Porsche expands Taycan range with 4S

JUST two months after Porsche revealed the flagship Turbo and Turbo S variants of its first all-electric sports sedan, the Taycan, the German sportscar marque has unveiled the 4S that will serve as its entry point when Australian deliveries begin in the fourth quarter of next year.

Unlike the Turbo and Turbo S, the 4S is available with two battery sizes, a 79.2kWh single-deck unit and the same 93.4kWh twin-deck item that the higher-output Taycan variants use.

While the single unit provides the 4S with 407km of driving range on the WLTP standard, the twin enables it to travel 463km between charges – 13km more than the previously standard-setting Turbo S.

The company is yet to confirm charging times for the 4S, but its smaller battery has a maximum charging capacity of 225kW while the larger unit tops out at 270kW to match the Turbo and Turbo S that can add 100km of driving range in just five minutes.

Due to its two battery sizes, the 4S has two corresponding peak power outputs, with the smaller item helping to produce 390kW on overboost, while the larger unit develops 420kW. Maximum torque is yet to be quoted.

Either way, the 4S is able to sprint from standstill to 100km/h in four seconds flat, while its top speed is 250km/h. For reference, the 500kW Turbo and 560kW Turbo S hit triple digits in 2.8s and 3.2s respectively.

As its name suggest, the 4S features an all-wheel-drive system that sees one permanently excited synchronous electric motor on the rear axle alongside a two-speed transmission, while another is installed on the front axle.

The rear drive unit has an ‘active length’ of 130mm, according to Porsche, making it 80mm shorter than that of the Turbo and Turbo S.

The 4S shares its slippery shape with the Turbo, with both sporting a drag coefficient of 0.22Cd. For the 4S, this result is partly due to its unique bumpers and aerodynamically optimised 20-inch Sport Aero alloy wheels that will be standard in Australia.

Inside, a curved 16.8-inch digital instrument cluster features alongside a 10.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, while another display can be optioned for the front passenger.

Locally, 14-way power-adjustable front comfort seats with memory functionality will also be found alongside partial leather upholstery. Leather-free trim made from recycled materials will be an option.

Other standard equipment set for Australia includes 4D Chassis Control, three-chamber air suspension with adaptive dampers, 360mm front and 358mm rear internally vented brake discs with red fixed callipers (six pistons up front and four at the rear), and adaptive LED headlights.

Porsche Cars Australia says pricing for the 4S, Turbo and Turbo S will be announced early next year, although GoAuto understands that the 4S will be priced from about $200,000 plus on-road costs, which would make it significantly more expensive than the dearest version of Tesla’s rival Model S, the $143,900 Performance.

In future, ‘regular’ 4, S, GTS and 4 GTS variants of the Taycan could be introduced to follow the precedent set by Porsche’s existing models, while a higher-riding wagon body style based on the Mission E Cross Turismo concept has also been confirmed for production.