The Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo is currently completing its last development drives. The extensive Porsche testing program has taken the latest version of the Taycan to German race tracks such as the Nürburgring-Nordschleife and the Hockenheim Grand Prix circuit as well as on proving grounds around – including one located in the southern Italian town of Nardò. In addition to that, the Cross Turismo has been tested off the beaten path in the south of France and in the Pyrenees. The proving grounds at the Weissach Development Center offered further opportunities to test the off-road capabilities on the Africa-inspired Safari track. With a total of 620,352 testing miles, the Cross Turismo prototypes have circumnavigated the globe almost 25 times measured at the equator.
While these last development drives were taking place, a camouflaged Taycan Cross Turismo went on a global test tour with media representatives since the beginning of the year. In just six weeks, this prototype visited the five largest markets for the new body style of the Taycan: the USA, the UK, Norway, the Netherlands and Germany.
The new derivative embodies all the strengths of the Taycan sports sedan such as superior performance and sufficient range suitable for everyday use. The Cross Turismo is equipped with all-wheel drive and its air suspension allows for the ride height to be adjusted. There is also significantly more headroom for the rear passengers and a sizable area for luggage behind tailgate. The package and interior conditions have been optimized down to the very last detail. The mock-up, an accurate physical representation of the interior, and the package function model alone took 650 design, electronic and coordination hours and 1,500 workshop hours to complete.
“When developing the Cross Turismo, we were of course able to build on our experience with the Taycan sports sedan. The biggest challenge was combining the requirements of sportiness with off-road capabilities,” emphasizes Vice President Model Line, Stefan Weckbach: “The Cross Turismo has to be capable of high performance on the race track and must also be able to handle scree, mud and gravel.” The latter conditions were simulated on the “Endurance Testing Ground” at the Development Center in Weissach. Weckbach: “The result is impressive. However, the Cross Turismo is not a hardcore off-road vehicle, but specializes in unpaved and dirt roads. It’s like a type of Swiss army knife on up to 21-inch wheels.”
At Porsche, electric cars have to absolve the same rigorous testing program as sports cars powered by combustion engines. In addition to displaying superior performance, this always includes proving unrestricted everyday usability in all climatic conditions. Particularly demanding tasks such as charging the battery, or controlling the temperatures of the powertrain and interior under extreme temperatures, are additional aspects that are tested in the electric models. Other development goals typical for Porsche include race track performance, the ability to perform repeated acceleration runs at full throttle, and a range suitable for everyday use.
Along with real-world testing, extensive work is also carried out in the laboratory and on test benches, and includes development and validation of the aerodynamic design. The Cross Turismo braved the storm in the wind tunnel for around 325 hours. That’s on top of the 1,500 hours the Taycan sports sedan had already spent there during its development process.
To highlight the strength of the development process, even the rear bicycle carrier, new and designed specifically for the Taycan Cross Turismo, underwent a rigorous testing program that involved rough roads and dynamic driving tests. Special attention was given to promote ergonomics and safety, while maintaining the vehicles handling and stability. The new carrier was designed to transport several e-bikes on its generously spaced rails.
The new Cross Turismo expands the Porsche Taycan model range
The Taycan sports sedan was successfully launched towards the end of 2019. The new Cross Turismo combines Porsche E-Performance with enhanced suitability for everyday use and appeals to customers with an active lifestyle seeking additional versatility from the vehicle. The Taycan Cross Turismo will launch in the summer of 2021.
Porsche has made a successful start into the all-electric age: more than 20,000 Taycan sports sedans were delivered to customers in 2020. The Taycan currently accounts for 70 percent of all Porsche models sold in Norway, and the one thousandth customer delivery occurred at the start of November. This means that Porsche sales in Norway have more than doubled. The electric sports car has also received more than 50 international awards – above all in its principal markets Germany, USA, UK and China. The new rear-wheel drive Taycan also holds the Guinness World Record™ for the longest drift with an electric car: it drove sideways non-stop for exactly 26.2 miles.
The digital world premiere of the first electric Cross Utility Vehicle will take place on March 4th at 10:00 a.m. Eastern U.S. time on newstv.porsche.com.
