The Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo has been revealed and will make its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show on 7th March.
Having confounded sceptics with the launch of the Cayenne SUV in 2002, the German brand renowned for its sports cars is now offering an estate. Today the Cayenne outsells the entire Porsche sports car range.
The Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo is based on the second-generation version of the four-door car launched last year and evolved from the Sport Turismo concept that was revealed at the Paris Motor Show as long ago as 2012.
Four-plus-one seats
While the Panamera is a four-seater, the Sport Turismo offers ‘four-plus-one’ seating, with a central, narrower, third seat in the rear mainly suitable for children. Porsche will also offer the car as a four-seater with two individual adjustable rear seats.
The Sport Turismo measures up at the same length, width and wheelbase as the standard car, but with 5mm extra height. The major differences are an extended roof line to a less slanted rear pillar housing a large tailgate, which opens electronically.
The rear loading lip is also lower and boot space increases to 520 litres – 20 more than a standard Panamera and 95 better than the hybrid model. With all of the rear seats folded capacity grows to 1390 litres.
Inside the Sport Turismo 1 of 2
All-wheel-drive standard
The Sport Turismo engine line-up will replicate that of the saloon, with five options, all allied to active all-wheel-drive and the Porsche Traction Management traction control system.
Entry-level model will be the stock Sport Turismo with a 3-litre V6 turbo petrol engine of 330hp at £73,071. The E-Hybrid version matches a turbo 2.9-litre V6 petrol unit to an electric motor, producing 462hp and combined cycle fuel economy of 113mpg, along with CO2 emissions of 56g/km. It costs £83,288.
A 4S variant uses a twin-turbo 2.9-litre V6 petrol unit and increases the power to 440hp for a cost of £93,979, while the one diesel model, a turbo 4.0-litre V8 with 422hp on tap, is available at £97,067. Range topper is the Turbo, with its twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 of 550hp, costing £117,247.
Porsche is promoting the performance credentials of the Sport Turismo, claiming that the car debuts the first adaptive roof spoiler in its segment. The three-stage system stays at an angle of minus seven degrees at speeds up to 105mph, when it automatically moves to plus one degree, though this can be activated from 55mph by engaging Sport or Sport Plus Driving modes, producing up to 50kg of extra downforce on the rear axle.
If the driver decides to open the car’s panoramic sliding roof at speeds above 55mph, the spoiler adjusts its position to plus 26 degrees, which helps cut wind noise.
UK dealers are already taking orders for the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo, with the first cars expected on the roads in October.
Angles on the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo 1 of 4
Keyword: Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo unveiled