The Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo is currently completing its last test drives. The extensive Porsche testing programme has taken place on race tracks such as the Nurburgring Nordschleife and the Grand Prix track in Hockenheim as well as on testing grounds worldwide, including in the southern Italian town of Nardo.

In addition, the Cross Turismo has been tested off the beaten track in the south of France and in the Pyrenees. The testing grounds at the Weissach Development Centre offered a further off-road challenge outside of Africa with the so-called Safari track. With a total of 998,361 testing kilometres, the Cross Turismo prototypes have circumnavigated the globe almost 25 times - measured at the equator.

The Taycan Cross Turismo features all the strengths of the Taycan, such as its superior performance and long range. The chassis offers all-wheel drive and height-adjustable air suspension. There is also significantly more headroom for the passengers in the rear and a large load capacity under the tailgate.

The package and space conditions have been optimised down to the very last detail. The mock-up, a faithful, 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 saloon. The biggest challenge was combining the requirements of sportiness with off-road capabilities," said 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."

At Porsche, electric cars have to undergo the same rigorous testing programme as sports cars with combustion engines. In addition to displaying superior performance, this 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 external temperatures, are additional aspects that are tested in the battery-powered electric models.

Other development goals typical for Porsche include race track performance, the ability to perform repeated acceleration runs at full throttle, and a battery range suitable for everyday use.

Extensive testing is also carried out in the laboratory and on test rigs, and includes development and validation of the aerodynamic design. The Cross Turismo thus braved the storm in the wind tunnel for around 325 hours. The Taycan had already spent 1,500 hours there during the development process.

The new rear bicycle carrier designed by Porsche for this model also underwent the rigorous testing programme with rough road tracks and driving dynamics tests. It sets new benchmarks when it comes to handling, ergonomics, driving safety and stability. Several e-bikes can be transported on its generously spaced wide rails.

The new Cross Turismo combines Porsche E-Performance with enhanced suitability for everyday use and appeals to customers with an active lifestyle. The Taycan Cross Turismo will launch in Singapore in the second half of 2021, and its digital world premiere will take place on 4 March 2021 at 11:00pm Singapore time at this link.