The first battery-electric wagon is coming, and it will be known as the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo.
It launches this summer, Porsche confirmed on Tuesday, and the final testing of prototypes is currently underway. It’s expected to arrive as a 2021 model.
The Taycan Cross Turismo is essentially a wagon option for the Taycan sedan, akin to Porsche’s Panamera Sport Turismo wagon. However, the Taycan wagon will be positioned as a soft-roader and feature all the typical cues of such vehicles like a taller ride height, roof rails, and what even appears to be protective elements for the lower body.
Air suspension will also be included, enabling the ride height to be adjusted. This will be important for efficiency (and therefore range), as a lower ride height will be key during highway driving. The suspension will also be tuned to handle rough terrain, with Stefan Weckbach, head of the Taycan model line, confirming that there will be driving mode for unpaved and dirt roads.
2021 Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo
It’s possible we also see a sportier Taycan wagon like the Panamera Sport Turismo at some point given Porsche’s penchant for launching multiple derivatives of a single product line.
Performance of the Taycan Cross Turismo should be similar to the Taycan sedan. This means potential buyers can look forward to 4S, Turbo and Turbo S grades, all with standard all-wheel drive and outputs ranging from 522-616 (750 temporarily) hp. EPA-rated range should fall around 200 miles.
Don’t expect a version matching the rear-wheel-drive Taycan base model added for 2021, since all-wheel drive is being made a key element of the Taycan Cross Turismo.
For Porsche fans looking for a more conventional crossover with electric power, the automaker is also working on a battery-electric Macan. It’s expected to arrive next year and will be based on a separate platform to the Taycan, specifically the PPE modular EV platform Porsche is developing in partnership with fellow Volkswagen Group brand Audi.