Porsche Korea unveils first EV sports car Taycan

Porsche Korea unveiled the brand’s first electronic sports car in the country, the Taycan, at the 2020 Porsche World Roadshow on Wednesday, where it also presented all of its other models, including ones that have not yet hit the Korean market.

For this year’s Porsche World Roadshow, hosted by Porsche’s German head office, the automaker brought in all of its 26 vehicle models, including the Taycan, 911, 718 Boxster and Cayman, for participants to test-drive and fully experience.

The event, which kicked off Saturday at AMG Speedway, a driving circuit in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, will continue through Sept. 10.

The event was split into four sessions: test-driving sessions for the company’s two-door and four-door vehicles, another for the Taycan and a final session with a slalom and space to test the launch control and brakes.

Porsche Korea plans to launch the Taycan’s entry model, the Taycan 4S, to the Korean market in November. During the PWRS, the automaker presented the Taycan Turbo and Taycan Turbo S, which is to be released in 2021.

Taycan Turbo S, which is the most powerful model in the automaker’s portfolio, uses 800-volt technology instead of the usual 400 volts, accelerating with up to 761 horsepower, facilitating the overboost activated with its Launch Control, the company said. The Taycan Turbo S goes from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in 2.8 seconds.

The entry Taycan 4S generates a total of 530 horsepower, and the price is set at 145.6 million won ($122,500).

A day after introducing the Macan GTS at the PWRS, Porsche Korea officially launched the compact SUV on Thursday, expanding its product lineup in the country. 

The new Macan GTS boasts a performance-centered chassis, unique design and enhanced cutting-edge technologies, and the strong 2.9-liter six-cylinder bi-turbo engine makes up to 380 horsepower, up 20 horsepower from the previous model, the automaker said.

The new model is equipped with dual-clutch automatic gearboxes and, when combined with the Sports Chrono Package option, the car can accelerate from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in 4.7 seconds, Porsche explained.

The new Macan GTS continues the tradition of Gran Turismo Sport, with an improved Porsche Active Suspension Management system and the chassis lowered by 15 millimeters for a more dynamic driving experience, the company said.

The original Macan, which was introduced in Korea in 2014, has since sold over 4,085 vehicles, as of July.

By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com )