Review: 2025 Porsche Taycan 4S - The best Porsche you’re not thinking about

Here’s a wild idea: in the age of TikTok Teslas and BYDs that beep louder than they brake, what if the best electric car isn’t the flashiest one? What if it wears a Porsche badge, goes like stink, charges like a demon, and still feels like a proper car?

Meet the Porsche Taycan 4S—the model we believe to be the sweet spot of Porsche’s electric future, and possibly the most misunderstood EV on Malaysian roads today.

Let’s be honest—EV talk in Malaysia is dominated by two camps: the “RM200k and below” crowd that just wants a clean daily, and the “look at my Plaid bro” flexers with deep pockets and zero range anxiety. The Taycan 4S fits neither. It’s not cheap. It doesn’t shout. And yet, it might just be the best electric car you’re not considering.

First, what is the Taycan?

Back in 2019, Porsche did the unthinkable. They electrified the brand. The Taycan was their first-ever EV—a four-door, four-seater sport sedan that promised to be more than just fast. It had to feel like a Porsche. That meant proper steering feel, real driver engagement, and a chassis that could dance in corners—not just rocket down highways.

Fast forward to 2024/2025, and we’ve got a facelift. Visually? It’s a game of spot-the-difference unless you’re a Porsche nerd. But under the skin, it’s what every EV facelift should be: more range, better efficiency, quicker charging, and more performance. Yes, Porsche made it faster. Because of course they did.

The sweet spot: Why to us it's the 4S?

The Taycan lineup is stacked: base rear-wheel drive, 4, 4S, Turbo, Turbo S—and now, the bonkers Turbo GT Nürburgring destroyer.

But the 4S sits right in the Goldilocks zone. It’s AWD, gives you up to 598 PS with launch control, and rockets to 100 km/h in just 3.7 seconds. That’s Ferrari-fast in something you can quietly cruise to Bangsar Village in.

It also comes with the optional Performance Battery Plus, which bumps range up to 554 km (WLTP). Realistically in Malaysia? Think 450–480 km depending on how many toll booths and Starbucks drive-thrus you attack in Sport mode.

The 4S is quick enough to scare your nasi lemak out of its packet, refined enough to daily without drama, and still cheaper than the Turbos by six figures. In Malaysia, that’s called value… relatively speaking.

What’s new in the facelift?

You’re not going to notice until someone tells you. A sharper front bumper, new wheel designs, and sleeker LED lighting. More important is what’s underneath:

• Faster Charging: Now supports up to 320 kW DC—that’s 10 to 80% in under 18 minutes. If you find a charger that can keep up (hint: Gentari’s 350 kW chargers at X Park Sunway Serene will do nicely), you’ll be in and out faster than a Kopitiam lunch.
  
  
• New Efficiency Tricks: Smarter thermal management, revised motors, and software tweaks give you more range and less stress. Even the regen braking is improved—still lets you coast like a petrol Porsche if you prefer.
  
  
• Porsche Active Ride (Optional): This is wizardry. The suspension actively keeps the car flat during acceleration, braking, and cornering. You feel like you’re defying physics, but comfortably.
  

And yes, Apple CarPlay is finally better integrated. Malaysians rejoice.

How does It drive?

You’d expect an EV to be quick in a straight line. And the Taycan 4S is—scary quick. But what shocks you more is how it feels. The steering is telepathic, the chassis is tight, and the weight—while over 2.2 tonnes—is masked beautifully. The two-speed gearbox on the rear axle helps keep acceleration linear and strong even at highway speeds.

nlike many EVs that glide around like silent cruise missiles, the Taycan 4S feels alive—and Porsche leans into that. Engage the optional Electric Sport Sound and you’re treated to an acoustic experience inspired by the brand’s legendary flat-six boxer engine. Most EVs settle for sci-fi swooshes that sound like they belong in an X-Wing, but not Porsche. 

This isn’t space opera—it’s motorsport theatre. The synthetic soundtrack is deep, mechanical, and unmistakably Porsche, evoking the spirit of its petrol-powered icons without pretending to be one. It’s a subtle nod to the brand’s heritage, cleverly reimagined for the electric age.

That isn’t the only way it communicates with you. You brake into corners and feel like a hero. You turn in and feel the weight shift precisely. It’s playful, not just powerful.

