2026 Porsche Taycan Expert Review
Reviewed by Bob Hernandez
Can we tell you a secret? When we're asked which electric cars drive as well as the best gas-powered sports cars, the Porsche Taycan is always our first response. True to form, the 2026 Taycan is a blast to drive.
The best part is that it doesn't matter whether you select the base model or the 2026 Taycan Turbo GT, which set a MotorTrend record as the quickest car we've ever tested. Wow.
As a four-door electric sports car from a luxury brand, the 2026 Taycan has lots of competitors. There's the Audi E-Tron GT and Lucid Air on the sporty electric side, but don't count out Porsche's own Panamera or the BMW 8 Series on the gas side.
What's New
After a big 2025, the 2026 Taycan sees fewer changes. Here's what's new for 2026:
- Updated USB-C ports can share power across two ports to provide 60 watts
- Electric Sport Sound, which changes the way the car sounds based on speed and acceleration, is now standard on Turbo models
- Porsche Connect is now free for 10 years, with a four-year data pass also included. The service can help you monitor your car from your phone or add apps to its infotainment system
- The Amazon Alexa digital assistant is now standard
- The Premium package now adds thermally and noise-insulating glass (we recommend this feature)
- Dolby Atmos technology is now available with Bose and Burmester sound systems. The feature can enhance sound quality when listening to an audio source that supports it.
- Porsche's Paint to Sample program now offers 10 new colors for a total of 135. The program makes more colors available for when you want to make absolutely sure your Taycan looks like no other at the valet. It's part of what makes the Porsche Taycan so admirably customizable, but also so expensive.
- Black Edition available for the Taycan, Taycan 4, and Taycan 4S models
What We Think
From 402 to 1,019 hp, there's no wrong choice in the 2026 Porsche Taycan lineup. And what an expansive lineup it is—from RWD to AWD, sedan to wagon, impressive to OMG acceleration, the 2026 Taycan has something for almost everyone.
Every Taycan is fun, but not everyone will find the controls easy to use, or the storage enough for a road trip. Porsche has improved how quickly the Taycan charges, and the results are impressive. No Taycan has the range of a Lucid, but the Porsche can hold its own at a fast-charging station.
We also happen to think the 2026 Taycan's design has aged well, but there's just one problem: The Audi E-Tron GT rides on the same platform, offers similar quickness, and looks even better. Still, when you've just gotta have a Porsche, the 2026 Taycan won't disappoint.
Other Competitors to Consider:
MotorTrend Tested
As is typical of Porsche, there’s a dizzying selection of 2026 Taycan models and equipment.
Taycan
- Rear-wheel drive
- Single motor
- 402 hp and 301 lb-ft of torque with the entry-level Performance Battery
- 429 hp and 309 lb-ft of torque with available Performance Battery Plus
- 0–60-mph time of 4.5 seconds, regardless of battery, per Porsche
Taycan 4
- All-wheel drive
- Dual motor
- 402 hp and 431 lb-ft of torque with the Performance Battery
- 429 hp and 449 lb-ft of torque with the Performance Battery Plus
- 0–60 mph falls slightly, to 4.4 seconds
Taycan 4S
- All-wheel drive
- Dual motor
- 536 hp and 512 lb-ft of torque with the Performance Battery
- 590 hp and 522 lb-ft of torque with the Performance Battery Plus
- In MotorTrend testing, the 4S needed just under 3.2 seconds to reach 60 mph
Every 2026 Porsche Taycan starting with the GTS trim and higher receives the Performance Battery Plus as standard equipment.
Taycan GTS
- All-wheel drive
- Dual motor
- Maximum output of 690 hp and 582 lb-ft of torque
- 0 to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds, per Porsche; we expect this to be conservative
Taycan Turbo
- All-wheel drive
- Dual motor
- 871 hp and 656 lb-ft of torque
- 0 to 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds
Taycan Turbo S
- All-wheel drive
- Dual motor
- 938 hp and 818 lb-ft of torque
- 0 to 60 mph in 2.3 seconds, per Porsche (a 2025 Taycan Cross Turismo Turbo S needed just 2.2 seconds in MotorTrend testing)
Taycan Turbo GT
- All-wheel drive
Dual motor
- 1,019 hp and 913 lb-ft of torque
- 0 to 60 in 2.2 seconds, per Porsche
In the top-dog Taycan Turbo GT, our instrumented test data yielded a 0–60-mph time of just 1.94 seconds, and the lightweight Weissach package drops that figure to a staggering 1.89 seconds. That makes the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT the quickest car we’ve ever tested.
Range and Charging
Porsche offers the 2026 Taycan with two battery packs, a standard 82.3-kWh Performance Battery and an upgraded 97-kWh Performance Battery Plus. The base 2026 Porsche Taycan should carry over with the same EPA ratings as the 2025 model.
That means 274 miles with the standard battery and 318 miles with the long-range battery. The lowest-range model rated by the EPA is the Taycan 4S with the standard battery at 261 miles of range.
The Performance Battery’s peak charge rate is 270 kW, and the Performance Battery Plus pack’s peak is 320 kW. Porsche claims a 10 to 80 percent charge time of just 18 minutes regardless of which pack is in use. Our testing beat that, charging the standard battery from 5 to 80 percent in 18 minutes and the upgrade battery in just 17 minutes.
