Two much-awaited e-models from Porsche and Audi will arrive in Australia in 2020.
The electric vehicle that many sports car and Porsche enthusiasts are waiting on, the Taycan, is finally on sale in Australia. Which is not to say you can actually drive the low-slung battery-powered sedan off the showroom floor, but we now have a firm price and release date.
The Taycan will be priced from $191,000 plus on-road costs for the 4S, rising to $339,100 for the oddly named Turbo S (there is, of course, no turbo). The first customer cars should arrive here in December. The initial model line-up consists solely of all-wheel drive models, leaving room for a less expensive rear-drive car to follow once initial demand is slaked.
Despite the more expensive all-electric drivetrain, Taycan prices undercut those of the other Porsche sedan – the slightly larger, conventionally powered Panamera. The most extreme current Taycan, the Turbo S, will accelerate to 100km/h in 2.8 seconds and has an official range of 405 kilometres. Also, our test in Europe last year showed it will happily cruise along autobahns in the mid-200s.
The Taycan went on sale in Europe late last year, but production was halted in March due to the coronavirus and it restarted in stages. That schedule means Australia receives not the original model but the first big update, with improved range. Exactly when the car will now be given its first facelift is hard to say.
The other local EV news is a promise of September deliveries for the Audi e-tron. This pure battery SUV will be priced from $137,700, plus on-road costs, with a range of more than 400 kilometres (WLTP standard).
A more expensive Sportback version with a sweeping roofline will be priced from $157,700.
As a $3500 option on the base car, the e-tron will bring the first external rear-view “mirrors” that rely solely on cameras. The idea has been around for decades, but hasn’t yet made it to mass production – until now. With the Audi, each “mirror” sends its view to a small screen inside the door. The system is claimed to be much more effective in low light and bad weather conditions, while also reducing air drag.
Extracted from AFR