2021 Porsche Taycan – quicker acceleration, new charging functions, additional equipment and colours - Latest Car News, Bike news & Reviews, Auto News

The Porsche Taycan will receive a range of updates for the 2021 model year that will take effect from October, and the range-topping Taycan Turbo S benefits to the tune of a 0-200 km/h sprint time that is improved to 9.6 seconds (0.2 seconds quicker) with launch control, and the standing quarter mile sprint has also improved by 0.1 second to 10.7 seconds. No changes to power and torque outputs for the 2021 Taycan range were stated.

Added convenience comes with the 2021 Taycan with a new Plug & Charge function, which establishes a connection for encrypted communication with a compatible Plug & Charge station through the charging cable, thus enabling payments and charging to take place without the need for a card or an app. Therefore, the charging process and payments are processed automatically, says Porsche.

The authentication data is saved in the vehicle, and ISO standard 15118 ensures that the communication between vehicle and infrastructure is tamper-proof. The Plug & Charge system is already operational at Ionity charging stations in Germany, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Italy and the Czech Republic, with another 12 European countries to follow suit in the beginning of 2021, says Porsche. This will also become available for North America next year from Electrify America and Electrify Canada.

The 2021 Taycan can use a lower rate of charge when its drivers elect to take a longer break from driving, which helps to preserve the battery’s lifespan and reduce overall loss of power over the course of its service life. Users can still choose to have to full rate of charge available, including the full 270 kW that is available at 800-volt high-power charging stations.

Intelligent charging functions are also available in conjunction with Mobile Charger Connect and Home Energy Manager, which includes a power guard function to prevent overloading a domestic electrical connection, regardless of phase. This can also target the specific use of electricity harvested domestically from solar power, where once a pre-determined minimum level of charge is reached, the system will use only solar energy that is not used by the building.

A host of new equipment is available for the 2021 model year. The new Smartlift function is installed as standard together with the adaptive air suspension setup, which enables programming for the car to be automatically raised in selected recurring sections of road where increased ride height is desired, such as where speed bumps or parking garage driveways are encountered.

The Smartlift function can also vary the Taycan’s ride height when travelling on motorways, in order to reach the best possible compromise between efficiency and driving comfort, says Porsche. Joining the list of optional equipment at the end of the year is the 22 kW onboard AC charger, which charges the Taycan’s battery in around half the time required by the standard 11 kW charger, according to the automaker.

Meanwhile, a colour head-up display is now also optionally available, where the display is divided into a main section, status section and a temporary section. A navigation display, power meter and a user-defined layout can also be selected as presets, says Porsche.

Owners of the 2021 Taycan can now also apply over-the-air upgrades to their vehicle after purchase, with Functions on Demand without having to visit a service centre. New to the range of Functions on Demand are Power Steering Plus, Active Lane Keep Assist and Porsche InnoDrive, which join the Porsche Intelligent Range Manager that is already available.

The Functions on Demand for the 2021 Taycan is so named because customers can choose the specific functions they would like to purchase on a monthly basis, and a three-month trial period is offered if a monthly subscription is chosen. From the 2021 model year update, three of the four available functions can be purchased as monthly subscriptions.

Available as a one-off purchase is Power Steering Plus, which is essentially speed-sensitive power steering that aims to be more direct and accurate at high speeds, while providing ‘stronger steering support’ at lower speeds, says Porsche. This is priced at 320.71 euros (RM1,590).

Infotainment audio is now joined as standard by digital radio, and standard equipment for connectivity has also been uprated, says Porsche, and Apple podcasts can now be selected as an individual media source. In terms of asethetics, the Carbon Sport Design package is now available across the 2021 Taycan line-up, where previously this was standard on the top Turbo S variant only.

New exterior colours visually signify the 2021 model year update for the Porsche Taycan, and these are Mahogany Metallic, Frozenberry Metallic, Cherry Metallic, Coffee Beige Metallic, Chalk, Neptune Blue and Ice Grey Metallic. Meanwhile for the interior, five new interior trim options are available, comprised of a Black/Limestone Beige standard interior, Blackberry and Blackberry/Slate Grey leather interior, Graphite Blue/Slate Grey Race-Tex interior, and a Basalt Black/Meranti Brown Olea Club Leather interior.

On the Malaysian front, the Porsche Taycan is on track for a local market introduction later this year, despite the Covid-19 pandemic initially threatening to push back the electric vehicle’s Malaysian launch timeline. This was confirmed by a video post on Porsche Malaysia’s Facebook page, though it only says that the Taycan is ‘coming soon’ in 2020.