New Audi E-tron GT vs Porsche Taycan: interiors
With hugely powerful electric motors, the Audi E-tron GT and Porsche Taycan are two of the most thrilling performance cars you can buy. But which one has the upper hand?...
Behind the wheel
Driving position, visibility, build quality
These two are very similar from behind the wheel. They’re low-slung and, as standard, the driver’s seats have eight-way, electric adjustment. Our test cars had optional 14-way power adjustment, including for lumbar support, and both proved jolly comfortable. The E-tron GT’s seat provides better side support in corners, though.
Both cars have fairly thick pillars all round and shallow rear screens, so they aren’t the easiest to see out of, especially in tight car parks. But if you’re careful and listen to the guidance from the front and rear parking sensors you get with both, you should be fine. The E-tron GT adds a rear-view camera, which is £480 extra if you opt for the Taycan. Bright LED headlights are part of both cars’ standard spec.
The main difference between them is their dashboard layout. Porsche has gone with a more high-tech approach, with three digital touchscreens being standard on the Taycan. Next to the 16.8in digital instrument panel is a 10.9in infotainment screen, and below that is an 8.4in screen that controls the air-con functions.
The two central screens have haptic feedback, but it’s still tricky to make adjustments without taking your eyes off the road. That’s why we prefer the E-tron GT’s arrangement. Its 12.3in driver display is configured via physical steering wheel buttons only, while it has ‘real’ buttons for adjusting its air-con and driving modes; these can be operated by feel.
As tested, each car had an optional ‘extended leather’ interior to give an uplift in luxury. The E-tron GT is very homely inside if you opt for light colours and wood veneers rather than our car’s sombre black and carbonfibre combo. Sadly, build quality is disappointingly flimsy in places, especially in an Audi pushing £100k with extras. The Taycan’s interior is beautifully executed and everything feels bolted together impeccably.
Audi E-tron GT
If you’ve used any recent Audi MMI system, you’ll know your way around this one. Its single touchscreen is clear and responsive to inputs, making it easy to swipe and click through the various menus. The Taycan comes only with Apple CarPlay phone mirroring, whereas the E-tron GT adds Android Auto as well. The £3590 Comfort and Sound Pack fitted to our test car includes a 16-speaker, 710-watt B&O stereo upgrade, which sounds clear and detailed but not exceptional.
Porsche Taycan
It’s tricky to operate the lower touchscreen without contorting your arm, and it’s easy to trigger something by mistake when you’re resting your elbow on the central armrest. It’s also the more complicated system, with quite convoluted menus spread across the upper and lower screens. At least the screens are sharp and snappy in their responses. The standard stereo sounds okay; a 14-speaker Bose upgrade (£956) is offered, as is a 21-speaker Burmester system that’s excellent but costs £4200.
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