STUTTGART - Porsche is getting ready to unleash a more practical, all-terrain version of its Taycan electric car and the German sportscar maker promises that this new creation will be an all-rounder of note.
Porsche is giving us a closer look at the upcoming Taycan Cross Turismo with a set of pictures showing lightly disguised prototypes undergoing their final testing in a range of conditions, including the so-called Safari Track at the Weissach Development Centre.
Speaking of the development process Porsche executive Stefan Weckbach said that the biggest challenge was combining the requirements of sportiness with off-road capabilities.
“The Cross Turismo has to be capable of high performance on the race track and must also be able to handle scree, mud and gravel,” Weckbach said.
He added that the Cross Turismo was not created as a hard-core off-roader, but rather one that specialises in unpaved and dirt roads.
Porsche says the Cross Turismo will feature all of the performance and driving range benefits offered by the Taycan saloon, combined with superior headroom for the rear passengers and a larger boot. The vehicle will also offer all-wheel drive and a height-adjustable air suspension system.
Porsche hasn’t listed the engine options yet, but it’s likely to mirror the Taycan sedan, which is offered in four derivatives, with outputs ranging from 300kW to 560kW. The vehicle is currently priced between R2 227 000 and R3 977 000 in South Africa.
Porsche says that its battery-powered cars undergo the same testing procedures as their conventional petrol-powered cars and the vehicles must prove their unrestricted everyday usability in all climatic conditions.
Particularly demanding tasks such as charging, or controlling the temperatures of the powertrain and interior under extreme temperatures, are additional aspects that are tested in the electric models. Other development goals include race track performance, the ability to perform repeated acceleration runs at full throttle, and a range suitable for everyday use.
The new Taycan Cross Turismo is set to be launched around the middle of 2021, Porsche says. More details will be released closer to the time.
IOL Motoring