WATCH: Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo tear it up

Porsche has released a new high-octane video of the upcoming Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo being driven flat-out sideways in the snow and sand.

Featuring incredible cinematography filmed using drones, the video shows how the more rugged version of Porsche's first EV just loves to drift, whether it's on a frozen lake in Finland or a circuit carved through sand dunes in Saudi Arabia.

Look closer and you can see both circuits are identical, despite being located in different parts of the world, providing for seamless transitions in the video.

As well as proving just how sideways a Taycan Cross can go, the video shows how well the electric Porsche crossover copes in -30C temperatures, as well as the baking heat of the desert.

Revealed earlier this year, the more practical and more rugged wagon version of the Taycan sedan goes on sale in Australia in the third quarter of 2021.

When it arrives, the crossover Taycan will be priced at $201,000 plus on-road costs for the entry-level 4S ($10,600 more than the Taycan 4S) and $271,000 plus ORCs for the Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo — just $2500 more than the equivalent Taycan Turbo sedan.

Based on the same J1 architecture as the Taycan sedan, the Cross Turismo variant features a longer roof and Porsche’s Active Suspension Management system including three-chamber air springs.

With an optional Off-Road Package, drivers can raise the suspension a further 10mm to give the Porsche wagon an extra 30mm of ground clearance compared to the Taycan sedan.

Boosting traction, the Cross Turismo comes with a special Gravel mode, which pre-arms the chassis, stability control and throttle calibration for loose surfaces during light off-roading.

Other new elements for the Porsche wagon are new wheels and protective cladding for the sills and wheel-arches, plus a decorative-looking rear metallic bash plate.

Thanks to its raised roofline, headroom in the rear seats has increased by 47mm, although its 446-litre luggage capacity (the Turbo and Turbo S boot is 405-litres) is almost identical to the sedan's. With the rear seats down, cargo space is boosted to 1212 litres.

The entry-level 4S version features two electric motors (one for each axle) pumping out 360kW. Thanks to an overboost function that raises power yet further to 420kW, Porsche claims the zero-emissions wagon can polish off the 0-100km/h dash in 5.1 seconds and still offer an official 455km range.

The quicker Turbo’s peak power output, meanwhile, is 460kW (rising to 500kW on overboost), which ensures an incredible 3.3sec sprint to 100km/h and a 452km range.

Finally, if that’s not enough, the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo Turbo S ramps up power to a mighty 560kW on overboost, allowing it to hit 100km/h in just 2.9sec while still being capable of covering 418km between charges.