Unlike other EVs, the Taycan has two charging ports up front—a Combined Charging System port on the passenger side and a J1772 connector on the driver’s side. Using the slower AC charging option at speeds up to 9.6 kW replenishes the smaller battery from 0 to 100 percent in 11.5 hours. The bigger battery needs 13 hours.
Porsche doesn’t offer a one-pedal driving option, but the Taycan's electrical architecture also makes it possible to recover more brake deceleration energy as of the most recent update for 2025.
Safety Ratings and Features
The 2026 Porsche Taycan comes standard with the following active safety features:
- Emergency braking
- Lane keeping
- Parking sensors
- Lane change assistance with blind-spot monitoring
Par for the course for Porsche, some driver assistance tech remains optional, such as adaptive cruise control and a night vision camera. Other features are still excluded from the U.S. market despite their availability in other countries.
For instance, although we get the Taycan uses Porsche’s latest high-definition Active-Matrix headlights, we don’t get functionality such as local dimming for oncoming traffic, the ability to project images on the ground, or an extra-bright, curve-adapting light carpet, which illuminates a large area ahead of the car.
Porsche has said that if these features are federalized for the United States, it will issue a software update to enable them on all models.
Cargo Space and Interior Room
Porsche offers the 2026 Taycan in sedan, sport wagon, and lifted wagon body styles. The front row is roomy, but second-row passengers may feel a little cramped. Cargo volume is smaller for Turbo, Turbo S, and Turbo GT models.
For comparison, the Lucid Air sedan has a lot more cargo volume than the Taycan sedan. Tesla’s Model S hatchback also has more room for storage than the Sport Turismo and Cross Turismo models.
Technology
Infotainment
Every 2026 Porsche Taycan receives a triad of screens. There’s a 16.8-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.9-inch infotainment touchscreen, and an 8.4-inch touchscreen control panel. A built-in Apple CarPlay app can control climate control and seat functions. Wireless Android Auto is also standard.
Porsche Connect is now free for 10 years, with a four-year data pass included. The service can help you monitor your car from your phone or add apps to its infotainment system. The Amazon Alexa digital assistant is now standard.
Porsche includes dual phone chargers. The 2026 Taycan’s updated USB-C ports can share power across two ports to provide 60 watts. There are also two USB-C ports in the rear.
Sound System
Basic versions of the 2026 Porsche Taycan are equipped with 10 speakers for 150 watts of output. Stepping up to the available Bose surround sound system nets 14 speakers and 710 watts. The range-topping audio setup is from Burmester, with 21 speakers and 1,455 watts.
Dolby Atmos technology is now available with Bose and Burmester sound systems for the 2026 model year, which can enhance sound quality when listening to an audio source that supports it.
Available Upgrades
Porsche offers a 10.9-inch front passenger screen, 5.9-inch rear touchscreen for HVAC control, and rear entertainment system with twin 10.1-inch touchscreens as additional features for technophiles.
Value
Standard Features
The entry-level version of the 2026 Porsche Taycan rolls on 19-inch wheels and is powered by Performance Battery with a gross capacity of 89 kWh and a net capacity of 82.3 kWh. A single motor drives the rear wheels. Porsche equips the base Taycan with its Matrix Design LED headlights, black exterior trim, and a choice of white or black as the only no-cost paint choices.
Inside the cabin, the Taycan receives heated and power-adjustable eight-way seats, a leather steering wheel with a drive mode selector switch, and 10-speaker audio. There are three standard interior colors: black, Slate Grey, and a two-tone mix of black and Limestone Beige. The base 2026 Porsche Taycan starts around $106,000.
Recommended Trim
Porsche continues to offer the 2026 Taycan at eight trim levels: base, 4, 4S, GTS, Turbo, Turbo S, Turbo GT, and Turbo GT Weissach. There are three body styles available including the Taycan sedan, the Sport Turismo wagon, and a lifted Cross Turismo wagon.
For a blend of performance, range, and luxury, we suggest going for the Taycan 4S. This is the sweet spot of the lineup, starting around $126,000. The fundamental equipment is nearly identical to the base model, but the 4S is much more powerful with its second motor driving the front wheels.
2026 Porsche Taycan Black Edition
Porsche offers a new Black Edition customization package for 2026 Taycan, Taycan 4, and Taycan 4S models. Essentially a bundle of popular equipment, the Black Edition options out your Taycan with the SportDesign package, 21-inch wheels with full-color Porsche crest center caps, HD-Matrix Design LED headlights, and the upgraded Performance Battery Plus pack.
Other standard features for Black Edition models include Porsche logo puddle lights, door sill plates with illuminated Black Edition logos, and 14-way power front seats with memory and the Porsche crest on the headrests. Black embossed leather is the default unless you spend more on Slate Grey or a two-tone look. Bose audio, Porsche’s Electric Sport Sound audio feedback, and a 360-degree camera round out the suite of add-ons. A “Black Edition” badge affixed to the center console, which is upgraded with a storage package, lets riders know your car is special.
Fortunately, you can have your Taycan Black Edition in body colors other than black, although black is still available. Other shades available at no additional cost to the Black Edition package include Volcano Grey Metallic, Dolomite Silver Metallic, and Ice Grey Metallic.
You can also choose from any of the optional Legends or Dreams color categories with an additional spend. Porsche’s Paint to Sample and Paint to Sample Plus programs are also compatible with the Taycan Black Edition. Pricing will be available closer to the Taycan Black Edition’s fall 2025 delivery date.
