Porsche Taycan 4S launched with 288-mile range

530hp 4S starts from £83,367 and slots in below 'Turbo' variants, sacrificing power for range

Porsche might have convinced us that it presently builds the best driver’s EV in the shape of its new Taycan, but the £116k Turbo and £139k Turbo S do little to challenge the value for money offered by Tesla’s longstanding Model S. You might argue that the California-built car’s comparable lack of polish and finesse are made up for with a greater mix of pace and battery range, leaving even the top 761hp and 257-mile-range Taycan Turbo S looking a little (or a lot) on the pricey side. What the Taycan needs is increased range and a lower price – hence the arrival of the new 4S variant this week.

The just-announced 4S combines a 530hp version of the 800v Taycan’s electric system with a range of up to 288 miles – and, no less significantly, a new model starting price of £83,367. That figure makes the Taycan 4S cheaper than the equivalent Panamera and places it alongside Tesla’s 100kWh Model S. And while the American car’s 370-mile range leaves it with a significant head start, we suspect the Porsche’s rapid charging capabilities, not to mention the aforementioned build quality advantages, will be enough for some (such as those not regularly travelling up and down the country) to make it their go-to option in the world of quick, plush EVs.

A key thing to note, however, is that the 4S’s headline range is only possible when the Performance Plus battery is optioned in. That upgrades the 4S from its standard 79.2kWh cell, which offers 252 miles of range, to the Turbo-spec 93.4kWh battery for a yet-to-be-confirmed price, ensuring the Taycan will still be much pricier than the equivalent Model S. As Nic’s recent drive in the Turbo S showed, though, there’s much more to Porsche’s first EV than 0-62mph times and battery range. The Taycan comfortably sets new benchmarks for practically everything else that goes into a car like this, including the PH priorities of handling and driveability.

Indeed, the 4S, even with its smaller rear motor than the Turbo-badged models, retains a very rear-biased setup. It uses a 300-amp inverter motor at the front and a 600-amp motor at the rear, suggesting the balance we were impressed by in the Turbo S should be carried over into the lesser-powered car to at least some degree. A 0-62mph time of 4.0 seconds seems more than adequate, too. The 4S also keeps Porsche’s 4D Chassis Control hardware with adaptive air suspension and PASM dampers, while the body remains a slippery 0.22Cd, so the mechanical and aero performance is essentially identical in the new entry variant. We’re not expecting any reduction in impressiveness for the wraparound digital cabin tech or fit and finish of the cabin, either, for which the Taycan has already established itself as the best in class.

Could the 4S turn out to be the sweetest spot in Porsche’s growing Taycan range? With orders being taken (Taycan?) now and first deliveries due in January 2020, we won’t have long to wait before finding out.

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ntiz

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