Porsche has just announced a new Taycan variant named the ‘Taycan 4S’, the German automaker aims at becoming a bit more affordable and perhaps give some tough time to Tesla Model S sales since the Porsche Taycan production is in full swing at the company’s purpose-built Zuffenhausen factory.
Porsche Taycan 4S is launched with 2 battery pack options, the standard Taycan 4S has a 79.2 kWh battery pack, the 93.4 kWh* battery size is also available as optional.
Porsche calls the 79.2 kWh battery pack ‘Performance Battery’ and the 93.4 kWh one ‘Performance Battery Plus’, the smaller battery pack has a single floor (deck) and the larger one is built on two floors or decks as Porsche wants to call them.
Taycan 4S with the smaller battery size has an estimated range of 407 km (252 miles) and with the larger battery pack (Performance Plus) delivers 463 km (287 miles) of range, these range numbers are based on the European WLTP standard which is famous for being overly optimistic — means the range numbers will be much lower when tested by EPA.
Taycan Turbo vs. Turbo S vs. 4S
It is interesting to look at the differences between all three variants of the Porsche Taycan, what makes the new entrant the Taycan 4S the base variant of the Taycan family?. The significant differences I see are the performance figures which are due to the smaller battery pack and the smaller rear motor in the 4S compared to the Turbo and Turbo S.
Let’s take a look at the available features comparison between the three Porsche Taycan variants in the following table.
| Features | Taycan 4S | Taycan Turbo | Taycan Turbo S |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Pack | 79.2 kWh (93.4 kWh optional) | 93.4 kWh | 93.4 kWh |
| Range (WLTP) | 407 km (252 miles) / 463 km (287 miles) with the optional larger battery pack | 279 miles (450 km) | 256 mi (411 km) |
| Max charging capacity (peak) | 225 kW / 270 kW with the optional larger battery pack | 270 kW | 270 kW |
| Drivetrain | Dual Motor, All Wheel Drive | Dual Motor, All Wheel Drive | Dual Motor, All Wheel Drive |
| Rear Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor length | 130 mm | 210 mm | 210 mm |
| Total maximum power | 390 kW (530 hp) / 420 kW (571 PS) with the optional larger battery pack | 460kW, 500kW with launch control (616 hp, 670 hp with launch control) |
460 kW, 560kW with launch control (616 hp, 750 hp with launch control) |
| Launch Control | N/A | Yes | Yes |
| 0 - 100 km/h (0-62 mph) | 4.0 sec | 3.0 sec with launch control | 2.6 sec with launch control |
| Wheel size and design | 19" Taycan S Aero Wheels | 20" Taycan Turbo Aero Wheels | 21" Mission-E Design Wheels |
| Brake calipers color | Red | White | Yellow |
| Side sills and rear diffuser | Black | Body colored | Body colored |
Taycan 4S Price
The Porsche US website has added the Taycan 4S variant but the price is currently missing from the page, however it is expected to be around $100k to counter the Tesla Model S P100D which is available around $100k and the long range AWD Model S variant is around $80k.
The Porsche UK web page lists the Taycan 4S for an MSRP. £83,367 including VAT — if we convert this price to USD, it translates to around $104,800 which is almost $45k less than the Taycan Turbo, sounds like a pretty good deal.
Let’s have a discussion in the comments section below if Porsche can penetrate the electric vehicle market more with this move, offering a more affordable Taycan 4S.
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