Yesterday I spent the day with a Taycan Turbo, while my Panamera was having a software update. When I bought the Panamera three years ago it felt like dipping a toe into the hybrid/electric future, and now that the future has (nearly) arrived I was interested to compare the two back to back - with thanks to my local Porsche centre for providing the opportunity.
Externally the Taycan looked terrific in Frozen Blue with black detailing. The leather-free interior felt a bit underwhelming against the standard Panamera finish, particularly given the £30k price differential, and with surprisingly off-par details like plastic door handles. The rear seat felt tighter than the Panamera, albeit I am comparing ‘coupe’ with Sport Turismo which has a bit more headroom. The Taycan’s full length panoramic roof made the interior very light, but it was a sunny day and I would have appreciated the Panamera’s retractable blind; also the Taycan’s is fixed and does not open, which would be my preference.
In terms of controls I found the Taycan very intuitive. The gear selector is slightly obscured by the steering wheel, but I very quickly got a feel for it, and it makes the traditional selector in the Panamera feel clunky and old-fashioned. The dashboard itself is very clear and centre console a progression on the Panamera’s with its ‘haptic’ touch, albeit I still have a preference for some physical buttons and manual control of air vents.
Driving the Taycan I was immediately struck by how light and responsive it felt. Much quicker turn-in with less weight in the front-end than the Panamera, and the handling felt sharper on twisty roads. The performance was awesome with instant acceleration and silent torque demolishing overtaking manoeuvres - inspired real confidence. Motorway cruising is at least as comfortable as the Panamera, and the relative silence is very relaxing.
Reflecting on the Taycan experience with the dealer afterwards, my conclusion was that the future has so very nearly arrived, and when it does I will be happy to embrace it. But I want a car to fit round my life-style, and not have to organise my life around the car. Last week, for example, I was in the Lake District; at ‘home’ the car is parked in the road with no access to a charger and during the day parked in a lay-by, car park or field as I head into the hills. I spent 10 minutes putting 500 miles of ‘range’ into the Panamera on day one and still had 150 miles left after I returned from my holiday; in addition the hilly descents of the Lake District constantly replenished e-power for silent cruising through built-up areas. After a day in the mountains I want to go to the pub, not look for somewhere to charge my car. So for me the Taycan’s 280 mile range isn’t quite enough just yet by comparison with the e-hybrid Panamera, but when the next generation of EVs arrives, with equivalent range, and topping up as simple as visiting a petrol station, I’ll be first in the queue for a Taycan.
Externally the Taycan looked terrific in Frozen Blue with black detailing. The leather-free interior felt a bit underwhelming against the standard Panamera finish, particularly given the £30k price differential, and with surprisingly off-par details like plastic door handles. The rear seat felt tighter than the Panamera, albeit I am comparing ‘coupe’ with Sport Turismo which has a bit more headroom. The Taycan’s full length panoramic roof made the interior very light, but it was a sunny day and I would have appreciated the Panamera’s retractable blind; also the Taycan’s is fixed and does not open, which would be my preference.
In terms of controls I found the Taycan very intuitive. The gear selector is slightly obscured by the steering wheel, but I very quickly got a feel for it, and it makes the traditional selector in the Panamera feel clunky and old-fashioned. The dashboard itself is very clear and centre console a progression on the Panamera’s with its ‘haptic’ touch, albeit I still have a preference for some physical buttons and manual control of air vents.
Driving the Taycan I was immediately struck by how light and responsive it felt. Much quicker turn-in with less weight in the front-end than the Panamera, and the handling felt sharper on twisty roads. The performance was awesome with instant acceleration and silent torque demolishing overtaking manoeuvres - inspired real confidence. Motorway cruising is at least as comfortable as the Panamera, and the relative silence is very relaxing.
Reflecting on the Taycan experience with the dealer afterwards, my conclusion was that the future has so very nearly arrived, and when it does I will be happy to embrace it. But I want a car to fit round my life-style, and not have to organise my life around the car. Last week, for example, I was in the Lake District; at ‘home’ the car is parked in the road with no access to a charger and during the day parked in a lay-by, car park or field as I head into the hills. I spent 10 minutes putting 500 miles of ‘range’ into the Panamera on day one and still had 150 miles left after I returned from my holiday; in addition the hilly descents of the Lake District constantly replenished e-power for silent cruising through built-up areas. After a day in the mountains I want to go to the pub, not look for somewhere to charge my car. So for me the Taycan’s 280 mile range isn’t quite enough just yet by comparison with the e-hybrid Panamera, but when the next generation of EVs arrives, with equivalent range, and topping up as simple as visiting a petrol station, I’ll be first in the queue for a Taycan.
