Summary
- The Porsche Taycan 4S is a lighter and more affordable option that still offers the driving experience and luxury of a Porsche, making it the best choice.
- The Taycan 4S offers a comfortable and quiet ride, thanks to its EV nature and Porsche noise insulation. It also offers the option of sport seats and adjustable air suspension for enhanced ride comfort.
- Despite not having the horsepower of other EVs, the Taycan 4S still offers impressive performance and charging capabilities. It offers 3.8 seconds 0-60 per hour and can charge from 5 to 80 percent in just 22.5 minutes with a 350kW charger.
Porsche’s Taycan 4S is arguably the best trim you can buy, not just because of the price tag, which is lower than the top-of-the-line Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo at $85,800, but because it offers the right level of performance in a lightweight package. , more like a Porsche. The main point in favor of the Taycan 4S is that it not only looks like a Porsche, but drives and feels like one too. It may not have 1,000 horsepower on tap, but the power it does have provides solid performance.
The Taycan 4S is first and foremost a Porsche, focusing on the driving experience suggested by the refined and luxurious interior, which makes for enjoyable trips or long drives. It wears the Porsche crest proudly, and can be driven hard on a twisty road, where it will show exemplary character. It will hold up even on a track day. Payment requirements can be taken care of at home or through the Electrify America network.
All technical information about the Taycan 4S featured in this article was provided by Porsche. The EPA range was derived from fueleconomy.gov.
A unique and relaxing Comfort Ride
The name might give it away, but the Taycan 4S has AWD, which means it has two parallel permanent magnet motors, one in each axle. In addition to being a sports car, the Taycan is also a luxury sedan, and it looks the part not only from the outside, but inside the cabin as well. Porsche doesn’t do anything half-heartedly, they pour everything they’ve got into its products, and it shows. Its dimensions are generous, making the car long, wide, and short in stature, highlighting its low center of gravity, which we all know helps tremendously with sporty dynamics.
Porsche Taycan 4S Body Dimensions and Weight
Height |
195.4 inches |
Width |
84.5 inches |
Height |
54.3 inches |
The base of the wheels |
114.2 inches |
Lose weight |
4,773 pounds |
Maximum load |
1,576 pounds |
Being an EV definitely helps in the quietness aspect of the ride, and if we’re being honest, silence has always been a prized and loved thing in luxury cars. This is something that EVs have going for them by default. But Porsche’s noise insulation goes further, and inside the car you will hear very little tire and wind noise. The standard seats are on the comfortable side, though they offer plenty of support to keep the driver’s body in place. But sport seats are actually optional on the 4S, further showing this car isn’t about being fast. The ride comfort is further enhanced by the dynamic air suspension.
It’s One Of The Fastest Charging EVs
The Taycan 4S can charge from five to 80 percent of the battery in 22.5 minutes with a 350kW charger. Its EPA range is 206 miles, less than the Tesla Model S or Lucid Air, for example, but this is where Porsche sacrificed some of that range for performance. The 4S is heavy enough as it is, but not to the point where it won’t respond to driver inputs the way a Porsche should.
Porsche Taycan 4S specs
The arrangement |
Dual Motor AWD |
Power Output |
429 hp |
Power Output for/More Power |
522 hp |
Max Torque |
472 lb.ft. |
Frequency |
206 miles |
Contagion |
two-speed |
0-60 MPH |
3.8 seconds |
High Speed |
155 MPH |
These performance numbers are pretty good, but they fall on their faces in comparison to other incredibly powerful EVs, but that’s the whole point of the 4S. When the dust settles, who can complain about a 3.8-second 0-60 time in a luxury sports sedan that’s meant to be driven every day? Not to mention, you’ll be able to hit that time repeatedly, as long as there’s juice in the battery left.
Porsche’s Most Powerful Driving Dynamics For Added Performance On Demand
Nothing drives like a Porsche, and the Stuttgart brand is well aware of this. When it comes to going electric, they’ve done their homework and made sure their EV would still have the driving feel of a Porsche. Looks will only get you so far in this industry. They have implemented clever solutions in the Taycan, like the Overboost feature, and the transmission, for example. Overboost increases total output from 429 horsepower to 522 and is responsible for the 3.8 second 0-60 MPH time with launch control.
The two-speed transmission works on the rear motor, and shifts down on short-ratio demand, meaning more revolutions of the electric motor will translate to fewer revolutions of the rear wheels. These changes can be felt inside the car and increase the feeling of performance. Another feature that Porsche implemented on the Taycan to make the driver feel closer to home is that they eliminated driving with one pedal. This means that as soon as you put your foot on the accelerator pedal, the Taycan will stick to the default setting instead of braking. The air suspension is electrically controlled and changes its settings depending on the selected driving mode or condition.
Daily Performance
With 17.2 cubic feet of cargo space between trunk and ‘frunk’, and a welcoming and tastefully finished interior, the Porsche Taycan 4S offers everyday utility to match its one-of-a-kind driving experience. There are several storage areas along the interior of the car, generous door pockets that can handle several bottles each, and, of course, two cups. I can’t help but mention the cups when talking about modern Porsches because, as the story goes, the old models’ lack of them was hurting its sales in the United States.
The 4S looks particularly likely to be the Taycan of choice if you’re in the market for one. It offers the right level of performance and is priced fairly, albeit steeply, for the luxury performance sedan it is. Its starting MSRP is $111,700. Its EPA-rated range isn’t bad, it’s not the best, and more than a few publications have experimented with it and got better results. If you select ‘Normal’ or ‘Series’ mode, the front electric motor will be disengaged unless the driver presses the accelerator pedal fully or switches to Sport or Sport + mode. The air suspension will also lower itself to increase aerodynamic efficiency. The coefficient of drag on the Taycan 4S is a better 0.22, further aiding its energy efficiency.
Porsche touchscreens are usually very nice and easy to use, but they’re made the way Porsche understands they’re best, meaning it’s not the typical touchscreen you’d find in most regular cars, and it will require a bit of a learning curve. Rear visibility isn’t great with the narrow rear window present in these coupe-like profiles, but thankfully the rear camera offers good visibility and definition and is reliable when reversing.
Getting in and out of the Taycan 4S requires more effort than doing the same in a longer SUV, where you often get in and out of the car without crouching down. The Taycan is low with its seat too and that might throw a few people off, but once you’re inside there’s plenty of room up front, and just the right amount in back. This is a driver’s car, after all.