Electric Supercars are arriving in India!
This gorgeous EV which was first previewed as the Porsche Mission E concept is now available in India in 2 avatars; the standard sedan version and Cross Turismo estate. The basic underpinnings of both vehicles are the same but the body style, visual appeal and surface usability of both varies.
Science 09-Mar-2022
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Porsche Taycan and Taycan Cross Turismo Launched
Porsche is a brand which is very much known and loved by us Indian car enthusiasts. The 911 holds a special place in every sports car enthusiasts’ heart, the Boxster and Cayman brought high end sportscars under the Rs.1 crore mark (for a while) and of course the brilliant Cayenne and Macan instantly won over Indians’ hearts because of the fact that they’re SUVs and possess the ability to conquer the terrible roads and portholes that roads here throw at all motorists. If you want a Porsche and are afraid of Indian roads ruining your car, the Cayenne and Macan will put your mind at ease with their high clearance and (somewhat) off-road credentials.
But now the electric revolution is arriving. Some manufacturers use electric power to make commuting affordable and others have seen the opportunity to use the power of electricity to squeeze as much excitement as possible out of the massive performance potential electric power holds in addition to pumping up range numbers per charge for maximum convenience. Porsche is one of these brands and their ground-up electric designed Taycan sports car took the world by storm when it was globally unveiled. Now finally the Taycan and Taycan Cross Turismo have landed in India and have thus added the much needed electric vehicle series into Porsche India’s car lineup.
This gorgeous EV which was first previewed as the Porsche Mission E concept is now available in India in 2 avatars; the standard sedan version and Cross Turismo estate. The basic underpinnings of both vehicles are the same but the body style, visual appeal and surface usability of both varies. The Cross Turismo for example has a slightly heightened capability of rough roading thanks to boosted ground clearance as compared to the sedan. The design language of both versions however is still quintessentially Porsche. The gentle creasing all over the bodywork, the hunkered down stance and the four dot LED motif in the headlight units place the Taycan very much in line with existing modern Porsche exterior design DNA.
The interior is packed to the gills with technology and digital interactive interfaces. You can spec the Taycan with up to four screens just in the front of the cabin which might seem excessive to some but will almost certainly appeal to others in favour of this all digital approach. A lot of the digital surfaces are equipped with haptic engines as well to add some amount of physical feedback to the touch controls which is always a useful touch. Porsche has ensured that luxury and creature comforts are not compromised anywhere in the entirety of the vehicle since it’s quite literally dripping in technology at every interior interface. This technology is bathed in high end exotic materials to cocoon the occupants in opulence.
However much Porsche has followed the amazing standard of design, features and luxury on the Taycan, one fact cannot be ignored that unlike other Porsche cars, this is totally electric and comes with its own unique set of challenges which Porsche has tried to tackle. I’m of course referring to the performance and range figures, so let’s put some numbers on the table. The base level Taycan is rear wheel drive whereas the entire remaining lineup is all wheel drive. Power figures also vary across the RWD and AWD variants with the base car producing 408 horsepower and the twin motor 4S model making 530 horsepower with overboost activated. The Cross Turismo 4S meanwhile makes 517 horsepower and the Turbo spec available for both body styles knocks the figures out of the park with a monumental 680 hp. However that’s not even the top spec version. That crown sits with the range topping Turbo S churning out 761hp and 1050nm making it the fastest electric vehicle available in India right now.
With massive electric power also comes the added concern of the batteries depleting rather quickly but Porsche has fitted the Taycans with huge battery packs to combat this issue to the best degree they can. As a result of this the entry level RWD Taycan has a claimed range pf 484KM and the cross Turismo is supposed to go even further at 456KM. The range readings should always be taken with a pinch of salt but even if the real range comes close to the claims, this is still a very much usable and almost impressive set of range figures from a 4 door electric performance car.
The Taycan lineup starts at 1.5 crore rupees ex-showroom which is definitely a lot for the amount of performance you’re getting for the price especially if you compare it with its rivals from Audi and even Mercedes soon enough. However EV performance vehicles are a new and upcoming segment and best believe all car makers are doing their very best to offer unique, high performance and sustainable propositions for a price which they can make as appealing as they can. The Taycan is one of the first to enter this segment in India and I think it has done a great job at setting the standard, even if it’s done it at a premium price.
Devashish Puranik
Devashish Puranik is a student who is currently pursuing his bachelor's degree in Transportation Design at MIT Institute of Design. He is extremely passionate about automobiles and enjoys sketching, digital art, 3D modelling and ocassionally even animating his automotive creations. He enjoys exploring a wide variety of art forms besides automobiles and likes to experiment with different media and surfaces too. Besides this he has a love for content creation in the form of video as well as text. He creates automotive reviews and videos on his two YouTube channels Ignite Motorrad and Devashish Puranik and intends to grow them further alongside his educational course. Delivering content and hosting videos in front of the camera is one of his strongest points. He is a motorcycle enthusiast himself and goes on long tours on his bike and is part of a few motorcycling groups in addition to having started one himself. He keeps himself in the loop regarding all things automotive and is always seeking to expand his horizons in these fields.