New 2020 Porsche Taycan interior revealed
The interior of the all-electric Porsche Taycan has been unveiled ahead of the car's launch at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show
The interior of the forthcoming, all-electric Porsche Taycan has been revealed in full, ahead of the car's scheduled launch at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show. The Taycan will be the German brand's first all-electric vehicle, which will go head-to-head with the Tesla Model S when it goes on sale in 2020.
Porsche says the Taycan's interior draws inspiration from the classic 1963 911, borrowing its minimalist design brief. Features include a 16.8-inch freestanding curved digital instrument binnacle, a 10.9-inch infotainment screen and an 8.4-inch touchscreen panel mounted in the centre console, which controls the Taycan's air-conditioning system. A second infotainment screen for the passenger is available as an optional extra.
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The Taycan's digital gauge cluster comes with four display modes. Drivers can choose between a standard display with traditional rounded instruments; a "Map Mode," which replaces the system's central power meter with a sat-nav display; a "Full Map Mode," which swaps all the instruments for a navigation screen, or a minimalist "Pure" mode, which only displays the most essential driving information and pares back the navigation to a simple directional arrow.
In place of traditional stalks and buttons, the Taycan's digital instrument binnacle features a range of touch controls, which operate the car's lights and chassis functions. In addition, Porsche says that the Taycan's switchgear and physical controls have been completely redesigned and greatly reduced in number, with touch and voice control being used for more functions than in previous Porsches.
The Taycan is the world's first vehicle with full integration for Apple Music, with all buyers being offered a free six-month subscription to the service. Owners will also gain access to a range of exclusive Apple Music playlists, curated by Porsche for Taycan owners, while a high-quality Burmester surround sound system can be specced as an optional extra.
Like the 918, the Taycan features a gear selector switch mounted in the instrument panel, rather than a traditional gear selector lever in the centre console. The EV's air-vent louvres are electrically operated and fully automatic and, if buyers opt for Porsche's four-zone climate control system, an additional 5.9-inch touchscreen panel is provided, allowing rear-seat passengers to operate the air-conditioning system.
As with all of Porsche's products, the all-electric Taycan will offer a wide range of customisation options. Five exclusive upholstery colours (Black-Line, Beige, Blackberry, Atacama Beige and Meranti Brown) can be specced, while the doors and centre console can be trimmed in wood, matte carbon fibre, embossed aluminium or fabric.
The Taycan's seats can be trimmed in a traditionally prepared "classic leather," a sustainably tanned "Club Leather" (which uses olive leaves in the tanning process) or a leather-free "Race-Tex" microfibre. The latter option is made from recycled polyester fibres and its production consumes 80 percent less CO2 than traditional materials. The Taycan's carpets are also made from sustainably sourced "Econyl" fibre, made from recycled fishing nets.
New Porsche Taycan: development and specification
Porsche's latest Taycan development mule recently completed a 24 hour endurance test at the Nardo test track in Italy. During the run, a team of six Porsche development drivers covered 3,425km (2,128 miles), averaging between 121mph and 134mph, with only a handful of stops for recharging and driver changes.
The pictured prototype still wears an intricate livery, so little more can be gleaned about the car's styling. Our most recent spy shots provide a better indication of the Taycan's design, revealing a surprising amount of 718 Boxster and Cayman influence at the front end. Smaller details, such as the retractable door handles, could also be picked out.
Porsche isn't giving much away about the Taycan's exact specifications, but we understand there will be multiple variants (with differing power outputs), but that range-topping cars will feature two electric motors, one on each axle, producing over 600bhp. The PSM motors are derived from Porsche's Le Mans-winning 919 LMP1 car, the marque claiming that the key advantage offered by PSM is compact packaging and weight saving.
Charge will be provided by a lithium-ion battery pack denser than anything Tesla currently offers, rated at 270 watt-hours per kilogram, and Porsche is targeting over 310 miles on a single charge. It's claimed that the 800-volt system can take on 62 miles of charge in just four minutes, or almost 250 miles in 15 minutes.
Of course, these figures are entirely dependent on the availability of 350kW CCS chargers compatible with Porsche's 800v system. Currently, the IONITY network is expanding throughout Europe and building chargers capable of delivering such voltages. Porsche also has plans to deploy 500 of its own chargers across the United States in the coming years.
The 600bhp-plus Taycan is expected to be the flagship model, but additional variants of the car, of which there is likely to be three, will vary from around 400bhp up to 600bhp. Porsche CEO Oliver Blume told us: "We will think of different options and there will be more than one, with different levels of power."
All-wheel drive is expected to be standard on all versions initially, but it's possible that Porsche will launch a more affordable rear-wheel-drive edition in the future. Over-the-air updates will also be possible on the Porsche Taycan, upgrading on-board infotainment systems and safety tech, but also offering to boost power if the customer wishes.
What are your thoughts on the new Porsche Taycan's interior? Let us know in the comments section below…
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