2021 Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo Review: Ultimate All-Rounder

I don’t want to carelessly throw around the “U” word, but the 2021 Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo deserves it.

America’s love affair with the crossover might have famously spurred on the Cayenne’s development, but the Taycan is the more desirable conclusion. Take Porsche’s exciting all-electric Taycan four-door, give it a sexy (and more practical) wagon-like body, and jack the whole thing up, with some token off-roadish styling bits for effect? Uh, yes please.

The resulting vehicle is the Top Trumps answer to the one-car-garage question. The 2021 Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo takes everything that the brand is known for—incredible performance, faultless build quality, useful luxury—and injects more everyday usability. It does everything well, and that sort of exceptionalism does come at a price, but this is the best version of Porsche’s EV.

The shape, really. The Taycan family has steadily expanded since launching late in 2019. A “base” model—a Taycan free of trim letters, numbers, or turbo badges—that ditched rear-wheel drive arrived earlier this year. Just last month, Porsche treated the Taycan to the GTS treatment, replete with a low-slung wagon (Sport Turismo) variant.

But before that came the Cross Turismo. Porsche has teased out the roof of the Taycan, without sacrificing the curvy hips that give the sedan such a dramatic shape. It’s not the cabinet-swallowing squareback of a Volvo station wagon, but you’ll no longer need to take apart your road bike to make it fit. Even in the low-key spec of this car, replete with less-flashy winter wheels, the Taycan drew plenty of admiring glances as it whirred around.

This is the top Turbo S trim, so it lays claim to the largest figures. It’ll hammer up to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.9 seconds with launch control, quick enough to dislodge drinks from cupholders and pre-tenderize any meat you forgot was in the back. That or elicit startled curse words from family and friends. The power is instant, a wall of torque transporting the car towards the horizon with little care for the laws of physics.

But the brief bursts of retina-flattening acceleration are just part of the Taycan’s charm. The basic driving experience is little changed from the sedan, and that’s a good thing. The ultra-low battery pack placement keeps the center of gravity below your hips, translating to a supremely secure cornering attitude. A well-weighted, consistent steering wheel immediately builds confidence, with clean, quick turn-in and good mid-corner feel. This must be the most expensive car I’ve ever driven to have manual reach and rake adjustment, however.

The Cross Turismo rides slightly higher than a regular Taycan, and this tester’s Off-Road Design Package bumps the starting ride height up a further 0.4 inches (10 mm). Paired with the chunkier winter tires, ride quality is excellent: firm, but as a reminder of the car’s capabilities, and never harsh. The Taycan effortlessly smoothes over rough surfaces. Enormous ceramic stoppers handle braking duty, measuring 16.5 inches (420 millimeters) up front and 16.1 inches (410 mm) at the rear. They are indefatigable on the road, and remain smooth and progressive in their action—not always a guarantee with ceramic brakes.

As others have noted since it launched, the Taycan does lack a significant regenerative braking feature. Its one programmable option is still quite light, so true one-pedal driving is an exception rather than the rule.

Porsche quotes 202 miles (325 kilometers) of range. I picked the car up with an indicated 400 km, though that was at least partially due to the climate control being off. Either way, a mixture of highway and city driving saw the car comfortably match its quoted range with a little less than 15 percent charge remaining. The Taycan has consistently outperformed in the hands of AutoGuide (and other outlets), and that trend continues with the Cross Turismo.

It’s inside where the Cross Turismo makes big gains over the sedan. Second-row headroom is up multiple inches, and there’s slightly more seats-up trunk space (1.4 cubic feet / 40 liters), too. Fold the second row down and you’ve got 42.8 cu-ft (1,212 L) total, not cavernous, but usefully more than the sedan.

The second-row seats are adult-friendly if not adult-generous; I didn’t get the opportunity to make use of this car’s optional middle seat and fit three friends back there, but I imagine it would feel a little tight. Still, the second row is a comfortable place to be, with Porsche’s little “foot garages” ensuring space for boots, and the enormous glass roof letting in a lot of natural light.

