Porsche Taycan review

Put simply, the Taycan beats all rival electric cars for interior quality – even the Audi e-tron SUV. Every surface, switch and knob you touch feels suitably upmarket, something that isn't the case in the Taycan’s closest rival, the Tesla Model S.

The driving position is superb, too. You sit closer to the ground than in most electric cars, so you feel immediately like you’re in something properly sporty. The seats are wonderfully supportive through corners, but they're also comfortable on longer journeys; that’s a good thing, given the Taycan’s reasonably long range between charges.

If you like tech, you’ll appreciate the four touchscreens you can have in the Taycan. Three of them – the one behind the steering wheel and the two in the middle of the dashboard – are standard, but you can pay extra to have one for your front passenger, too, which allows him or her to see things like your speed, or play with the sat nav.

The instrument cluster behind the steering wheel is a sleek-looking, 16.8-inch curved digital screen that’s fully customisable, capable of showing you everything from navigation instructions to how much G-force you’re generating in the corners. 

However, the majority of the car's features are controlled using a central 8.4in touchscreen, which has haptic feedback, and the 10.9in infotainment screen above it. There aren't many proper buttons in the Taycan, and finding touchscreen icons while driving isn’t that easy. The Model S's large touchscreen is easier to use, because the Taycan's lower screen is awkward to operate without contorting your arm, and you can easily catch it with your palm when trying to steady your hand to use the upper screen.

Then there are the multi-layered menus to consider, which require a bit of time to get used to. Wireless phone charging isn’t available (yet), but you do get Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring (not Android Auto), which adds lots of functionality. The optional Burmester sound system is pricey but excellent.

Your view out is hindered a little by the Taycan's thick front and rear pillars and the shallow rear screen. A rear-view camera is optional, but front and rear parking sensors are standard, as are LED headlights. Adaptive Matrix LED headlights are standard on the Turbo models.