Porsche has introduced the cheapest model of its all-electric Taycan lineup with the "entry-level" Taycan 4S starting at just $103,800.
It marks the third version of Porsche's all-electric family, following in the footsteps of the more expensive models Taycan Turbo and Turbo S.
Meet The Taycan 4S
While the Taycan 4S looks nearly identical to its higher-end siblings, it's a different monster under the hood.
According to a news release from Porsche, the new Taycan 4S is available with two battery sizes. The standard issue model with Performance battery comes with a single-deck 79.2 kWh battery pack and motors. Meanwhile, a two-deck battery option with a 93.4 kWh capacity is also available with Performance battery Plus.
Both models offer impressive acceleration with its capacity to jump from a standing start to 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) in 4.0 seconds. Top speed of both are also the same at 155 mph (250 kph).
The Taycan 4S' range reaches up to 253 miles (407 kilometers) with Performance battery and up to 288 miles (463 kilometers) with Performance battery Plus. Porsche revealed that these present the highest value out of all the models in the Taycan lineup.
Tech Crunch noted that Taycan 4S is a touch lighter, slower, and generally less powerful than its more expensive siblings Turbo and Turbo S, which starts at $150,900 and $185,000, respectively. After all, the Turbo S has an output of 616 horsepower compared to the 4S models' 429 horsepower and 563 horsepower.
The Taycan 4S is already available for orders. It's slated to launch in European dealerships in January 2020, followed by a release in the United States in spring, according to The Verge.
Going Up Against Tesla
When it comes to the Taycan collection, Porsche isn't pitting its models against each other as much as the company is going up against a company known for its electric vehicles: Tesla.
In a YouTube clip recently released by German show Auto Mobil, the Porsche Taycan Turbo S proves that it can go toe to toe with the Tesla Model S P100D and even beat it in a drag race. The video featured two separate races with the Taycan shown to be ahead of the Model S at one point in the first race, then winning by a large margin in the second race.
CNET pointed out that there are several factors that could have affected the results, including the type of tires used in the race. Additionally, the show featured a previous Model S P100D, which isn't the model that Tesla currently has for sale.
