By Edward A. Sanchez – March 4, 2021
At some indeterminate time in the 1990s, the word “wagon” became kryptonite in the automotive industry. Even for those companies and brands that still had one in their lineup, they became “Sport Tourers,” “Touring,” “CrossTour,” or some other vague descriptor that all but said what they were. They have become a rare breed in this day and age where the crossover tsunami seems to have overtaken the market in almost every size and price class. Yet despite the preponderance of crossovers, even within its own lineup, Porsche today officially confirmed the existence of a model we knew was coming, and have seen in numerous spy photos: The 2021 Taycan Cross Turismo.
OK, to be fair, Porsche is once again skirting the “W” word with this model. But let’s be honest, it’s a wagon version of Zuffenhausen’s electric supercar. And personally, I couldn’t be happier, despite the fact that I’ll probably never be able to afford one, at least new.
The biggest winners with the Cross Turismo are undoubtedly the rear passengers, which gain a substantial 3.62 inches of additional headroom. The increased cargo capacity, while welcome, will still not be a huge selling point, with between 14.3 and 15.7 cubic feet with the rear seat up, then up to 42.8 cubic feet with it down. For comparison, the Macan offers 17.6 cubic feet behind the rear seat, and 52.9 with the rear seats down. The Cayenne offers 26.3 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 60.3 cubic feet with the rear seats folded.
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Thanks to its compact EV drivetrain, the Taycan’s 2.9 cubic foot front trunk carries over with the Cross Turismo. A roof rail system as well as a hitch-mounted bike rack are offered as accessories. The Cross Turismo features a 20 mm (0.78-inch) higher ride height than the sedan for easier ingress and egress, as well as added ground clearance, for its ostensibly more adventurous mission. Models equipped with the Off Road Design Package get stylistically questionable wheel arch moldings and an additional 10 mm (0.39 in) of ride height. Standard air suspension allows an additional 10 mm of clearance on-demand. However, Porsche walks back the Cross Turismo’s off-road chops slightly in the release, stating the vehicle is “not designed as a rock-crawling off-roader.”
Although slightly slower than its sedan counterparts, it is in no way “slow” by most measures. The Turbo S trim does 0-60 mph in just 2.7 seconds, a mere 0.1 seconds slower than the sedan. The Turbo trim is rated at 3.1 seconds 0-60, the 4S model in 3.9 seconds, and the 4 trim in 4.8 seconds. Sure to be The Watt Car contributor Phil Royle’s favorite feature, all Cross Turismo models feature an 800V battery architecture supporting high-speed DC charging.
To underscore the Cross Turismo’s adventurous personality, two companion e-bike models are being offered, the Porsche eBike Sport, and the eBike Cross. The bikes feature components and hardware from well-known suppliers Shimano and Magura. Both are priced accordingly for a premium brand, with the eBike sport going for $10,700 and the eBike cross ringing up at a comparatively affordable $8,549.
The Cross Turismo comes in just under the six-figure mark at $92,250, including the $1,350 destination charge. Three years of complimentary Porsche Connect telematics service is included with a Cross Turismo purchase, as is three years of Electrify America charging. EPA-rated energy consumption and range figures will be announced closer to the Cross Turismo’s on-sale date this summer.
(Images courtesy Porsche)
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