2025 Porsche Taycan first drive review

You’ve got to be a real Porsche nerd to be able to tell the differences. Yes, this qualifies as a facelift but Porsche has thrown out the usual strategy of revamping the exterior while leaving things quite the same underneath. In fact, quite the opposite is true.

2025 Porsche Taycan: Design

It is really subtle on the outside — new headlights and a new front splitter, redesigned taillamp and a Porsche logo that now lights up. This Turbo S model in the pictures has a visibly different bumper design, but lower models have even less to differentiate them from the older cars. Then you sit inside and the change is... one tiny button. The rotary drive mode selector now has a button for the Push to Pass function. That’s. Literally. It.

2025 Porsche Taycan: Performance and variants

Where Porsche has focussed their attention is under the skin. There’s a new rear motor that makes the Taycan, across variants, a little more powerful. This facelift is also packing better batteries and there’s also a revised regen system. All of this amps both performance and range up on every Taycan variant. There’s three cars relevant to India — the base Taycan, the 4S and the Turbo. And while the pictures here are of the Turbo S (we just drove it for the photos you see here), we did spend a little more time in the 4S and Turbo coming to India.

Let’s work our way up. The Taycan 4S isn’t the maddest Taycan out there, but it certainly isn’t lacking in performance. 693bhp and 710Nm are serious numbers, especially when that power figure can be bumped up to 802bhp with launch control, or by hitting that new push-to-pass button. Not that we experienced too much of this face-peeling performance on Dubai’s streets, what with the speed cameras armed to capture our mugs if we left our foot buried in the throttle pedal too long. What I can tell you is that it remains suitably rapid off the line, and will hit 100kmph in a very rapid 3.7 seconds. Supercar territory in a mid variant Taycan.

Should tell you plenty of what is to come. The Turbo raises the bar significantly. 697bhp and 890Nm, and hit push-to-pass for a solid 872bhp. I know these Taycans are heavy, but those numbers do more than just compensate for that. 2.7 seconds to a ton. And to think, the Turbo S and Turbo GT still exist even above this model. Typical of EVs, it is ballistic in how it takes off, and absolutely drama free. Both the 4S and Turbo have AWD as standard and that ensures clinical performance when you ask for it. I was wondering why the Turbo S wasn’t being brought to India, but some time in the Turbo made it abundantly clear — you really don’t need more power on the road.

2025 Porsche Taycan: Equipment

What I’m more interested in is the ingenious new Active Ride suspension. Base variants won’t get it, however, the 4S and Turbo will get it as a ₹11 lakh option. And it is an option worth ticking, in my opinion. This genius new system hooks up each damper to a closed hydraulic system with motors, allowing each damper to be controlled independently. This allows for precise body control and negates the need for anti-roll bars. Driving down the road, the nose is less prone to rising or driving under acceleration or braking, making things very smooth inside the cabin. Roll is more controlled too. The way the car wafts over roads is unreal, though a true test of its abilities will be once it lands on Indian shores and has to deal with our conditions.

2025 Porsche Taycan: Verdict and price

Prices for the new Taycan are listed on the Porsche India website — the 4S costs ₹1.8 crore while the Turbo is ₹2.5 crore. These prices will get bumped up slightly in 2025, when the car is showcased at Bharat Mobility. It remains an expensive proposition but is also probably one of the most desirable EVs on sale in India today. Combining the Porsche badge with everyday usability, comfort and ballistic performance, it is really hard to fault!