Cut-price Porsche electric sedan launches in Australia… but what else has been cut?
The Porsche Taycan has been an unmitigated success for the hallowed German sports car brand. Attracting new customers and rusted-on Porschephiles alike with a unique design and more than a sprinkling of pragmatism, Porsche’s first EV unequivocally also delivers trademark Porsche performance. But now there’s an entry-level variant that lowers the entry price to $156,300 plus on-road costs, putting it within striking range of arguably the reason for its being: the pioneering Tesla Model S. But we have to wonder: does the single-motor, rear-wheel drive sports sedan still offer enough performance for a Porsche? And as one of Zuffenhausen’s cheapest models, is it a bona-fide bargain or just a shrewd marketing ploy to get EV buyers into showrooms?
Prices slashed, but not equipment
No S badge. No Turbo logo. Just Taycan.
Yes, the first rear-wheel drive version of Porsche’s inaugural EV is simply called the Porsche Taycan and the simple name denotes its status as the new entry-level variant in the German car-maker’s already-popular electric sports sedan range.
The 2022 Porsche Taycan RWD is almost $40,000 cheaper than the previous price-leading, all-wheel drive Taycan 4S and gives the brand an alluring product to bring first-time Porsche buyers into the fold.
First impressions are very positive – it’s engaging to drive and has genuine pace, a compelling exterior design and a few show-pony features like pop-out door-handles and an epic 16.8-inch digital driver’s display.
So it comes as no surprise that Porsche Cars Australia expects this base model-grade to be the top-selling Taycan variant here.
Previously, the Taycan 4S ($194,700 plus ORCs) was the most affordable way to get into a Porsche EV, before the Taycan 4 Cross Turismo crossover wagon lowered that mark to $176,600.
The first rear-drive, single-motor Porsche Taycan undercuts them by around $40K and $20K respectively, giving potential Audi e-tron GT and Tesla Model S buyers something to mull over.
Despite the relatively low price, the new Porsche Taycan range-opener is far from a bare-bones rattler. For starters, it’s fitted as standard with 14-way power-adjustable ‘comfort’ seats that are some of the comfiest chairs in the business.
You also get three HD digital screens as standard, LED headlights and tail-lights, 19-inch alloy wheels – slightly wider at the back for that quintessential Porsche look – a heated steering wheel, tinted windows, self-dimming anti-dazzle mirrors, and an excellent head-up display with top-notch navigation guidance.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are built in, but there’s no wireless phone charger – on any Taycan, for that matter.
But front seat ventilation is omitted and niceties like a panoramic glass roof ($3370), 14-speaker Bose surround-sound system ($2840) and the Cherry metallic paint ($2300) all cost extra.
There’s no adrenaline-booster dial on the steering wheel either – just a ‘sport’ button to firm up the adaptive dampers and sharpen up the steering and throttle response.
Another sacrifice you’ll make for choosing the rear-drive Porsche Taycan is its battery pack, which at 79.2kWh provides a 369km (ADR) driving range, which should be more than enough for most metro buyers but is on the low side for a new $100K-plus EV.
Our test car was fitted with the larger Performance Battery Plus, which costs an extra $12,020 and increases gross battery capacity to 93.4kWh, increasing power and torque from 240kW/345Nm (300kW with overboost) to 280kW/357Nm (350kW with overboost).
Crucially, the battery also increases range to 434km.
But with a selection of other options including heated seats ($910) and matrix LED headlights ($3620), our evaluation vehicle rises from its $156K base price to $194,800 plus ORCs.
All Taycan vehicles come with a three-year Chargefox subscription, which includes access to the ultra-rapid DC charging network (350kW) and fast DC charge sites (50kW), which is a nice cherry on top.
Unlike Porsche’s sub-standard three-year/unlimited-km warranty, service intervals are impressively long at 24 months or 30,000km.
The battery warranty is competitive at eight years or 160,000km, whichever comes first.
The bane of lengthy new-vehicle delivery times affects almost every auto brand today, and the Porsche Taycan is no different with waiting lists stretching between six and nine months after an order is placed.
“We’re doing our best to get buyers into their dream sports car as soon as possible, because we do know it’s an emotional and exciting purchase to get your Porsche,” Porsche Cars Australia head of PR, Chris Jordan, told carsales.
“It’s the car people dream of owning since they were kids. So we don’t want the delay to be any longer than it has to be and we’re trying our absolute best. But it’s very challenging at the moment.”
Tech-laden electro-cruiser
Porsche has done a tremendous job of making the base-grade single-motor Taycan a good cruiser, and features like active lane keeping and adaptive cruise control make highway cruising a very quiet and relaxing experience.
The big 16.8-inch curved digital driver’s display is an absolute work of art and offers plenty of customisability, including a full-width Google Maps overlay that looks stupendous and is highly functional.
There are two other displays, both touch-screens, located in the centre of the dashboard; 8.4-inch climate-control and 10.9-inch infotainment flat panels.
Parking sensors and cameras front and rear combine with an overhead surround-view display to take the stress out of parking as standard, but if you want the Porsche to park itself, you’ll need to pay an extra $1890 (and not live in WA).
The Taycan has two charge ports and two charge cables, and when using the DC cable with a 350kW ultra-fast charger, Porsche claims it’ll take just 22.5 minutes to replenish the battery from five to 80 per cent. It might not be as quick as filling a petrol-powered car, but in present-day EV terms it’s very quick.
