Porsche Mission E Cross Turismo headed for production?
This all-electric Geneva Motor Show starlet may become a reality sooner than you think.
You didn't expect Porsche to produce just one EV model, did you? The premium automaker long ago committed to offering a version of its 2015 Mission E concept five-door for 2019. Now, it sounds like the new Mission E Cross Turismo concept shown at this week's Geneva Motor Show could be next.
According to Automotive News Europe, the all-electric crossover SUV concept may spawn a production model of its own by as early as 2021. The industry trade publication quotes Porsche CEO Oliver Blume as saying, "I find the unique concept and the design instantly convincing. In my opinion there's a good prospect for series production very soon."
If consumer feedback from the Mission E Cross Turismo is similarly positive, production sounds like it could be a good move. Since the Mission E fastback model involves a clean-sheet design of everything from a dedicated EV platform to new power electronics, motor and battery pack, the German automaker is almost certainly spending significantly more on R&D than it would with a conventional internal-combustion-powered model. Helping spread those costs over multiple models makes good business sense, and the fact that the Cross Turismo is a quasi-SUV would seem to follow where the new car market is going.
Of course, it's very early -- the klieg lights hanging over the Cross Turismo's show stand haven't even had a chance to cool after the car's Tuesday unveiling. If the concept is to get the production green light, it'll likely be many months -- if not longer -- before Porsche makes it official.
Company representatives did not immediately return Roadshow's request for comment on this story.
If the Mission E Cross Turismo does make it into showrooms, there's good reason for excitement. The concept features a twin-motor drive system that delivers in excess of 591 horsepower. That's enough, Porsche says, to rocket the shooting-brake-style concept to 62 mph in under 3.5 seconds and lap the legendary Nürburgring in under 8 minutes. That's serious performance to go along with a good amount of added utility.
The Mission E Cross Turismo could end up being Porsche's second production EV.
Like its Mission E five-door sibling, the Cross Turismo is equipped with an electric architecture capable of 800-volt charging, which would fill the batteries to 80 percent in just 15 minutes.
The Mission E Cross Turismo is tipped to have a 300-mile range on Europe's NEDC fuel economy test cycle -- around 50 miles shy of Tesla's Model X 100D, presently the industry's most likely competitor. EV newcomer Jaguar says that its almost-here 2019 i-Pace crossover will have an NEDC range of over 311 miles per charge.
Taking a cue from Tesla and Nissan, Porsche has already committed to building out a vehicle charging infrastructure at its dealer networks.
The Mission E Cross Turismo is pegged to hit 62 mph in under 3.5 seconds.
In truth, the Mission E Cross Turismo looks more like a pumped-up version of Porsche's own Panamera Sport Turismo -- a station wagon -- than a traditional SUV. However, toughened fender liners and an air suspension system that raises the ride height by around 2 inches gives the show enhanced soft-road credibility.
Whether you call it an SUV, a crossover or a lifted wagon, there's no denying the Cross Turismo has real presence.
Stay tuned.
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