The Porsche Taycan 4S will cost £83,000

Without a Turbo in its name (or under the bonnet…) the 4S is not just considerably less expensive – now priced hard up against the entry Tesla Model S – but also less powerful and slower. But not by much…

With a 79kWh battery pack, the all-wheel-drive, twin-motor saloon boasts 530PS (523bhp), enough to get from 0-62mph in 4.0 seconds. Fast, but if acceleration is everything you will still need the Taycan Turbo S which with another 230bhp despatches 0-62 in just 2.8 seconds. The top speed of the 4S is 155mph and the range in the WLTP protocol is 252 miles – pretty much the same as the Turbo models.

Porsche being Porsche, you can upgrade the 4S by delving into the options list. The key enhancer is the Performance Plus battery which with a capacity of 93.4kWh gets closer to its 100kWh Tesla rival. But note while the bigger battery offers another 35 miles of range it doesn’t make the 4S go any faster.

Mechanically there are few differences for the 4S and it still features the unusual (for an electric car) two-speed transmission on the rear axle along with the real-time 4D chassis control system, adaptive air suspension and Porsche Active Suspension Management electronic damper control. Inevitably the 4S loses out on some items of equipment but standard fare includes LED headlights including Porsche Dynamic Light System Plus, a partial leather interior and comfort seats.

Most important, will people know you are driving the cheaper model? Telltales of the 4S are 19-inch Aero wheels, red-painted brake calipers, a new design of front apron, side sills and a rear diffuser in black. Oh, and the humiliation of being blown into the weeds by the Taycan Turbo S from the traffic lights…

Back in the real world, surely the Taycan 4S is the Tesla Model S alternative that enthusiasts have been waiting for?