Launched back in 2019, the Porsche Taycan has been the go-to model for the enthusiasts who want exhilarating performance and sharp handling without needing to compromise on the versatility front. Offered both as a 4-door coupe and in shooting brake form, the Taycan accelerated like a bat out of hell and the fully electric powertrain with really fast charging capability made it a fan favorite amongst the American buyers in the short time of being in production.
With the launch of the 2022 Porsche Taycan, which is offered for a base selling price of $86,700, Porsche has managed to bring quite a lot of changes to the table. The new 590 hp GTS trim gets you the Turbo S performance equipment without breaking your bank. There are also changes to heat management, the infotainment system, and the exterior color palettes on offer. Competing with the likes of Tesla Model S, Lucid Air, and Mercedes-Benz EQS, here are 10 things you need to know before buying the 2022 Porsche Taycan.
10 Fierce Acceleration Will Need Getting Used To
The dual electric motor coupled with a 2-speed automatic transmission makes sure that you experience one of the most intense accelerations offered by a production car. Though all the trims have varying power and torque figures, even the base trim with 321 hp tune delivers more than enough speed and power for everyday driving.
The 4S trim with the 522 hp tune is fiercer in terms of acceleration, and the same is also the case with the brand-new GTS trim. However, if you want to experience the best, the top-of-the-line Turbo S trim is the one to pick.
9 Retains The Typical Porsche Driving Dynamics
Irrespective of the trim that you opt for, the driving dynamics is typical of Porsche and is much better than its chief rival, the 2022 Tesla Model S Plaid. The Taycan handles very much like a go-kart on steroids, with razor-sharp steering that offers the best in class feel and feedback and a well-engineered chassis that helps to dart into corners at any insane speeds.
If you get the optional Performance Package, you would get many upgrades in the form of rear-axle steering and advanced torque vectoring, both of which improve the agility while cornering. The stiffly sprung independent front and rear suspension with active anti-roll bars change its behavior significantly when set to the Sport Plus mode.
8 Unremarkable Range And Fast Charging Capability
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Range anxiety is a real issue that many prospective EV buyers are going to face, and the 2022 Porsche Taycan is not going to be very suitable for these folks. In comparison to the rivals, the 2022 Taycan offers a much lower range and MPGe figures, making it less than ideal if you intend to take it on long road trips.
The 2022 Taycan is rated somewhere between 199 miles to 227 miles, depending on the trim that you opt for. Coming with an 800-volt architecture, the Porsche Taycan has the highest charging rate of 270 kilowatts. You could also get the optional larger battery pack, which increases the battery capacity to 93.4-kWh. It can be charged to 80% in just 23 minutes with 800-volt DC fast charging too.
7 Steep Price Tag
Even though the price tag of the lowest trim configuration would make many believe that the 2022 Porsche Taycan is a superb value proposition, that is not the case. If you get the base Taycan, you are going to miss out on many interior, exterior, and powertrain features that come as standard on the rivals.
It is also significantly less powerful than all the other trims. However, if you intend to go a trim above, which is the 4S trim, the price increase is more than $20,000, which is quite steep. Even if you get the highest Turbo S trim, many features are part of the optional packages. All the optional packages drive the final price to more than $200,000 as well.
6 Turbo S Is Even Faster
The Taycan Turbo S is one of the fastest accelerating cars currently sold in the United States. Coming with an impressive output of 750 hp and 774 lb-ft of torque from the dual electric motor setup, the 0-60 mph comes in 2.8 seconds, bettering the Audi RS e-Tron GT. However, the Tesla Model S Plaid and Lucid Air Dream Edition Performance offered slightly superior 0-60 MPH times.
The low-end torque is quite intense, and the Taycan jolts ahead with unmatched enthusiasm when driven hard. The slight dab on the throttle is all that is required, and the acceleration on the freeways is close to deceptive. The AWD drivetrain makes sure that you are always in control, and the 2-speed automatic is something you won't find in most of the competition.
5 Surprisingly Comfortable Ride Quality
We never expected the 2022 Porsche Taycan to be good when it comes to the ride quality. Being a super-fast machine that can set the racetracks on fire, the advanced suspension setup coupled with the 21" alloy wheels should've made the ride quality harsh, however, that isn't the case.
Put the Taycan to the comfort mode and the adaptive suspension setup gets considerably soft. This makes it very easy to drive on the city streets and the freeways without jostling the passengers. The low-profile tires also do not pose any problems to the comfort factor. The minimal body roll and almost flat ride on the freeways were much appreciated too.
4 Not The Most Spacious
Like the outgoing model years of the Porsche Taycan, this 2022 iteration also comes with the 4-passenger seating as standard. Getting in and out is not going to be very easy due to very low ground clearance and height, and the front seat passengers are not going to feel at home due to the low seating position.
In comparison, the Tesla Model S Plaid offered a better overall space for the front seat passengers. The seating position and ergonomics were less sporty, too. Even the rear seat space and comfort were lower than both the segment rivals. However, there are a decent number of storage spaces inside the cabin. The 14.3 cu ft of cargo capacity is adequate too. The buyers can also opt for the 5-passenger version from the optional list if they want more versatility.
3 Dual Touchscreen Infotainment System Is Refined
The Porsche Taycan gets a total of four screens at the front. The 16.8" digital gauge cluster is bright and vivid and offers all the much-needed information. The animation and intuitiveness are easily better than the rivals, and the same is also the case with the dual-touchscreen infotainment system, with an upper 10.8" display and a lower 8.4" display.
The menu layout doesn't feel cluttered and all the relevant functionalities like climate control settings, seat functionalities, smartphone connectivity inputs, and many more are controlled through the lower display. There is also a 10.9" touchscreen display for the front seat passenger. Many of the connectivity and entertainment features are standard, however, there are also quite a few features that are part of the optional packages.
2 Most Of The Safety Features Are Optional
Like many of the offerings from the Porsche stable, the standard safety and driver-assistance techs are going to disappoint most prospective buyers. The standard features just include forward-collision warning, automated emergency braking, lane departure warning, and lane-keeping assist.
However, everything else can be selected from the optional list including adaptive cruise control with stop and go, remote-controlled parking, night vision, surround-view camera, and head-up display. Being a German sports coupe, the build quality is top-notch, and no corners were cut. We also expect it to score excellent ratings in both the NHTSA and IIHS crash tests.
1 Taycan 4S Is The One To Get
The 2022 Porsche Taycan 4S is a perfect compromise if you want to experience the capability of the Taycan without losing any important features and tech. Coming with the AWD drivetrain and producing 522 hp, the Taycan 4S feels almost as fast as the bigger brothers. The handling is still better than many of the rivals and the ride quality turned out to be even better than the Turbo S due to the smaller 19" wheels.
Apart from that, many features like adaptive air suspension, partial leather upholstery, a large digital gauge cluster with dual infotainment displays, and keyless entry are standard for this trim. We would also recommend you to get the Performance Battery Plus option as it improves the battery capacity. There is a marginal performance and acceleration increase as well.