available space under the forward part of the floating center console. The two-seater rear bench is split by a center console with a shallow, uncovered area to store phones and things, while there's another small receptacle at the rear passengers' feet below the rear HVAC vents.

Typically Porsche, there is a vast selection of interior colors and finishes to personalize your Taycan, though you might feel a bit done in that only partial leather upholstery is provided as standard at this price level. The base and 4S are the same inside, with the default color scheme being black, but with Slate Grey or Black/Limestone available as no-cost options. Full leather costs a pretty penny and is available in the same three standard color schemes, as well as a few more, including Blackberry, Black/Bordeaux Red, and Black/Chalk. A leather-free Race-Tex interior can be had for a price and comes in combinations of Black, Slate Grey, and Graphite Blue.

Olea Club leather is a $7,140 option and can be had in many of the aforementioned colors, in addition to others, such as Truffle Brown and Basalt Black. The steering wheel is trimmed in smooth leather, but you have access to options such as Race-Tex, matte carbon fiber, or combinations of these, with or without heating, as well as a GT Sport steering wheel for prices ranging from $280 to $1,150. Unique leather and/or Race-Tex finishes are available for many interior parts, and you can even have your seatbelts in a selection of at least nine hues for a surcharge. The rooflining can be had in Race-Tex, and the pedals in aluminum. New this year is the front cupholder trim that can be rendered in leather for a few hundred dollars.

The GTS comes only with a Race-Tex interior in Black, but full leather costs no extra in Black, Slate Grey, or Blackberry. Getting either the Race-Tex or leather interiors in two-tone finishes such as Black/Limestone, Black/Bordeaux Red, or Blackberry/Slate Grey will cost you, while the Oleo Club leather options vary from $2,450 to $3,010 on the GTS. The GTS Interior package decks out the cabin in a combination of Race-Tex and leather, with the accent color for items such as the Sport Chrono stopwatch dial and the stitching on the dash, doors, and seats, available in either Chalk or Carmine Red. Deviated stitching interior packages add further customization for prices ranging from $5,010 to $6,740. The GTS offers more freedom with trim choices, offering, for example, carbon-fiber cabin trim for $1,000 and dashboard end trims in leather for $850, among other options.

The same basic features are fitted to all three Taycan trims, and the list is not overly generous, with many items relegated to the options menu. The front seats are the basic eight-way power-adjustable ones, and they're heated, but 14-way and Adaptive Sport 18-way seats - the latter standard on the GTS - are available. Dual-zone climate control, a wireless charging pad, and a 16.8-inch digital gauge cluster are fitted too. Options include ventilated and/or massaging front seats, heated rear seats, four-zone climate control, and a panoramic glass roof, some available by themselves and others as part of packages.

The same infotainment system is standard on all three trims, and it comes with a 10.9-inch central touchscreen, navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a ten-speaker audio system. An additional 10.9-inch passenger display is available that gives access to infotainment and navigation functions for $1,130, while a rear-seat entertainment system with dual 10.1-inch touchscreens costs $1,610. The standard audio system can be upgraded to a 14-speaker Bose system for $1,200 or a 21-speaker Burmester 3D surround-sound system for $7,000. Another add-on is a full-color head-up display for $1,850.

The single electric motor in the Porsche Taycan base model sits on the rear axle. It develops 321 hp with the 79.2-kWh battery, or 402 hp with Overboost and launch control, along with 254 lb-ft of torque. Power is increased to 375 hp (or 469 hp with Overboost and launch control) when the 93.4-kWh Performance Battery Plus is fitted, but both versions of the base Porsche Taycan's 0-60 sprint takes the same 5.1 seconds because the extra power is offset by the extra weight in order to obtain a longer range. Top speed is limited to 143 mph.

The 4S adds another motor to the front axle to give it all-wheel drive, and with the smaller battery, it produces up to 429 hp, or 522 hp/472 lb-ft, with Overboost and launch control. With the big battery, the 4S produces up to 482 hp, or 562 hp/479 lb-ft, with Overboost and launch control. Both versions accelerate to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds and reach 155 mph. The GTS comes with the big battery and AWD only and produces up to 509 hp (590 hp/626 lb-ft with Overboost and launch control), enabling it to reach 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. It's limited to the same 155 mph as the 4S. The rear motor sends its power to the wheels via the same drivetrain configuration in all Porsche Taycans - a two-speed automatic transmission - but the front motor in models with AWD uses a fixed ratio.

