It’s no secret that Porsche plans to expand the Taycan family with a fourth member that will act as the “entry-level” model.
We now learn the base Taycan will debut exactly a week from now, with reports from China signaling that Porsche will present it on June 29. According to Autohome, Porsche China refers to the new car as the ‘base Taycan’, which could suggest it’s the same vehicle as the less expensive Porsche Taycan variant mentioned in several reports earlier this year.
Unlike the Taycan 4S, Taycan Turbo and Taycan Turbo S which are all-wheel drive and feature dual motors, the base Taycan is widely expected to be rear-wheel drive and feature a single electric motor. This would be consistent with Porsche R&D boss Dr Michael Steiner’s disclosure that the automaker has plans for a single-motor Taycan with a smaller battery.
Watch: Porsche Taycan 4S Crushes EPA Range Estimate In Real-World Test By 40 Percent
Back in April, the executive specifically mentioned China as the main market for the base Taycan; that doesn’t mean other markets won’t get it. Expect the entry-level Porsche Taycan to focus on driving range rather than blistering performance; chances are it will offer the longest range of the entire Taycan lineup while still being a quick car.
The base Porsche Taycan will slot below the Taycan 4S, which costs 1.148 million yuan (the equivalent of $162,350) in China and $103,800 in the United States. It should be significantly less expensive than the 4S, which uses a 79.2 kWh battery pack and a dual-motor setup for a total of 530 PS (523 HP) and 640 Nm (472 lb-ft) of torque.
As for the driving range, it is anyone’s guess for now and it all depends on the battery capacity. The Taycan 4S can cover 251 miles (405 km) on the WLTP cycle, or 203 miles (326 km) according to the EPA.
