2023 Porsche Taycan Review

Who doesn't love speed? Well, there are some among us, sometimes, me too, but to express our grief, our joy, there's nothing better than a trip to some unknown abodes. And if, by chance, the road is open with no traffic at all, just accelerate & enjoy the thrilling chapter of life. For the same reason, sports cars were invented a long, long time ago. Today's world is different; every single day, we're moving towards the edge of destruction, with the pollution surrounding us. Tesla was the first to launch an EV in the world. Since then, other manufacturers also have taken a leap into the segment. But a sports car, with electric powertrain, that’s rare, especially with the same feel of the gasoline powered machine & the same acoustic experience. However, with Porsche it’s possible. Back in 2019, Porsche had given birth to Taycan, its electric beast, and the 2023 edition just magnifies the core character. Coming with the newest range of performance elements, and a refreshing design, the Taycan is one of the best thrillers you can get today in the market. Not only this electric machine improvises the driving experience w/ a hell lot of power, but the charging architecture has also been increased and improved to 800V. The new gen Taycan offers a better range with the performance plus battery. Overall, if you are in search of a machine that blends power & performance with comfort and luxury, in the perfectly proportionate way, get the 2023 Taycan

Pros

Unique, powerful and sleek drivetrain

Phenomenal performance and thrilling experience

Tech-loaded yet sophisticated cabin

No shortage of space

No issue in long tours

Cons

Too many touch functions in the cockpit

A hell pricey

What’s New

Wireless android auto is the newest addition and some new measurements for performance enhancement have been taken into account.

Engine, Transmission & Performance

Available only with electric powertrain and 2 distinct body-shapes - sedan & shooting brake, the 2023 Porsche Taycan, depending on the models, is powered by a range of batteries, capacitating from 79.2 kWh to 93.4 kWh, coupled with two electric motors & 2-speed AT, making 321-616 horsepower, which further can be overboosted to 750 HP with launch control, and 254-774 lb-ft of torque. Several performance measurements have been taken into consideration, such as vertical air intakes, side door intakes, adaptive rear spoiler, which extends in 3 stages, according to the speed - 55 mph, 100 mph & 124 mph, to provide optimum balance of performance & stability. To enjoy the driving experience, 5 modes have been given - Range, Normal, Sport, Sport Plus and Gravel. The chassis has been specially designed for Taycan and comes with adaptive air suspension, PDCC Sport, Porsche Torque Vectoring, rear-axle steering, smart lift and increased ground clearance. However, performance is not the only thing we want from a sports car, we want the spine-chilled sound too, which you would not find in any electric car. However, Porsche being Porsche, has developed an acoustic experience of electric sport sound, which nowhere seems different from our loved regular gas-run machine. The 2023 Taycan, no doubt crunches a humongous power, but power comes with a great responsibility, and to make you the most responsible driver on the street, the 2023 Taycan is equipped with Porsche Surface Coated Brakes (PSCB) combining a cast-iron brake disc with a ceramic coating. However, for the sport models, you can opt for Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB), which are standard on the Turbo S models. The Porsche Recuperation Management (PRM) is mechanized with any of the mentioned brakes. The 2023 Taycan takes 2.6 seconds to hit 60 with the launch control.

Fuel Economy

Depending on the powertrains, the EPA estimated range varies from 206-246 miles. However, with the AMCI testing, the result drastically improved to 282 miles from 247 miles. DC fast charging port has been equipped with the Taycan, and Porsche this time has adopted 800V charging architecture instead of the regular 400V charging. A charger of 9.6 kW is there, onboarded, and takes 55 hours to charge the machine, with level 1 charger. However, we’d suggest you to either install a level 2 charging point at your home, which drastically improves the time, to 9 hrs. A 50 kW DC fast charger would do the job. To keep the machine cooler, a liquid-cooled thermal management system has been adopted, instead of air-cooled.

Trims & Pricing

Available in total 10 trims, the Taycan Sedan comes in 5 models - Standard, 4S, GTS, Turbo & Turbo S, and is priced from $90,900-$194,900. The Shooting Brake is available in 5 trims, which further has been differentiated in Sport Turismo & Cross Turismo. The Sport Turismo is priced at $141,200 and available in single edition - GTS, while the Cross Turismo comes in 4 models - 4, 4S, Turbo & Turbo S, & the MSRP has been set from $101,900 to $197,500, without other charges.

