The Taycan is everything you'd expect from a Porsche: It's quick, handles well and offers a thrilling driving experience

The 2023 Porsche Taycan luxury car is an electrifying drive in more ways than one. Pricing starts at $86,700.

Available as a sedan or wagon-like Sport Turismo/Cross Turismo versions, the 2023 Taycan blends Porsche (PAH3.XE) prestige and dynamics with all-electric, zero-emissions drivetrains. It's the company's first all-electric car, having made its debut for the 2020 model year.

Although over-the-air updates and new model years can bring improvements in range -- the distance traveled on a single full battery charge -- the Taycan still can't compete with the Tesla (TSLA) Model S, which can run for 400 miles. The Taycan's best figure is 246 miles.

This may not matter much since the Taycan is a Porsche first and an electric vehicle second. The company knows there are others making electric cars, but no one else makes a Porsche -- that special combination of engineering expertise, driving joy, technology, and quality materials.

Also on MarketWatch: The 2023 Mercedes-EQ EQB: The all-electric small SUV is superb family transport

The 2023 Porsche Taycan starts at $86,700. That's for the regular Taycan sedan with rear-wheel drive and a range of 208 miles. The same car with Performance Battery Plus upgrade (for more power and greater range) is $92,480.

Up at the most expensive end is the Turbo S Cross Turismo, priced from $190K. It isn't hard to push that to over $211K with options.

Porsche includes three years of free 30-minute DC charging sessions using the Electrify America network with every new Taycan.

These are the manufacturer's suggested retail prices and do not include the $1,450 factory-to-dealer delivery fee (destination charge). Here's a side-by-side comparison of a few Taycan variants.

A new rival joins the ranks of German high-class electric cars this year, the Mercedes-EQ EQE sedan, from $75K and touting about 300 miles of range. The Audi e-tron GT sedan (maximum range: 238 miles) starts at $105K. The most affordable Tesla Model S also starts at $105K and has a range of 405 miles.

If a fully electric car is not quite right, but the idea of a powerful yet low-emissions Porsche sedan still appeals, there's the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid (a plug-in hybrid with 19 miles of battery range) from $109K.

Before buying a new Taycan luxury electric car, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should pay. The Model S has strong resale values, but the Taycan's ability to retain its worth is still respectable.

A set of software updates brings an improved infotainment system. Spotify is now included, along with wireless Android Auto integration. The navigation system can now filter charging stations according to power output. The head-up display has also been revised.

These changes can be applied to Taycans from previous model years, by over-the-air updates.

Ranges are up as well. Some are modest, just a handful of miles. Others are more substantial, like the GTS sedan going from 201 to 246 miles.

Revised battery management optimizes charging performance. Versions of the Taycan with all-wheel drive will now decouple the front motor in Normal and Range modes, enhancing efficiency, and the Recuperation setting remains active when changing drive modes.

On the hardware side, Variable Light Control becomes available with the panoramic glass roof, going from opaque to transparent. Porsche Dashcam is also a new option, with front and rear cameras.

See: New electric Lexus debuts; it's a modest first effort

There are certain things expected from any Porsche, the driving experience being a major factor. It must be quick, handle well, and be generally thrilling. Although its propulsion comes from electrons and not fossil fuels, the Taycan is nevertheless a true Porsche.

The Taycan has its battery pack in the floor, maximizing stability with an advantageously low center of gravity. Corners, straights, going for a pizza -- virtually every moment spent in a Taycan driver's seat has the potential for fun.

The base sedan has 321 horsepower going just to the rear wheels, or 402 horses when launch control is engaged. Electric cars are invariably entertaining when taking off from a standstill. Beyond that, it's all up to the buyer's tastes and funds.

Launch control in the Turbo S versions means a massive 750 horsepower and a phenomenal 0-60 mph time of 2.6 seconds. Some people might quibble about how the quickest Tesla Model S might be faster by a whisker of a fraction of a tenth of a second -- but when you're accelerating at that rate, it hardly matters.

None of this happens at the expense of comfort, however. An adaptive air suspension becomes standard in the one-up-from-base model.

In its usual form, the 2023 Taycan luxury electric car has well-bolstered, supportive-yet-comfortable seats for four adults. A little center rear seat is available as an option.

Appropriately for something that costs in excess of $85K, the Taycan's interior is full of quality materials, assembled well into a smart design. Technology coexists with cosseting, as high-resolution displays share space with vegan-friendly simulated leather and simulated suede.

