I’m sure that the executive team at Dr. Ing. Hc F. Porsche writhe in agony upon hearing their new Panamera Sport Turismo referred to as a station wagon. But let’s be honest here, there’s a resemblance despite Peter Varga’s earnest attempt to dispel such a notion.
As head of exterior design, Peter states, “because despite having a large usable volume, the sports car has a downward-sloping roofline that is typically Porsche and an extremely sporty character.” Ok, I get it, and agree.
Based on photos, the redesigned body of the Turismo looks sinfully seductive. The increased real estate allows the Panamera to carry five occupants thanks to a 2+1 rear seat. Judging though by pictures released by Porsche, the middle rear-seat passenger may regret not taking the bus.
The rear seat-back has a 40/20/40 three-way split allowing the most optimal mix of cargo and passengers. When the seat-back is folded flat, the Turismo Sport will ingest 1390 litres worth of gear or gardening goods.
The expanded Panamera is available in both turbo and e-hybrid versions in addition to the base V6 power plant. As with all Porsche products, performance thresholds remain second to none; the vaguest suggestion otherwise would be considered heresy in the Porsche boardroom.
There’s little doubt that the Turismos will provide owners with enhanced functionality without diluting Porsche’s DNA with the plebian genes of a station wagon.