Porsche is out testing prototypes for an updated Taycan, and the latest tester to be spotted is for the performance EV's Cross Turismo soft-roader body style.
Prototypes for the sedan and Sport Turismo wagon are also out testing. Clear giveaways that this is the Cross Turismo and not the Sport Turismo include the taller ride height, chunky side skirts, and protective underbody cladding.
The Taycan initially arrived in the sedan body style for the 2020 model year and spawned the Cross Turismo for 2021 and Sport Turismo for 2022. The complete updated range should arrive for the 2024 model year, meaning a market launch later this year is likely, though the launch may be pushed into early 2024.
The updates, which likely constitute a mid-cycle refresh for the Taycan, will be subtle, judging by the latest prototype. Camouflaged front and rear ends point to new fascia designs, as well as new internals for the headlights. The headlights are Porsche's latest matrix LED design, featuring four individual projectors instead of the single main unit on the current Taycan range. Porsche showed the new headlight last month and confirmed it will deliver a more precise light pattern as well as double the brightness of the current design.
Porsche high-resolution matrix LED headlight debuting in the Taycan
Porsche high-resolution matrix LED headlight debuting in the Taycan
Porsche high-resolution matrix LED headlight debuting in the Taycan
It isn't clear if any powertrain changes are planned, but a new battery chemistry could potentially lead to increased range or power discharge capability, or both. Porsche will also likely have some software tweaks, as the automaker has added minor software updates each successive year since the Taycan's launch.
Performance in the Taycan currently tops out with the Turbo S grade whose output registers at 616 hp (750 hp temporarily), or enough for 0-60 mph acceleration in 2.6 seconds and a top speed of around 162 mph.
Depending on the grade, Taycan buyers also have two battery options: 79.2 and 93.4 kwh.
Rumors have it a new range-topping option might arrive and prototypes that appear to be just such a model have been spotted. It's a potential Taycan Turbo GT grade with closer to 1,000 hp, or enough performance to outshine the Tesla Model S Plaid on the dragstrip. The current Turbo S already dethroned the Tesla as the fastest production EV around the Nürburgring last summer by registering a 7:33.35 lap time. That's over two seconds quicker than the Tesla's time.