In the rain, we suspect the AWD system keeps things neat and predictable—we didn’t get to try it out as the test drive was a bit short on a sunny day, but it will come in handy vital for the type of rain we get in Malaysia, which causes slippery roads.

Interior-wise, the Taycan 4S blends minimalism with unmistakable Porsche cues. Step inside and you’re greeted by a curved digital instrument cluster that frames your view like a pilot’s cockpit. In the middle, a large touchscreen handles infotainment duties, while a separate lower screen is dedicated to climate control—clean, responsive, and almost spaceship-like in feel. 

If you’re feeling generous with the options list, your passenger can get their own screen too, letting them control music or navigation like a proper co-driver.

The cabin doesn’t shout for attention, but it quietly flexes its quality—soft-close doors, subtle ambient lighting, and premium materials that look and feel every bit their price tag. It’s a car that rewards the detail-oriented, not the flashy.

Space-wise, it’s a four-seater that comfortably accommodates adults, though rear headroom might be a bit snug for anyone pushing six feet tall. Boot space is neatly split between a front trunk for your groceries and a rear boot for the weekend getaway luggage. 

There are no seven-seat illusions or crossover compromises here—this is a focused, low-slung GT that stays true to its sporty roots, which means, the only part that really matters is the one with the seats at the very front.

Charging: Real talk

Here’s where EV ownership in Malaysia still needs some ironing out. If you live in a landed home and can install a wallbox, perfect—you’ll get a full overnight charge from the Taycan 4S’s sizeable 93.4 kWh Performance Battery Plus (usable capacity around 83.7 kWh) in about 9.5 hours using an 11 kW AC charger. 

But for most of us relying on public charging? It’s still a bit of a hunt. Yes, the network is growing—shoutout to Gentari, TNB Electron, and ChargEV—but high-powered chargers that can fully unleash the Taycan’s capabilities are still relatively rare.

That’s because the Taycan supports DC fast charging at up to 320 kW, which is ahead of most EVs on sale in Malaysia right now. At the right 800V charger—like Gentari’s 350 kW units at X Park Sunway Serene or Pavilion Bukit Jalil—you can go from 10 to 80% in just under 18 minutes, which is blisteringly quick for a battery this size.

But here’s what really surprised us: most EVs tend to dramatically slow down charging after hitting 80%, to protect the battery and manage heat. You’re used to that “okay, time to pack up and go” moment at 81%. But the Taycan? It kept going at a healthy pace. 

During our shoot, we left the car plugged in at around 79%, walked away for some photos, and came back 20 minutes later to find it at 96%. That’s unusually quick for post-80% charging, and it shows how well Porsche has optimized its thermal management and charging curve.

In practical terms, that means less waiting around on long trips—and more confidence if you’re trying to top up quickly before heading out to places like Genting or Penang. Whether you’re charging at home, at a mall, or on the way to a shoot location, the Taycan 4S makes the charging experience feel more fluid, less frustrating.

Of course, we still need more fast chargers, especially outside the Klang Valley. But when you do find the right charger, the Taycan doesn’t waste time. It’s as quick at sipping electrons as it is at destroying 0–100 runs.

Oh, and by the way—yes, the Taycan has two charging ports, because of course it does. On the driver’s side, you’ve got a standard AC port (Type 2) for regular home or mall charging.

But over on the passenger side, there’s a CCS Combo port that supports both AC and ultra-fast DC charging, giving you full flexibility depending on what charger you’re near. It's classic Porsche: over-engineered in the best way possible, just to make your life that little bit easier.

The Cost of Cool

Let’s address the elephant in the room: price. The Taycan 4S starts at around RM622k (before options). Realistically? You’ll spec it up to RM700k or more. That’s Macan EV and BMW i7 territory. Heck, you could buy a GLC300 and a BYD Seal for that.

But here’s the thing: none of those cars feel this special to drive. None of them deliver that purist Porsche sensation and do it with zero emissions. The Taycan isn’t trying to be your daily beater. It’s your daily dopamine.

A Porsche first, an EV second

In Malaysia, EVs still come with asterisks—range, charging, price, resale. The Taycan 4S doesn’t magically erase all that. But what it does is prove that electric cars can be emotional, exciting, and endlessly rewarding to drive.

It’s the EV for people who love driving, not just another appliance. And in that sense, it might just be the most underrated Porsche on sale today.

If you can afford one—and you’re not swayed by YouTube algorithm hype—this is the Taycan you want.