2021 Porsche Taycan 4S review

Power – like almost anything fun – is addictive. Trump, you’d have to think, would have surely amassed a nest egg big enough for him to while away the rest of his days lurking in a tanning bed somewhere, and yet simply wave the idea of amassing more power in front of him and he’ll be fronting a rally in some plague-ridden red state faster than you can say “It’s really no worse than the common cold”.

When it comes to a car like the Porsche Taycan, though, you really need to ask yourself, how much is enough? Sure, the Turbo delivers a tidal wave of torque that will pin you to your seatback like you’ve climbed inside a Gravitron. And the Turbo S ups the lunacy even further, which each Launch Control-assisted blast of acceleration seemingly punching a hole through space and time itself. And you can read our thoughts on both of them on this very site. 

But having finally spent some seat time in the only Taycan we were yet to experience – the comparatively budget-friendly 4S – we found ourselves wondering if we’d bother with one of the more expensive models.

Lunacy, you think? Well, read on to discover why. 

Value

The price gap between each model alone will be enough to make you stop and think. The cheapest (for now – keep an eye out for a rear-wheel-drive Taycan to touch down soon enough) 4S model will set you back a not-inconsiderable $190,400, which is not to be sneezed at. The Taycan Turbo? That’s $268,500. The Turbo S? Deep breath now, because it’s $338,500.

All of which makes the 4S something of a steal in Taycan land, with the cheapest Porsche EV still delivering much of the performance good stuff you might be looking for.

Think Porsche chassis control, three-chamber air suspension, electronic dampers, an active anti-roll system and an active rear spoiler. 

You also get 20-inch Taycan Sport Aero wheels, a BOSE Surround Sound system with Wireless Apple CarPlay and Apple Music, heated and cooled front seats, and a gorgeous 10.9-inch infotainment display in the centre of the cabin. 

In fact, all you’ll really want for, possibly, is the extra grunt of the Turbo and Turbo S. But as you’ll discover in a moment, the 4S isn’t exactly sluggish, either.

Inside

You really want for nothing in the cabin of the Taycan 4S. It’s more premium than plush, if you know what I mean, with a pretty clear focus on the vehicle’s sporting intent. 

Black on black, on black, is the order of day here, and Porsche tells us its their first ever model that you don’t need to turn a key to start. Because… the future. 

Elsewhere, though, it’s a fairly familiar cabin experience – though one perhaps a little more modern than you might be used to – with tall and figure-hugging front seats, a digitalised central console and a Porsche steering wheel that, in our opinion, is a little too big and unwieldily.

There’s a kind of architectural feel to the dash setup too, with semi-hidden storage below the centre console controls, and while you can option a second screen to sit in front of the passenger, I’m not sure exactly why you would. 

The backseat is, well, a backseat. There’s seating for two, a low – but not too low for my 175cm – roofline, and twin air vents that lack their own temperature controls. 

Performance and efficiency

The Taycan 4S shares its twin electric motors (one at each axle), 800-volt architecture, and – rare for an EV – two-speed transmission – with the rest of the range, though it’s had its power wick turned down somewhat. 

But not too far, mind. Despite being the lowest-powered option in the current Taycan range, the 4S produces an impressive 390kW and 640Nm, which is enough to rocket to 100km/h in a claimed 4.0secs. While we weren’t able to produce that exact number, our very unscientific testing had us landing at less than 4.5secs, which, given the circumstances, leads us to believe that Porsche is about bang-on with its claim.

A 79.2kWh “Performance Battery” completes the 4S story, which Porsche says should unlock a driving range of some 365km between charges. Not enough? Then spring for the optional Performance Battery Plus which, sees a 93.4kWh battery installed, boosting your driving range to 414km, and upping your power and torque figures, too.

Charging the Taycan 4S

You’ve heard, I’m sure, about the Taycan’s 800-volt architecture. It’s not alone in that anymore, but it’s still a strong selling point, with Porsche explaining that it helps with the “repeatability” of its performance figures, allows for less cabling, and ups the max charging capacity to 270kW – provided you have the bigger battery installed. 

All Aussie Taycans come equipped with AC and DC charging cables, allowing you to connect to public fast-charging stations. You get a three-year Chargefox subscription, and free charging at a number of Chargefox sites around Australia. 

Plugged into an 11kW power source, it will take some eight hours to go from zero to fully charged. A 50kW DC charger will see your numbers climb from 5 percent to 80 percent in 93 mins. Get the maximum juice (225kW with the smaller battery, 270kW with the Performance Plus) and your 5-to-80-percent charge time should take between 22 and 32 minutes. 

Ride and handling

For one, at 2140kg, it’s lighter than both the Turbo (2305kg) and Turbo S (2295kg) – which is never a bad thing for handling – and it just feels a little lighter on its feet, and more nimble.

If there’s a downside to the general Taycan drive experience, I’m yet to find it. And perhaps more important, the ride and handling mix in the cheaper 4S might very well be the pick of the bunch.

There is a seriously idiot-proof way this Taycan goes about its business. A thick and creamy torque delivery (seriously, it’s “always on”, with no bumps or holes in its delivery) combining with epic all-four grip ensures you can be almost as ham-fisted as you like and be confident that the Taycan is going to go where you want it to, and even washing off too much speed on the way into a corner is easily counterbalanced by the flood of power you can unleash when you’re out the other side. 

The suspension – even with its tri-chamber air setup – can lurk close to too firm, I suppose, but I’m really picking the thing apart here.

Talking point

With 390kW and 640Nm, and a sprint to 100km/h in just 4.0secs, do you really need a more powerful, and more expensive, Taycan? Honestly, I really don’t think so.

Safety

If Porsche has got it, the Taycan target gets it, including adaptive cruiser, Lane Change Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, front and rear parking sensors, a Surround View monitor and eight airbags. 

Verdict

The result of this 2021 Porsche Taycan 4S review? It’s the best EV I’ve driven, hands down. It sounds like marketing bunk, but it’s a Porsche first and an EV second, and it handles both roles with aplomb. But test drive all three before plonking down your deposit.

Porsche Taycan 4S specifications

Price: $190,400, plus dealer and on-road costs

Porsche Taycan 4S

Basics: EV, 4/5 seats, five doors, sedan, four-wheel drive

Range: 365km (WLTP)

Battery capacity: 79.2kWh

Warranty: 3 years, unlimited km

Battery warranty: 8 years, 160,000km (70 percent guarantee)

Motors: 2 (front and larger rear), 390kW / 640Nm

Transmission: 2-speed automatic (rear motor only)

AC charging: 11kW, Type 2 plug

DC charging: 270kW, CCS plug

0-100km/h: 4.0 seconds

Top speed: 250 km/h