Review: Porsche Taycan GTSs add light(er) handling touch, setting the standard for performance EVs

Electric sports sedans are known for two things: neck-snapping acceleration in a family-friendly package.

They are not usually known for their agility.

With all that battery weight – as much as 700 kilograms more than in similar gas-powered vehicles – taking a sports sedan through a tight curve can feel like you have an anvil hanging off the side.

Not so in the 2025 Taycan GTS. Porsche set out to make its EV sports tourers more fully rounded by trimming weight using lighter yet more powerful batteries, and by employing the same handling technology found in its gas-powered cars.

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The four-passenger GTS is a sports sedan and the GTS Sport Turismo has an elongated hatch-style roof line so it looks more like a station wagon. They have the same powertrain stats and both have all-wheel drive and are not light. Yet Porsche has kept the weight to 2,140-2,305 kilograms (4,718–5,082 pounds) – not so much more than the similarly sized gas-powered Panamera, which starts at 1,815 kilograms (4,001 pounds). The GTS’s weight is also down from the Taycan GTS it replaces, which starts at 2,303 kilograms (5,077 pounds).

The handling tech in the GTS chassis includes adaptive air suspension, with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) and Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (which continuously adjusts the power load to each wheel) as standard. The GTS’s rear motor has been upgraded, offering 107 more horsepower than the previous model. The front electric motor electrically decouples when it’s not needed.

Throw in the optional rear-axle steering, and you will enjoy what could be the best handling EV on the market. (It’s a boast the GTS shares with the Audi e-tron GT, which is built on the same platform.)

That unmatched handling is one reason why Porsche engineers grit their teeth at comparisons to the Tesla Model S, which has the power (up to 785 horsepower) but none of the handling of its German competitor.

Journalists got to test Porsche’s claims in the hairpin turns and dips and dives of the Blue Ridge hills north of Atlanta. The Taycan GTS remained dead level and composed even on rain-soaked roads. On straights, the astonishing surge of power (peak of 596 horsepower in launch control) compressed us into our seats in an almost otherworldly experience. As if that wasn’t enough, Porsche has thrown in a “push-to-pass” button which delivers an extra 93 horsepower for as much as 10 seconds.

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All that power will take the sports sedan from zero to 100 kilometres an hour in 3.3 seconds, and to 200 in 10.4 seconds, according to Porsche. As much as we were tempted, we didn’t try to duplicate those numbers on public roads.

This is the second generation of the Taycan, which first went on sale in 2019. For 2025, the Taycan GTS received styling tweaks to the front bumper, headlamps, fenders, and taillights. New colour options include Slate Grey Neo, Pale Blue Metallic and Purple Sky Metallic, depending on the model.

Standard wheels are 20-inch alloy painted in Anthracite Grey, and 21-inch RS Spyder Design wheels are optional.

Range has been increased to an estimated 643 kilometres in the enhanced battery package. The battery management system received several updates, including improved cooling. Porsche states that, at 800-volt DC charging stations, the GTS can be charged to 80 per cent from 10 per cent in as little as 18 minutes.

The GTS’s cabin strikes a pleasing balance between comfort and functionality. Porsche uses its Race-Tex microfibre on seats, with accents in black leather. Adaptive sport seats are 18-way adjustable, and the GT sports steering wheel comes with mode switch and steering wheel heating. The Sport Chrono package adds the push-to-pass function and track mode. Bose surround sound is standard.

Electronic gauges are gathered in a 16.8-inch display, while mid-dash touchscreens control the infotainment system. The lower touchscreen lets users adjust the climate settings, check the battery status, input navigation details and access the wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto features.

I’m not sure, however, whether the passenger’s 10.9-inch touchscreen is a good idea. Sometimes, it’s better that the passenger does not know everything that’s going on.

If I have a quibble with this beautifully crafted car, it is with its synthetic engine sound generator, which tries to imitate the sound of a turbo engine at work. To me, it sounded more like the car had a bad case of indigestion.

The Taycan GTS sets the standard for performance EVs, but it also comes at the sobering price of $167,000 plus taxes and fees. If drivers can settle for nearly-as-good performance while enjoying the prestige brand, the Taycan 4S offers better value, with an entry price of $135,600.

The Taycan GTS and GTS Sport Turismo are expected to arrive at dealerships in Canada in early 2025.

Tech specs

2025 Porsche Taycan GTS

• Price range: Taycan GTS sports sedan starts at $167,200, GTS Sport Turismo starts at $169,500.
• Engine: Two electric motors, max. 690 hp in launch mode.
• Horsepower / torque (lb-ft): 596 (690 with overboost) / 583
• Transmission / drive: All-wheel drive, torque vectoring.
• Energy consumption (kWh): 20.7 – 18.1 kWh/100 km (GTS); 21.6 – 19.0 kWh/100 km (GTS Sport Turismo) – company estimates
• Curb weight (kilograms): GTS – 2,295; GTS Sport Turismo – 2,310
• Alternatives: Audi e-tron GT, Lucid Air, Mercedes-Benz EQE, Tesla Model S Plaid

The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.

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