In Porsche speak, this is the J1-II generation for the Taycan, which gains a significantly improved electrical architecture. The most impactful change is the larger and lighter battery options and ripping fast charging. The smallest battery pack is now an 89.0-kWh unit with 82.3 kWh usable, and the upgraded offering is 105.0 kWh, with 97.0 kWh usable. Perhaps more significant, peak charging for the larger pack has risen to 320 kW, compared to the J1-I model’s maximum of 270 kW. In the real world, this shakes out to lightning-quick charges. It takes just 18 minutes to charge from 5 to 80 percent and adds 168 miles of range in 15 minutes, the quickest we’ve ever recorded. That means less time charging, more time crushing the miles or hitting the track.

You’re going to want to drive this Porsche, too. With dual motors cranking out a maximum of 536 hp and 512 lb-ft of torque, launching from 0 to 60 mph takes just 3.2 seconds. With 50/50 weight distribution, handling balance is impeccable. “This thing is a stealth electric torpedo,” director of editorial operations Mike Floyd said. “It’s simply a sublime high-end super electric sports car. It was already good; now it’s borderline phenomenal.” Driving enthusiastically doesn’t tear through the 252 miles of range as quickly as you’d think, either, a trait that pleasantly surprised our judges during finalist loop testing on a curvy canyon road.

2025 Porsche Taycan 4S COTY Review: Moving the Needle

Finalist: Evolutionary updates and charging gains improve the already excellent performance EV.Billy RehbockWriterWilliam WalkerPhotographer

Nov 19, 2024

Pros

• Fast-charging capabilities
• Outstanding handling
• Vicious acceleration

Cons

• Only OK range
• Expensive with or without options
• Can you spot the differences?

It’s rare for an automaker to address every last issue we’ve had with a car, but Porsche isn’t like other automakers. With upgraded motors, batteries, and charging, this 2025 Porsche Taycan 4S represents a massive leap forward in EV tech for the German marque, “fixing” things that we didn’t even think were broken and propelling this sport sedan from being a fun, if compromised, performance car to a more comprehensive (and still fun) technological marvel.

In Porsche speak, this is the J1-II generation for the Taycan, which gains a significantly improved electrical architecture. The most impactful change is the larger and lighter battery options and ripping fast charging. The smallest battery pack is now an 89.0-kWh unit with 82.3 kWh usable, and the upgraded offering is 105.0 kWh, with 97.0 kWh usable. Perhaps more significant, peak charging for the larger pack has risen to 320 kW, compared to the J1-I model’s maximum of 270 kW. In the real world, this shakes out to lightning-quick charges. It takes just 18 minutes to charge from 5 to 80 percent and adds 168 miles of range in 15 minutes, the quickest we’ve ever recorded. That means less time charging, more time crushing the miles or hitting the track.

You’re going to want to drive this Porsche, too. With dual motors cranking out a maximum of 536 hp and 512 lb-ft of torque, launching from 0 to 60 mph takes just 3.2 seconds. With 50/50 weight distribution, handling balance is impeccable. “This thing is a stealth electric torpedo,” director of editorial operations Mike Floyd said. “It’s simply a sublime high-end super electric sports car. It was already good; now it’s borderline phenomenal.” Driving enthusiastically doesn’t tear through the 252 miles of range as quickly as you’d think, either, a trait that pleasantly surprised our judges during finalist loop testing on a curvy canyon road.

Standard air suspension provides a comfortable, firm ride, which is ideal for a powerful sport sedan such as this. In fact, Porsche hasn’t outfitted this Taycan 4S with many of its usual performance upgrades, such as the Sport Chrono package or the available Active Ride height adjustment system. Available rear steering, however, makes an appearance and helps with the Taycan’s nimbleness. Still, most judges walked away from the Frozen Blue Metallic test car with a wicked grin, babbling praise for its sizzling capability.

This is still a great-looking car, and it’s arguably the most attractive vehicle in our Car of the Year field. One of the criteria for our award is advancement in design, however, and judges have some reservations about the Taycan’s performance here. The revised exterior’s updated headlights and massaged front fascia are slight enough changes that only car enthusiasts will notice. Inside, it’s more of the same. Not much has changed cosmetically, though Porsche’s addition of standard ambient lighting and a heated steering wheel is a welcome move. As functional and comfortable as the Taycan’s interior is for adult passengers, relying on a touchscreen to control the air vents is a much more complicated solution than simple knobs and toggles. Deeper integration of Apple CarPlay could have made a bigger impact, as well. Instead, Porsche buries car controls within a separate app inside of the CarPlay user interface.

There’s more active safety tech than before with standard lane change assistance and blind-spot monitoring. Adaptive cruise control is still optional, and all of these features are operated via a stalk to the bottom left of the steering wheel. This out-of-sight controller is the one of the few aspects of the 2025 Taycan that truly frustrates, especially when other automakers have moved their adaptive cruise functionality to the steering wheel. Guest judge Chris Theodore had choice words for Porsche’s execution of these functions. “Steering assist is hard to actuate and barely works—best to forget about it,” he said. “It was the only major flaw in the Taycan, and obviously Porsche didn’t spend much time developing it.”

It’s time to address the six-figure elephant in the room; this Porsche is no car for the proletariat. The 2025 Taycan 4S begins at $120,495; the test car you see here stickers at $154,595. Yes, you could shave off a lot of the price by slashing options such as the 21-inch RS Spyder Design wheels, Premium package, and leather interior option. Even then, you end up with a car that’s priced richly, though finding direct EV competitors that offer such total (as in, beyond accelerative) performance is tough. There is no doubt Porsche nails the EV sports car execution, and you feel like the car is worth every penny, so in that sense, its value isn’t an issue—but the Taycan costs many more pennies than it did when it first launched, so the upgrades haven’t come for free.

It’s tough to win our Car of the Year award as a face-lifted or midcycle-updated vehicle, especially with limited design changes and poorly executed ADAS features. Nonetheless, the 2025 Taycan 4S comes close to glory as one of the most emotional and exciting EVs available, now with fewer compromises and more boundary-pushing tech.

This review was conducted as part of our 2025 Car of the Year (COTY) testing, where each vehicle is evaluated on our six key criteria: efficiency, design, safety, engineering excellence, value, and performance of intended function. Eligible vehicles must be all-new or significantly revised.