Porsche crosses over with new Taycan Cross Turismo

JUST when it was looking like every motoring niche was being catered for, Porsche has formally confirmed its high-riding Taycan Cross Turismo EV performance wagon is under development.

Described by Porsche executives as an “all-electric cross utility vehicle”, the Taycan Cross Turismo is based on the Mission E Cross Turismo Concept of 2018 with the design brief being to “offer a little bit more space, a little more flexibility and versatility” than a regular Taycan, according to model line chief Stefan Weckbach.

While the finished product is yet to be revealed or even detailed, Porsche has begun drip-feeding the media with the design elements and images of lightly camouflaged images as the new model enters its final stages of development.

From the front it looks exactly how you would expect a jacked-up Taycan with roof rails to look, featuring the same quad light signature, thin wide lower grille and narrow front fascia.

Things vary a fair bit compared to the regular Taycan when looking from the side however, with a roofline and silhouette reminiscent of the Panamera Sport Turismo, albeit with chunkier rear haunches and more ground clearance.

“We developed a completely new roofline, fitted with roof rails, a more generous second row and bigger trunk, all to make a car that is perfect for an active lifestyle,” Mr Weckbach said.

“A car that is perfect for both an urban environment and the countryside.”

Such is Porsche’s commitment to the active lifestyle market, it has even developed its own bespoke bike rack which has been both aerodynamically and structurally optimised to match the Taycan Cross Turismo’s design and capabilities.

Speaking of capabilities, the brand has also developed a new CUV (cross utility vehicle) specific driving mode and optimised the raised suspension to handle “light off-roading and gravel roads” as well as performance driving.

Given the Cross Turismo bares ‘Taycan’ at the beginning of its name, it should come as no surprise to find much of the new model’s development has been carried out at the Nurburgring and Hockenheim racetracks as well as the Nardo test track and Pyrenees mountains.

“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,” Mr Weckbach said.

“The Cross Turismo is not a hardcore off-road vehicle, but specialises in unpaved and dirt roads. It’s like a type of Swiss army knife on up to 21-inch wheels.”

It remains to be seen how many Cross Turismo variants emerge when the car is revealed in full in the coming months, however we expect it to follow a similar approach to the sedan-style Taycan, of which three – 4S, Turbo and Turbo S – are currently offered.

As for powertrains, our money is on the Cross Turismo launching with a similar line-up as the Taycan, perhaps with a smaller range of variants as with the Panamera and its Sport Turismo wagon counterpart.

GoAuto has contacted Porsche Cars Australia (PCA) to gauge local interest in the niche electric crossover, however given the brand’s popularity Down Under, a local introduction is almost certain.

PCA has sold 402 new vehicles so far this year ending January, down just eight units on the 410 it shifted over the same period last year.