It takes around 93 minutes to achieve the same battery top-up using a 50kW fast-charger, while an 11kW wall box will take around eight hours to fill the battery from empty to 100 per cent.
If a regular household power outlet is all you’ve got, you can expect to wait more than a full day to charge the battery pack.
Safety features such as cross-road assist, lane change assist and a pedestrian warning sound are fitted as standard, and the Porsche Taycan netted a five-star safety rating from independent safety authority Euro NCAP in 2019.
Smooth but brawny EV powertrain
With only one motor, which nevertheless sends a substantial 280kW of power (240kW if you don’t add the expensive battery upgrade) to the rear wheels of the 2022 Porsche Taycan, peak torque looks a bit fallow on paper at just 357Nm (345Nm sans battery boost).
While the RWD Taycan doesn’t generate the ballistic thrust of its pricier brethren, like the circa-$340,000 Taycan Turbo S, the base model certainly doesn’t feel like a laggard and builds speed rapidly.
If you believe the spec sheet, torque levels are closer to a Toyota Camry V6 than a thoroughbred sports car and, by comparison, the next Taycan up the ladder – the 4S – pumps out a muscular 640Nm.
But I don’t know many Camrys that can rip to 100km/h in 5.4 seconds, dispatch the quarter-mile in 13.7sec or hit a top speed of 230km/h.
There’s no doubting this vehicle’s pace and its two-speed gearbox – which is unusual in an EV – delivers compelling acceleration characteristics and constant thrust.
It’s also a very good cruiser and is, naturally, very quiet. At low throttle inputs, the power flows to the rear wheels smoothly and in a seamless, well metered fashion, making this low-slung four-door a consummate cruiser and commuter.
In terms of energy consumption, we saw results of 22kWh per 100km during our first stint in the car around the Sunshine Coast hinterland, which is impressive given the claim is 28kWh/100km for the Taycan with the upgraded battery.
That figure rose to around 27kWh/100km following vehicle familiarisation, hilly and more demanding roads and a few tracks from Led Zeppelin’s greatest hits.
We’ll need further testing to be sure, but we expect the claimed cruising range of 434km with the bigger 93.4kWh battery would be achievable with smooth driving.
Athletic and approachable dynamics
Driving the almost five-metre-long 2022 Porsche Taycan on challenging roads west of the Sunshine Coast proved one thing right away – the ‘cheap’ Taycan is engaging and fun to drive.
Not only does it accelerate with more venom than expected, the electric German sedan tips into corners and tracks through them with the sort of confidence that is surprising for a 2130kg car – but perhaps not a Porsche.
Even with its steel springs in lieu of the fancy air suspension seen on other Taycan grades, this EV attacks corners with determination and maintains an incredibly flat attitude with nary a whiff of body roll unless you’re cornering at warp speed.
Indeed, the Continental tyres on our test car give up the ghost long before the suspension did, and the squealing of stressed-out 225/55-section front and 275/45 rear rubber is one of the few visceral feedback responses you’ll get at the limit.
Before you get to this point, however, the chassis communicates clearly what’s happening between tyres and asphalt, but although the steering is precise and responsive it’s not flush with feedback or feel. But because the car feels so well balanced you can approach and depart any given corner with conviction.
And so clever are its nanny devices that the rear-drive layout doesn’t generate any more oversteer or help the car pivot into corners with any more enthusiasm compared to AWD models.
It would have been good to test a stock-standard Porsche Taycan with the smaller battery, which drops the car’s weight from 2130kg to 2050kg. As it stands, the entry-level Taycan is not only a surprisingly entertaining sports sedan, but also a very comfortable cruiser that dispatches freeway miles with nonchalant ease.
Assisting in this regard is high-quality ride comfort, thanks to the adaptive dampers and well sorted fixed springs, while the 19-inch tyres deliver a smidge more sidewall bump absorption compared to bigger 21-inch items.
Porsche reckons many Taycan buyers will already own a 911, relegating the innovative EV to grocery-getter or urban runabout vehicle in many cases. While the large boot and compliant suspension help promote this stereotype, the Taycan RWD’s considerable dynamic talents would be wasted in A-to-B transport mode.
Tight-arse Taycan is tempting
The sub-$160K 2022 Porsche Taycan adds another feather to the cap of what is proving to be a huge success for the Stuttgart car-maker – and rightly so.
As Porsche’s top-selling passenger car (excluding its SUVs), its first electric vehicle looks set to create another legacy for the lauded sports car brand.
You could argue the cheapest Taycan misses out on several premium features and doesn’t have the range or spleen-popping pace of up-spec variants, but that doesn’t stop it being a highly appealing and very luxurious EV that’s also genuinely satisfying to drive.
The single-motor, rear-drive Porsche Taycan is probably not what we’d call a bona-fide bargain, but we can confirm it’s not just a clever marketing ploy to get buyers into showrooms.
Buyers of Porsche’s cheapest EV won’t be disappointed.
How much does the 2022 Porsche Taycan RWD cost?Price: $156,300 (plus on-road costs)Available: NowPowertrain: Single permanent magnet synchronous motorOutput: 240kW/345Nm (300kW via overboost)Transmission: Two-speed planetary gear setBattery: 79.2kWh lithium-ion polymerRange: 369km (ADR)Energy consumption: 26.2kWh/100km (ADR)
Safety rating: Five-star (Euro NCAP 2019)
Keyword: Porsche Taycan RWD 2022 Review