There's easily enough space for a couple of golf bags in the sedan's trunk. The Turismo versions have another few cubic feet behind their rear seats, plus a maximum cargo area of more than 40 cubic feet when both rear seats are folded down. And they all have another 2.9 cubic feet of stowage under the hood.

That's what Porsche says. In reality, it's more like two. There's the regular sedan with doors and a trunk, or buyers may choose a Turismo variant with a wagon-ish treatment to the tail end.

The difference between a Taycan Sport Turismo and Cross Turismo comes down to details. The Sport comes solely as a high-performance GTS model with an adaptive air suspension and a maximum ground clearance of 5 inches.

The Cross Turismo offers a choice of drivetrains, has SUV-like plastic cladding pieces on the sides, and has 5.8 inches of ground clearance. That's still not enough for anything more challenging than a dirt road, but at least there's a choice.

Either way, Porsche offers a wide array of colors, including the option of matching paint to a customer-supplied sample.

Check out: Four valuable lessons I learned taking a road trip in an electric car

Our favorite features and tech

Wireless smartphone integrationCable-free Apple CarPlay is joined this year by the Android Auto equivalent. This is standard across the 2023 Taycan lineup.

Remote Park AssistBy using a smartphone app, drivers can control their Taycan with this optional feature, slotting it into (or out of) parallel or perpendicular parking spaces while standing outside.

InnoDriveOtherwise known as Porsche's adaptive cruise control. It's linked to the navigation system, taking topography and curves into account, as well as sensing traffic around the vehicle and keeping the car in its lane. This is optional in the 2023 Taycan.

Variable Light ControlNow available with the panoramic glass roof, it can darken or lighten the glass electronically.

Plug & ChargeLet's say your free sessions on the Electrify America network have expired -- Plug & Charge means you can connect to a charger; the system recognizes your Taycan and will use the credit card information on file. It simplifies and streamlines the process.

Carbon ceramic brakesOptional in some 2023 Taycan variants and standard in the high-performance models, carbon ceramic brake discs will stand up to all sorts of punishment without wearing or overheating.

You have to love Porsche's exactitude. The company says that charging the Taycan's battery on the fastest 800-volt setting from 5% to 80% takes 22.5 minutes. Those 30 seconds make all the difference.

That is fast, though. Using a home charger with a 240-volt supply, a full recharge to 100% takes 9.5 hours, which is fine for an overnighter.

Porsche offers a wide array of drivetrain choices, going from OK to "oh my goodness." The version with the best range is the GTS sedan, able to run for 246 miles before needing a recharge -- not even close to the 405-mile range of the Tesla Model S.

The basic Taycan sedan has one electric motor driving just the rear wheels. The rest of the lineup has two motors, one for each axle, making an electronic form of all-wheel drive (AWD) .

Read: 5 reasons you should hold off on buying an EV

TaycanSingle electric motor321 horsepower (402 w/launch control)250 lb-ft of torque (254 w/launch control)EPA city/highway fuel economy: 79/88 MPGeEPA-rated range on a full charge: 208 miles

Taycan w/Performance Battery PlusSingle electric motor375 horsepower (469 w/launch control)250 lb-ft of torque (263 w/launch control)EPA city/highway fuel economy: 78/88 MPGeEPA-rated range on a full charge: 242 miles

Taycan 4 Cross TurismoDual electric motors375 horsepower (469 w/launch control)368 lb-ft of torqueEPA city/highway fuel economy: 80/80 MPGeEPA-rated range on a full charge: 235 miles

Taycan 4SDual electric motors429 horsepower (522 w/launch control)472 lb-ft of torqueEPA city/highway fuel economy: 82/82 MPGeEPA-rated range on a full charge: 206 miles

Taycan 4S w/Performance Battery Plus, 4S Cross TurismoDual electric motors482 horsepower (562 w/launch control)479 lb-ft of torqueEPA city/highway fuel economy: 79/81 MPGe (sedan), 78/78 MPGe (Cross Turismo)EPA-rated range on a full charge: 235 miles (sedan), 230 miles (Cross Turismo)

Taycan GTS, GTS Sport TurismoDual electric motors509 horsepower (590 w/launch control)626 lb-ft of torqueEPA city/highway fuel economy: 83/82 MPGe (sedan), 80/80 MPGe (Sport Turismo)EPA-rated range on a full charge: 246 miles (sedan), 233 miles (Sport Turismo)

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