With its batteries low down in the floor, the Taycan was always expected to offer a stable, flat cornering stance, but just how much fun it is wasn't anticipated - and rivals can simply not match it. Given its substantial mass, the steering's sharpness and the car's keenness to change direction are an eye-opener and make it seem more like a plus-sized 911 than a luxury sedan. The ride is taut but doesn't jar on the standard suspension, and Porsche's fine-tuning must be applauded. That said, the 4S or GTS is recommended because their standard adaptive air suspension opens up an additional dimension of ability and adjustability, providing a superbly supple ride, considering the lateral g-forces that can be generated. The feel of the brakes isn't very natural, though, and takes some getting used to.

Changes to the batteries and charging algorithms last year significantly improved charging times and range, so it's still rather disheartening to learn that the Porsche Taycan's MPGe figures and general efficiency are still poorer than rivals. The base car with the standard 79.2-kWh Performance Battery has EPA estimates of 79/88/83 MPGe on the city/highway/combined cycles, giving it a combined range of only 208 miles. With the large 93.4-kWh Performance Battery Plus, these figures are 78/88/82 MPGe and 242 miles. The corresponding figures for the 4S with the standard or large batteries are 82/82/82 MPGe and 206 miles or 79/81/80 MPGe and 235 miles, respectively. Interestingly, the high-performance GTS is marginally the most efficient of the lot, with 83/82/83 MPGe and 246 miles.

Porsche says charging the standard battery from empty to full on a 9.6-kW AC connection should take nine and a half hours, adding an additional hour for the large battery. Charging from five to 80% at the maximum possible charging speed of 270 kW on an 800-V DC fast charger takes less than 23 minutes

In common with other expensive luxury cars, there's no safety review of the Porsche Taycan from either the NHTSA or the IIHS. With all the latest safety features and technology on board, it should be as safe as houses, though, borne out by EuroNCAP's five-star review.

Ten airbags are fitted, along with the mandatory backup camera, tire-pressure monitoring, ABS, and stability control. Porsche adds to the standard fare with front and rear parking sensors, automatic LED headlights, hill-hold assist, traffic-sign recognition, rain-sensing wipers, auto-dimming mirrors, front-collision alert, automatic braking, lane-departure alert, and lane-keep assist. Extra-cost drive assists include night vision, lane-change assist, remote parking assist, a surround-view camera, a head-up display, and adaptive cruise control with or without Porsche InnoDrive active lane-keep assist. Some of these features are found bundled in some packages along with other luxury and convenience features.

JD Power rated the 2023 Taycan at just 61 out of 100 for Quality & Reliability, which is below average, and we're not sure why it's so low. There are only two recalls listed for 2023 models and none for 2024. 2022 models were recalled three times. Issues over the last three model years ranged from incorrect brake pad wear indicators and vehicle display malfunctions to seat belt warning malfunctions and insufficient sealant on the battery.

The standard limited warranty of the 2024 Porsche Taycan is valid for four years/50,000 miles, while the powertrain warranty runs for eight years/100,000 miles.

The Taycan is unmistakably a Porsche, with a low, squat stance and signature four-point DRLs in the LED headlight clusters. The thin, full-width rear light bar bearing the Porsche script is also familiar from other models such as the 911. The now-familiar black vents that run down the front bumper on either side of the headlights are wider on the GTS, which has sportier bumpers. The base cars run on 19-inch S Aero alloy wheels. The red brake calipers on the 4S are quickly spotted, as is the brightwork around the glasshouse in lieu of the base car's black finish. The GTS runs on satin-black 20-inch Turbo S Aero Design alloys. The exterior can be jazzed up by way of the SportDesign package, also offered with gloss-black and carbon-fiber exterior trim. Fascias, skirts, lower mirror trim, the glasshouse surround, and the door handles can all be had in different finishes and/or colors. No Taycan comes with a sunroof, but a fixed panoramic roof or Variable Light Control panoramic roof can be ordered at extra cost. Various decal and logo packages are available as well.

This isn't a straightforward question to answer. If your frame of reference is buying the electric sedan with handling that really makes it feel like a Porsche and that sets it apart from anything else in its market sector, the Taycan is a brilliant car - and the best among all its rivals. Combine this with a truly upscale cabin and excellent everyday comfort, and you get a driving experience unlike any electric sedan: a true class act. We suspect this is what Taycan buyers are after, so they'll happily live with the negatives. And those negatives are a high price and a poor range. For around the same starting price of the base Taycan, you can get a Tesla Model S Plaid with a sub-2-second 0-60 or a 620-hp Lucid Air Touring with a 425-mile range if that's your focus. It's all a matter of priorities, then, and the depth of your wallet.