New Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo 2021: prices, pictures, specs and release date

Porsche has announced full details of the new Taycan Cross Turismo electric car – a more rugged and practical five-door 'shooting brake' estate version of the Taycan four-door high-performance saloon.

Under the metal, the Cross Turismo features the same electric drivetrain technology as its sister model, but there's no entry-level rear-drive version; the focus on offering some rough-road capability means four-wheel drive is necessary. The line-up therefore begins with the £79,340 Taycan 4 Cross Turismo and also encompasses the £87,820 Taycan 4S Cross Turismo, the £116,950 Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo and the range-topping £139,910 Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo.

The Taycan 4 makes 375bhp (469bhp with Overboost), gets from 0-62mph in 5.1 seconds, has a top speed of 137mph and its range on a full charge is up to 283 miles. The 4S boosts power to 483bhp (563bhp with Overboost) for a 4.1-second 0-62mph time, a 149mph top speed and range of up to 281 miles on a charge.

The two Turbo models have an identical standard power output of 616bhp, but the Turbo S reaches 751bhp with overboost, compared to the Turbo's 671bhp. The Turbo and Turbo S will do 0-62mph in 3.3 and 2.9 seconds respectively and are both limited to a top speed of 155mph. Range for the Turbo is the same as for the 4S, at up to 281 miles, while for the Turbo S the figure is 260 miles.

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Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo: off-road capability, practicality and design

All versions of the Taycan Cross Turismo get Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) and air suspension as standard, while also boasting 36mm more headroom for rear-seat passengers and over 1,200 litres of luggage space. An optional Off-Road Pack enhances their rough-surface capability further, allowing an extra 10mm of ground clearance, for a total of 30mm more than the saloon Taycan.

Design elements specific to the Cross Turismo include the wheelarch trims, as well as unique front and rear lower aprons and side sills. An Off-Road Design package adds vanes at the corners of the front and rear bumpers and at the ends of the sills; these serve to add visual interest as well as protection from stone impacts.

The Cross Turismo's front end looks virtually identical to the standard Taycan, while the rear features the same full-length LED tail-light across the tailgate as the four-door. The roofline extends further to provide more space for passengers and luggage at the rear, in similar fashion to the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo petrol and hybrid-engined model.

Porsche's Stefan Weckback, head of the Taycan model line, says of the car: "With the Taycan Cross Turismo, we wanted to offer a little bit more space, a little more flexibility and versatility. We developed a completely new roofline, fitted with roof rails, a more generous second row and bigger trunk, all to make a car that's perfect for an active lifestyle. A car that's perfect for both an urban environment and the countryside."

He added: "In order to enable it to handle light off-roading and gravel roads, we increased the ground clearance. And we optimised our suspension system so the Cross Turismo comes with a CUV (cross utility vehicle) specific driving mode. This makes sure it does well on gravel roads in terms of stability, performance, and dynamics."

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Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo: pre-production drive

We've had the opportunity to drive a pre-production version of the Taycan Cross Turismo – one that was in the middle of a world tour via the US and Europe. Porsche was deliberately not washing the car during the trip – hence the layer of mud, sand and salt acting as a sort of natural camouflage on top of the (rather thin) official disguise.

The car looks very familiar, but with some very obvious deviations from the original Taycan. The front-end treatment is much the same, but as you make your way rearwards, the car takes on a look more akin to the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo. The Cross Turismo also sits higher than the standard Taycan – 20mm to be exact – with an extra 10mm added when you select 'Gravel' mode (see below).

Inside, our pre-production test car still boasted peerless build quality and some nice refinements: the Taycan's slick interior is present and correct, complete with a seriously impressive dual-screen infotainment system and a smaller one for the front-seat passenger. The boot is larger, but not the last word in practicality given the sloping rear window.

The car we drove was a Turbo S model, which is likely to sit at the top of the as-yet-unconfirmed Cross Turismo range. Under all that dirt are the same electric motors and battery as the standard Taycan equivalent; performance sits at an estimated three seconds for 0-62mph, with 0-100mph completed in just 6.5 seconds. Range is expected to be something around 250 miles.

The Cross Turismo is blisteringly fast and effortlessly so. A number of drive modes are offered to tailor both the performance and chassis to different situations. These are selected on the steering wheel or touchscreen and include 'Normal', 'Sport', 'Sport Plus' and 'Gravel'. Sport and Sport Plus offer sharpened responses and – with the 'Electric Sound Pack' added – a futuristic noise that helps to make the performance on tap even more exciting. 'Individual' mode lets you adjust various parameters to your taste.

'Gravel' mode is new for the Cross Turismo and is intended to give the car a bit of help in tackling some very light off-roading, such as dirt tracks, by raising the ride height an extra 10mm. Combined with the four-wheel-drive system, this should give the Cross Turismo a bit more versatility as a family car for those who live in the countryside.

Despite its crossover character, the Taycan Cross Turismo is still a Porsche at heart – its quick, responsive steering and fantastic body control make it a joy to drive for such a large, heavy machine. There's still a level of luxury, however – ride quality is exquisite in Normal mode and remains comfortable even in the sportier modes.

The Cross Turismo looks set to be the pick of the Taycan range when it arrives, adding a bit more practicality and usability to what is one of the best electric cars on sale. Prices for the Turbo S are expected to start at around £140,000 – not that much more than the standard car like-for-like.