Porsche Taycan review

Some might say the Porsche Taycan was quite late to the electric car party. Others would argue that, by biding its time and making sure its first modern all-electric model was a good ’un, Porsche did the right thing. Either way, there's no arguing with the result.

Straight out of the blocks, the Taycan is brilliant. Not just supremely fast, but also easily the best electric car to drive. Indeed, it's so engaging and enjoyable that it compares well with petrol-powered performance models as well as all its electrified rivals.

Time waits for no one, though, so Porsche has treated the Taycan to a host of updates to keep it up to speed. As well as trying to make it even better to drive, it's worked to make it more usable. For instance, the range and charging speeds have been increased.

That said, some things remain the same. It’s still a low-slung car with space for four adults and a reasonably big boot. And Porsche still offers you options when it comes to the bodystyle. Here, we're concentrating on the four-door saloon, but you can also have the sleek, estate-like Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo or the more rugged-looking Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo.

Is all that enough to maintain the Porsche Taycan’s attractiveness against the closely-related Audi E-tron GT and other rivals? Let's find out...

What’s new?

- August 2025 - Black Edition version announced, with black exterior trims inside and out and a number of exclusive paint finishes
- March 2025 - Entry-level Taycan and Taycan S gain the larger 105kWh Performance Battery Plus, increasing range by 50 miles
- December 2024 - New GTS model is more powerful, has a longer range and can accelerate and charge faster than before

In terms of handling, the Porsche Taycan is in a different league to every other electric car. The closely-related Audi E-tron GT sister is close, but even that can't quite match the exceptional balance and resistance to body lean that the Taycan delivers.

The steering is impressive too, offering a little more heft than the E-tron GT's, and giving you a far better sense of connection to the road in similarly large cars, including the luxury-focussed BMW i7 and Mercedes EQS. Every millimetre of movement of the Taycan's steering wheel has a subtle but positive influence on the car’s trajectory – something that really inspires confidence. 

Plus, you can tighten the turning circle with optional rear-wheel steering (standard on the GTS trim and above) so it feels like a much smaller car around town and gains stability at speed. Unlike some cars with this system fitted, it’s very subtle - the rate that the car turns into a tight low-speed corner doesn’t suddenly ramp up, like it can in the EQS.

The Taycan is one of the best-riding cars in the class – not just because of how compliant it feels, but also because it’s so well controlled and settles quickly after a bump. That’s why it rides better than the EQS, which thumps and fidgets around town. 

All versions come with adaptive air suspension and you can increase the firmness to tighten up body control without ruining ride comfort. The firmest Sport Plus setting results in a mild amount of fidgeting, but not to the extent of becoming harsh or brittle. 

Alternatively you could add the optional Porsche Active Ride suspension. It reacts very quickly if, say, you hit a speed bump or pothole, softening the suspension in milliseconds to take the sting out of imperfections. Another trick up its sleeve is the ability to counter body lean, with the system leaning into a curve, aiming to reduce the cornering forces you feel pushing you sideways. The system can also reduce how much the car pitches forward and back during heavy braking or acceleration. It works to a degree, but if you’re pressing on you still feel the forces trying to push you out of your seat. As a result, it’s best viewed as a way of keeping the Taycan calm and level to benefit comfort at normal speeds, rather than for spirited handling.

Nevertheless, there are several variants in terms of performance. The entry-level model has rear-wheel drive and is simply called the Taycan. Then there's the 4S, which has more power and – as the name suggests – adds four-wheel drive. 

The GTS adds even more power, but performance gets really spicy with the Turbo, Turbo S and Turbo GT models. The GT is lighter than the S and delivers a scarcely believable 1020bhp.

The fact is, though, that even our preferred entry-level, single-motor, rear-wheel-drive model has up to 429bhp, and if you put your foot down in that with launch control engaged, it’s capable of 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds. Meanwhile, the 4S version upgrades power to 510bhp – or 590bhp in quick bursts – taking you from 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds. That's around half a second quicker than the E-tron GT quattro.

There is one thing missing of course: no whacking great V8 or sizzling flat-six petrol engine soundtrack to stir the soul. There is, however, the fake engine noise generator that’s standard on most versions (it’s optional on Taycan and 4S) called Porsche Electric Sport Sound.

To some, it will add a sense of drama as you gun the accelerator. Others will think it sounds a bit naff. The good news is you can switch it off if you wish.

With it deactivated, you’ll notice some very slight motor whine around town and the sound of the two-speed automatic gearbox on the rear motor shifting under hard acceleration.

