The specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 849Nm
Range: 456km
Price: from Dh437,900
On sale: now
Give me a Porsche with 849Nm of torque and 671bhp driving through all four wheels, modify it for a bit of off-road action – with raised ground clearances, underbody protection and fat guard extensions Dakar-style – and point me towards an empty desert.
In a corner of Liwa, I thrashed through the sand in the final test mule of Porsche’s new Taycan Cross Turismo, but with one glaring difference compared to the V8 American pick-ups and turbocharged Japanese SUVs that normally dotted the stretch. Being a Taycan, means this Porsche is an EV and it’s made for serious performance off-roading of the electric variety.
A test of extremes: from the Arctic to the desert
The National is the first media outlet in the Mena region to get behind the wheel of the all-new Cross Turismo, as part of a global test programme pitting the prototype Taycan against the most extreme conditions, from the cold in the Arctic Circle the heat of the UAE desert.
Two test tracks were constructed, one in the dunes of Liwa and the other on a frozen lake north of the Arctic Circle. The same Cross Turismo was tested on an identical layout in -32°C in Levi, Finland, before being flown to Abu Dhabi where it was put to the same test in 45°C just days later.
Battery technology continues to evolve, but exposure to extreme temperatures can expose vulnerabilities, as batteries can lose up to two-thirds of their life in extreme heat or sub-zero climes.
As temperatures nudged past 40°C, my brief with the Cross Turismo was to push it hard, get the car moving and sliding and tackle the sand “with enthusiasm”. The battery temp remained stable all day and while the range depleted faster compared to driving responsibly on a sealed road, the consumption variation was on par to a regular combustion engine when treated the same way.
Plenty of power inside the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo
Based on the 2018 Mission E-Cross Turismo concept, it uses the same 800-volt architecture from the Taycan saloon with power coming via an electric motor mounted in each axle to make it an all-wheel drive.
Aside from giving the driver more feeling on acceleration and braking, it maximises range while still achieving 3.3 seconds from 0 to 100 kilometres per hour
Porsche says its range of up to 456km and the Turbo’s 250kph top speed is the same as the saloon when used under the same highway conditions despite carrying an extra 105 kilograms and wearing more durable tyres better suited to off-roading in place of the slimline fuel-savers normally reserved for EVs.
The Cross Turismo offers 30 millimetres more ground clearance and rather than being a heavy-duty off-roader, it’s pitched as a more appropriate alternative for accessing remote beach tracks, farm driveways and slippery mountain passes than the regular model.
It also debuts Taycan’s wagon body with a longer roof that’s similar in style to the Porsche Panamera Grand Turismo, incorporating a massive panoramic glass roof that extends behind the rear seats. It offers 47mm more rear headroom and three times more stowage when the rear seats are folded flat. All up, there’s 1,255 litres of stowage when you combine the 1,171 litres in the rear with the 84 litres hiding under its nose.
Tailor-made for drifting action
Despite the raised height, the Taycan’s centre of gravity remains lower than a conventional car, so add endless torque to the mix and the Cross Turismo is tailor-made for some wildly addictive sandy drift action.
There’s no aggression needed to initiate a slide. Gently squeezing the throttle is enough to quickly induce wheelspin from its rear-drive bias without needing to tug at the wheel to shift its balance. Once it’s dancing, it’s a simple matter of holding a slide with your fingertips, using the torque rather than its weight to change direction, tickling the throttle instead of wheel work to move it around as the car remains flat the entire time.
EVs require a different method to hustle, but ultimately it’s easier and with less drama as the car doesn’t pitch, so therefore doesn’t dig in when it finds a rut, rather it ploughs through it like it wasn’t there.
Added to Porsche’s familiar drive modes of Normal, Sport and Sport Plus is a Gravel mode that does all the behind-the-scenes work with the torque delivery to the various wheels. It winds back the Taycan's stability control systems and equalises the speed of each wheel in the same way a diff lock would on a regular SUV.
It also lifts the suspension by 10mm as an added precaution, although that extra height also comes with the optional off-road design package fitted to our test car, which comprises off-road design flaps on the lower valance, side skirts and a rear diffuser.
Taycan received more than 50 international awards last year, so while purists still lust for performance coupes such as the 911 and Cayman, which thankfully are not disappearing anytime soon, a third of all Porsches sold in Europe last year were powered by an electric or hybrid drivetrain.
Porsche says this will increase to half of all cars sold by 2025, pointing to the Taycan and other variants such as the Cross Turismo quickly becoming the company's mainstream models.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Brief scores:
Newcastle United 1
Perez 23'
Wolverhampton Rovers 2
Jota 17', Doherty 90' 4
Red cards: Yedlin 57'
Man of the Match: Diogo Jota (Wolves)
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
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Company%20Profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Where to Find Me by Alba Arikha
Alma Books
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
Results
2.15pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner: Maqam, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer).
2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner: Mamia Al Reef, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
3.15pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 2,000m
Winner: Jaahiz, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.
3.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m
Winner: Qanoon, Szczepan Mazur, Irfan Ellahi.
4.15pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Cup Handicap (TB) Dh200,000 1,700m.
Winner: Philosopher, Tadhg O’Shea, Salem bin Ghadayer.
54.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m
Winner: Jap Al Yassoob, Fernando Jara, Irfan Ellahi.
Results
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 (PA) US$100,000 (Dirt) 2,000m, Winner Bandar, Fernando Jara (jockey), Majed Al Jahouri (trainer).
7.05pm Meydan Classic Listed (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,600m, Winner Well Of Wisdom, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
7.40pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m, Winner Star Safari, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.
8.15pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner Moqarrar, Fabrice Veron, Erwan Charpy.
8.50pm Nad Al Sheba Trophy Group 2 (TB) $300,000 (T) 2,810m, Winner Secret Advisor, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
9.25pm Curlin Stakes Listed (TB) $175,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner Parsimony, William Buick, Doug O’Neill.
10pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m, Winner Simsir, Ronan Whelan, Michael Halford.
10.35pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m, Winner Velorum, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
RESULTS
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: Hypothetical, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
7.05pm: Meydan Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (Turf) 1,000m
Winner: Equilateral, Andrea Atzeni, Charles Hills
7.40pm: Curlin Stakes – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (D) 2,200m
Winner: New Trails, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash
8.15pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Mnasek, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: D’bai, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.25pm: Balanchine – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Summer Romance, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
10pm: Al Shindagha Sprint – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Al Tariq, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
- Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
- Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
- Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
- Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
- Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
- Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
- Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
- Out of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding
The specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 849Nm
Range: 456km
Price: from Dh437,900
On sale: now