Interior & Comfort

In layman’s words, the interior is tech-loaded yet simple, sophisticated and easy to use. As always, the round analog clock is placed on the center of the instrument panel. Twin 10.9” touchscreens have been integrated into the panel, making it easy to use for both of the cockpit managers. Connected with PCM - Porsche Communication Management, now the insiders can enjoy both Apple Music and Spotify simultaneously. A large touchpad has been added for various controls just below the center A/C vents, and floats all the way to the center console. Twin vertical cupholders have been given for the front row folks. The analog-digital instrument cluster not only looks sober, but also acts as the right hand of the pilot, taking care of all vehicle related information. Twin air filters have been placed on sides of the cockpit and the heated power adjustable multi-function steering wheel, although being an EV, acts very responsively. The dedicated launch control is placed as an extender to the steering, which turns the car into a rocket. The 18-way power adjustable heated ventilated front row is very comfortable, and comes with thigh extension, which makes the trip easier, no matter how long it is. For more convenience, a 3-setting driver memory function has been given. The heated rear seatback, whether sedan or shooting brake, can be reclined to a certain degree, and offers exceptional headroom and legroom. For the rear entertainment, you can opt for the optional twin monitors on the front row seat backs. To enjoy the ride, Bose and Burmester sound systems are offered as optional, the given voice pilot makes it easy to handle the controls. Whether sedan or shooting brake, the same size of cargo area is offered, of 15.6 ft3, which can be increased to 42.8 ft3.

Technology

Twin 10.9” touchscreens on the cockpit bay

Bose and Burmester audio system w/ Apple Music and Spotify

Porsche Voice Pilot

18-way power adjustable heated cooled front row / a 3-setting driver memory function

Heated 2nd row

Rear-axle steering

Porsche Recuperation Management (PRM)

Adaptive air suspension

Porsche Torque Vectoring & PDCC Sport

Safety & Driver Assistance Features

To keep the insiders safe and sound, the 2023 Taycan, in true sense, is loaded with a versatile range of active and passive safety features, such as 10 airbags, Porsche InnoDrive, active lane keeping, Porsche Dynamic Light System Plus w/ Matrix headlights, Porsche Intelligent Range Manager, lane change w/ night vision assist, comfort access and active parking support, which can also be elaborated as self-parking on both forward and backward.

Best Trims to Recommend

Going for the sedan or the shooting brake depends completely upon you, but each and every trim of the 2023 Taycan is a mixture of power, comfort and luxury, in an imbalanced way, which is less on the top trims or high on the lower ones. The Turbo S, for example, makes the best power in the lineup with least sprint time, but at the same time, costs a whopping $197,500, that too without tax. With this trim, there’ll be a negligible shortage of luxury. Getting lower, the Turbo and GTS are there with 590-670 HP and costs under $164,000. Going for lower trims such as 4 and 4S may save you a lot of grands, but at the same time, the power will be limited to 562 horsepower. The whole specs are now uncovered in front of you. For the performance heads, the Turbo S is the best available option, however, if money is the constraint, settling for GTS is also a good move. Those who seek the perfect balance of everything, can settle for slightly lower horsepower, the 4S is the best choice. The 4S, irrespective of the body types, is the most VFM, not only because of the generous amount of output it crunches, but it’s also available under $120,000 bracket, the sweetest spot for many.

Competitive Cars

Audi e-tron GT Vs. Porsche Taycan

The electric hunk from Audi is the closest competitor to the Taycan, making 522-637 horsepower with its 93 kWh battery and sprinting in 3.1 seconds. Around 236 miles you can expect to juice out of the e-tron GT. However similar to any other Audi sports, the e-tron GT too is loaded with aerodynamics elements, & the GT tag itself defines the characteristics of this performance machine. Priced from $104,900 to $143,900, the e-tron GT is not only phenomenal to drive but also offers a race-oriented cabin inside. Coated with luxury, the driver-focused cabin is very comfortable for long tours, the specs given come very handy in times. However, while comparing to the Taycan, the latter shines in terms both performance and comfort, and slams the e-tron GT on ground while talking about safety specs. Overall, both are good at their respective terms, but to enjoy the true beauty of thrill, getting the Taycan is a wise choice.

Porsche Taycan Vs. Lucid Air Touring

Founded in 2007 by former Tesla executive Bernard Tse, Lucid Motors has launched a range of phenomenal EVs in the last few years, of which the most prominent is Lucid Air. Coming with the sole purpose of touring, the Air Touring is a phenomenal sedan that with its 620 HP powertrain drives exceptionally smooth, although that thrilling experience is missing here. Compared to Taycan, the Air Touring offers more miles for a full charge, around 425 miles of range. For a range of 200 miles, 15 minutes of charging is enough and with its 3.6 seconds sprint time, the Air, although not as fast as the Taycan, is considerably good in the segment. Manufactured with sustainable materials, the Lucid Air is the true sense of eco-drive, which without missing out anything, is in the process of saving nature. The cabin is well-appointed and appears very neat and clean, & the seats are quite comfortable. However, while the Taycan balances out spine-chilled performance and luxury all together, with Air Touring, the approach is slightly different. It’s more sophisticated, and acts as a business executive. Priced from $113,900 to $140,000, the Lucid Air Touring can be a good alternative to the Taycan, with a different set of tastebuds.