The main noises you’ll hear come from the suspension pattering away over broken Tarmac and the rumble of the tyres across a coarse surface. The tyre roar mainly comes about on versions with bigger wheels. It’s not such an issue on the standard 19in alloys you get with the entry-level Taycan and the 4S.

Wind noise is very well contained, mind. In every version it rarely goes beyond a light and consistent background whoosh.

What about the brakes? Well, in some rivals – the EQS for example – the brakes can be grabby because the regenerative braking system isn’t well integrated with the regular, friction brakes. This makes it difficult to judge how gentle you have to be when pressing on the pedal.

Thankfully, the Taycan’s well weighted brake pedal response is more precise and means it’s perfectly possible to stop smoothly in everyday driving.

Regenerative braking is standard to harvest back some energy to top up the battery while slowing you down. The braking effect activates smoothly when you lift off the accelerator pedal, but it’s not strong enough to bring the car to a complete stop. You also can’t adjust the strength, with only On, Off or Auto settings to choose from (the latter judges for you) in a sub-menu on the touchscreen.

When it comes to range, the great news is that even the cheapest Taycan gets a 97kWh (usable capacity) battery, named Performance Battery Plus. This used to be an option on earlier versions, so with an official range of up to 421 miles on a full charge, it's another reason why it’s our recommended version. It’s considerably further than the 386 miles of the E-tron GT, if not quite as impressive as the Mercedes EQS 450+, which can do up to 480 miles. During our time of testing, we saw an indicated range of around 350 miles on a full charge.

Even if you go for a more powerful version the official range doesn’t drop considerably, dipping to around 345 miles for the punchiest Turbo GT variant.

“If you specify the no-cost Weissach Pack, the range-topping Turbo GT model can go from 0-62mph in 2.2 seconds and shove you back in your seat as though gravity is acting horizontally. Yet when you're more measured with your accelerator inputs, it accelerates very progressively and doesn’t feel the least bit tetchy to drive.” – John Howell, contributor

The Porsche Taycan beats all rival electric cars for interior quality– even the Audi E-tron GT. Every surface you touch feels suitably upmarket and beautifully screwed together. Neither of those things applies to the Mercedes EQS, despite its similarly heady price tag.

The Taycan’s driving position is also superb. You sit closer to the ground than in most electric cars, so immediately feel as though you’re in something properly sporty. There’s still plenty of adjustment for the steering wheel, mind.

The seats are wonderfully supportive on a long journey, but also have great side support to hold you firmly should you be throwing the car around on a twisty road.

You get eight-way electric adjustment as standard on Taycan RWD and 4S models, but you can pay extra if you want the 14-way or 18-way adjustable seats (including for lumbar) that come as standard on higher spec versions. Meanwhile the top-end Turbo GT gets racing-style lightweight carbon-fibre buckets.

If you like tech, you can have up to four large screens across the dashboard. Three of them – the one behind the steering wheel and the two touchscreens in the middle of the dashboard – are standard, but the screen for the passenger is an optional extra.

It’s very similar in principle to the passenger screen in the Mercedes EQE and EQS, letting your passenger see info such as driving data or play the role of in-car DJ. Alternatively, they can watch videos, but thanks to the special display it’s impossible for the driver to see what they’re watching.

The instrument cluster behind the steering wheel is a sleek-looking 16.8in curved digital display. It's very customisable and capable of showing you everything from sat-nav instructions to how much G-force you’re generating in corners.

Most of the car's features are controlled using the 10.9in touchscreen infotainment system, while a supplementary 8.4in portrait-oriented touchscreen below it (which has haptic feedback) mainly controls the ventilation system. The Taycan's lower screen is mounted quite low, so you have to look down away from the road for longer than expected. It’s also awkward to operate without contorting your arm and it’s too easy to press it with your palm accidentally when you're trying to steady your hand to use the upper screen.

Sadly, there are not many physical buttons, which can be a problem: hitting the smaller icons while driving is tricky and distracting. Controlling the direction of the air vents via the lower touchscreen is also incredibly distracting and fiddly. The E-tron GT's dashboard has more physical buttons, which make it easier to use.

A 15kW wireless phone-charging pad comes as standard, which is cooled to stop your phone overheating. What's more, you get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay so you can mirror your phone’s software on the infotainment screen.

Visibility is okay but not great. The wide windscreen pillars hinder your view slightly, and seeing out to the rear is tricky, with not just fat rear pillars but a shallow rear screen.