The front seats are even more comfortable, with 18 ways of adjustment. The driving position is typical Porsche excellence, with the wheel close to the chest and a clear view of the digital instrument panel ahead. The dial placement aligns with the wheel, so the tiller doesn’t obscure any important info. It does block your view of the stubby drive selector, though, which is still in an awkward location on the dashboard. On the subject of ergonomic foibles, I find the center console release in an awkward spot, and the lid could use a spring to hold it open. Minor, but hey, this is the job.

The craftsmanship of the Taycan is clearly above the “regular” German luxury players. Stitching is precise down to the millimeter, and every switch operates with a consistent click. Thermal insulating glass keeps the Taycan interior hush-hush, and the four-zone climate control keeps all the outboard seats the right temperature.

The Porsche infotainment system is still easy to use, but it lags behind much of the luxury world in terms of speed and feature set. Visually it’s clean and crisp, but the monochrome aesthetic makes it a non-starter when relying on peripheral vision. It doesn’t have the quickest response times, either. I do appreciate Porsche keeping the submenus to a minimum, however. Four USB-C ports dot the interior, two per row.

The lower touch screen dedicated to climate controls has its own pros and cons. Good: it requires a substantial poke for a response, and the haptic feedback makes it clear something has worked. Bad: it requires a substantial poke, so you’re mucking up a touchscreen with your grubby little fingers with all the same effort a physical button would need anyway.

This tester also features the optional passenger-side infotainment screen. It seemed a little gimmicky at launch, but other manufacturers (like Jeep) are slowly catching on. Having a passenger handle the roadtrip playlist as the driver sets navigation is a boon. When the screen isn’t in use, it’s essentially invisible, blending into the rest of the dashboard. A head-up display is also included, as part of the Technology package.

Standard driver assists are light, with pedestrian detection, traffic sign recognition, and lane-keep assist. Porsche’s InnoDrive adaptive cruise control is equipped here, bringing full-range, GPS-based cruise control, as well as automated emergency braking. It works well, with smooth acceleration and deceleration.

As you’ve probably already suspected, the Taycan Cross Turismo isn’t cheap. Particularly in top Turbo S trim. You’re looking at $188,950 ($219,500 CAD), including destination, and that’s before you start scrolling through Porsche’s infamously long option list. This tester escapes the checkboxes relatively unscathed, but the final tally is still $204,840 ($238,690 CAD). That puts it firmly beyond any other wagon out there, even if its performance capabilities are similarly otherworldly.

The range starts at a more reasonable $95,050 ($121,400 CAD) for the Taycan 4 Cross Turismo. This is a unique wagon-only trim, with more power and torque than the base Taycan due to the dual-motor setup. $111,650 ($129,500 CAD) gets you into the 4S CT, and that leaves room for personalization before you’re at Audi RS6 Avant or Mercedes-AMG E63 wagon levels of money. The electric Porsche can’t match those ‘bahn-stormers in a straight line, but it feels just as special, if not more so. There’s a certain satisfaction in doing everything it can do in near-silence, as well.

There are a handful of cars I drive each year where I really don’t want to give back the keys. The 2021 Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo was one of them. It’s certainly my favorite Porsche of the year, and that means beating out the tasty pink base Taycan, the tactile 718 Boxster 4.0, and the scintillating 911 GT3. (It’s been a good year.)

It still isn’t quite perfect, for me anyway. I’d forfeit some of the Turbo S’ shocking performance for a (slightly) more manageable price tag. The 4S is the sweet spot of the sedan range, and I get a feeling the same holds true for the Cross Turismo. Although that GTS Sport Turismo sure is tempting…

Whatever the trim, the Cross Turismo only adds to the Taycan’s appeal. If you are the sort that can swing the Turbo S price tag, you’re picking up a car that’ll outperform 99.9% of the other cars on the road, and it’ll do it in style, with four passengers and a whole Costco shop in the back. It’s the ultimate version of Porsche’s ultimate all-rounder.

FAQs

How much is a 2021 Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo worth?

That depends on how much power you crave. a Taycan 4 Cross Turismo starts at $95,050 ($121,400 CAD), but a Turbo S model goes for $188,950 ($219,500 CAD).

Is the 2021 Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo electric?

Yes it is, like all Taycans. Looking for a plug-in hybrid Porsche wagon? Check out the Panamera.

Will there be a Taycan Sport Turismo?

Yes; currently it’s available only with the GTS trim.