The 2020 Porsche Taycan 4S is part of the first line of Porsche's fully electric luxury car series.
(CARLI BERRY / iNFOnews.ca)
April 10, 2021 - 1:00 PM
Starting at $120,500 and highly customizable, the Porsche Taycan 4S is part of the luxury car company’s launch into the electric realm and it’s ridiculously fun to drive.
The 2020 four-door sports sedan is a unique package, offering typical Porsche performance and connectivity with everyday usability, according to Porsche. The first models in the Taycan series were the Taycan Turbo S and Taycan Turbo. By 2022, Porsche will have invested more than six billion euros in electro mobility.
The Taycan 4S, which I took for a spin, is the more sensible option in Porsche’s electric series, with not quite as much power as the Turbo and Turbo S but packs a punch at a more reasonable price range.
It reaches a top speed of 250 km/hr and can accelerate from 1-100 km/hr in four seconds with launch control. The 4S has 522 horsepower with launch control using a 79.2-kWh battery or 563 hp with the optional 79.2 kWh performance battery plus.
The 2020 electric blue model I drove, with all its bells and whistles including an extra $7,500 for performance battery plus a leather-free interior in graphite blue for $4,710 and a performance package and premium package for $7,670 and $8,190 respectively, came to $165,410.
The car's acceleration and handling are incredibly smooth. At higher speeds, the steering wheel will even turn to keep the car inside the lines.
It also comes with an electric sports car sound, making the car feel like it’s an alien spaceship that just happens to be stopping by on earth. This option can be turned on and off which was weird considering a car with this much power can move so quietly.
It also attracted some attention when I drove it around the Okanagan. Some residents couldn't believe it was a completely electric car.
The Interior lined with a dark blue Race-Tex was gorgeous. The material is a high-quality microfibre material partially consisting of recycled polyester fibres. Its production has 80 per cent less CO2 than traditional materials, according to Porsche. It’s also got a panoramic roof, a physical drive-mode knob, a large power button to turn the car on and off, and a 360 degree camera view.
The interior of a new 2020 Porsche Taycan 4S.
(CARLI BERRY / iNFOnews.ca)
Dials are a thing of the past in this vehicle. Everything is touch screen, from the driver’s screen which can show driving modes, music, navigation systems, speed limits etc. Menu options are selected using two touch screens. This edition included a passenger menu system (for an additional $1,280), so passengers have the ability to adjust music, phone options, or put it in cockpit mode and have passengers act as race navigators.
The air vent systems are adjusted via touch screen, and can be pinpointed to various points in the car by a flick of a finger. Heating and cooling options, along with seat heating and cooling (down to the left or right butt cheek, if you prefer to have one side warmer or cooler than the other) can also be individually adjusted for driver and passenger.
The only thing that wasn't enjoyable was using the secondary touch screen for navigation. Maybe I have a doctor’s hand, because I could not get the car to recognize the proper spelling of streets. Typing in the words was efficient.
The 4S can get roughly 400 km per charge, which I tested at an electric charging station. In 30 minutes, I charged the battery from 44% to 94% for only $7.83 using a fast charging station.
Porsche has seen an audience that is somewhat younger than the traditional Porsche buyer with this car, according to Porsche Canada. Nearly 20% of drivers of the Taycan 4S are new to the brand.
For now, this car is on my wish list.
The interior of a new 2020 Porsche Taycan 4S.
(CARLI BERRY / iNFOnews.ca)
To contact a reporter for this story, email Carli Berry or call 250-864-7494 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
News from © iNFOnews, 2021