In a surprise move, Porsche has unveiled the Mission E Cross Turismo, a sports wagon based on the Mission E platform developed indigenously. The company also hinted at an early launch of the rugged zero-emissions wagon.
Porsche had another car waiting in the wings, to be unveiled after the facelifted 911 GT3 RS debuted at the Geneva International Motor Show 2018. Shortly after the RS, the company took the wraps off a rather elegant, sleek electric car. The Mission E Cross Turismo looks stunning, using minimal lines to define what it is: a futuristic Porsche.
Way back in 2015, Porsche had unveiled an electric sedan called the Mission E at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The car is part of Porsche's contribution to parent Volkswagen Group's Roadmap E initiative which entails electrifying a significant part of each subsidiary's lineup, at the very least as an additional powertrain. As such, the Cross Turismo gets the credentials to back the claims. It gets an all-wheel-drive system, in conjunction with two electric motors producing upwards of 600 hp (440 kW) between them. The robust motors allow the wagon to sprint past 100 kph in less than three and a half seconds and fly past the 200 kph mark under twelve seconds. Porsche has limited the top speed of the Mission E to 250 kph.
The Cross Turismo takes after the sedan in the way it looks, with the front fascia being largely similar for both. Porsche's take on a wagon results in a car that looks more like a big hot hatch than what its name suggests. It also gets chunkier wheel arches and raised suspension in keeping with its role of a car tailored to “sporty, active people,” according to Porsche. The Mission E Cross Turismo hides its size pretty well, which is worthy of note considering that the boot is cavernous. It comes in a four-door configuration, with a modern, well laid out interior. The car also benefits from fast charging capabilities, letting you charge the batteries enough for a hundred kilometers in just four minutes of charging. This speed is due to the firm's 800-volt architecture.
The all-electric wagon looks absolutely road worthy as of today. During the Geneva premiere, Porsche officials hinted that the concept has big chances to make it into production soon, considering it is “already fit for the road,” according to company CEO Oliver Blume. However, there are no chances of the Cross Turismo hitting the market before the Mission E sedan, so the likeliest we will see one of these on the road is in 2020 at the very least.