Thankfully, a rear-view camera along with front and rear parking sensors are standard, as are adaptive matrix LED headlights, which can be upgraded to even better HD matrix LEDs. 

“The standard stereo has 10 speakers and 150 watts, but you can upgrade it in two ways: to a Bose system with 14 speakers and 710 watts, or a Burmester one with 21 speakers and 1455 watts. The latter is very pricey, but I'd still be tempted because it sounds fab.” – Dan Jones, Reviewer

Given how closely related the Porsche Taycan and Audi E-tron GT are, you won't be surprised to hear that they're pretty much identical for interior space, both front and rear. That means the Taycan isn’t the impractical weekend toy you might imagine it to be. It's smaller than a Porsche Panamera, but not by much.

The Mercedes EQE and Tesla Model S have a touch more room in the back, but the Taycan's standard two-seat arrangement can easily accommodate a couple of six-footers - they’ll be fine in terms of leg room although the back of their heads will be resting on the sloping roof.

There isn't much room left over, though, meaning the optional third rear seat is narrow and really only suitable for emergencies. Adding the third-seat option also brings 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats; without it, the rear seatbacks fold 60/40.

One issue is that it can be tricky to get in and out of the Taycan, because the door openings aren’t huge. Being so low to the ground doesn’t help, so it’s worth noting that the optional Porsche Active Ride suspension helps a bit by quickly raising the car by 55mm every time you open the door.

The boot is plenty big enough for a baby buggy or a set of golf clubs. In terms of outright load space, we managed to fit in six carry-on suitcases with room left over for a soft bag, which is more than the boot of a Volkswagen Golf can swallow.

You get underfloor storage for the charging cables as long as you don't go for one of the upgraded sound systems (they have a subwoofer that takes up space). And unlike in the EQE, there's another luggage compartment under the bonnet.

If you need a little more boot or rear-passenger space, don’t forget the (slightly) more practical estate-like variants, the Taycan Cross Turismo and Taycan Sport Turismo. 

“The Taycan's under-bonnet storage is easily big enough for a carry-on suitcase, let alone the charging cables.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

If you're lucky enough to have the Porsche Taycan on your company car list, you'll be quids in. Electric cars attract fantastic BIK tax breaks right now, so it will set you back a tiny amount in monthly salary sacrifices compared with combustion-engined cars in the same price bracket.

The rear-wheel-drive Taycan is the cheapest option for private cash and finance buyers, while the 4S is significantly faster and feels like a proper performance car for a relatively small premium. It will cost about the same as an equivalent Audi E-tron GT. For the latest prices, see our New Car Deals.

Standard features for the entry-level car and the 4S include 19in alloy wheels, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, a powered tailgate and a heat pump. You have to pay extra for keyless entry, privacy glass, a heated steering wheel, full leather seats and adaptive cruise control. A Black Edition version is available on both of these models and comes with extra standard kit for a slightly higher price. Meanwhile the GTS and Turbo versions cost tens of thousands of pounds more.

Provided you can find a suitably powerful enough public charger, all versions have a maximum charging rate of up to 320kW. In theory, that allows you to charge from 10-80% in around 20 minutes (significantly quicker than the 200kW an EQS 450+ can achieve). In the UK, you're much more likely to come across a 150kW charger, which can deliver a 10-80% charge in just over half an hour. 

All new Taycans come with three years free public charging which can be used at certain branded charging points and Porsche Centres. You can also use a specific keyfob with an integrated RFID chip to activate contactless payment to save digging out debit cards or using a phone app.

A 0-100% charge from a 7kW home charger takes an estimated time of more than 15 hours.

The list of standard safety technology includes automatic emergency braking (AEB), traffic-sign recognition, lane-keeping assistance and blind-spot monitoring.

In terms of crash protection, the Taycan achieved a full five-star rating from Euro NCAP back in 2019. That said, whiplash protection for adults and children sitting in the front or back was found to be a little disappointing. The EQE was better in that respect.

What’s more disappointing is the reliability record. The pre-facelift Taycan finished near the bottom of the electric car category in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey, in 16th place out of 18 cars. And Porsche as a brand could manage only 21st position when it was ranked against 31 other manufacturers. That’s one above Mercedes (22nd) while Tesla was up in 15th.

Porsche gives you a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, while the battery is guaranteed to maintain at least 70% of its capacity for eight years/100,000 miles.

"I think it’s great to see a wide range of paint options to suit your budget, but you do have to pay for it.” – Claire Evans, Consumer Editor

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