Before making its official, in-the-flesh public debut at next week’s Geneva Motor Show, Porsche has shed some much needed light on their hotly awaited Panamera Sport Turismo, a new estate version of the German super saloon.
It follows a mostly formulaic approach in the transition from sedan (or fastback/sportback/liftback) to full-blown wagon, its boot now made much larger and accessible via a more upright hatch, taking the official door count to 5.
Previously, whether or not the Panamera is classified as a 5-door or a 4-door was hotly debated, though the non-wagon version remains classified as a normal sedan despite having a rear hatch too.
The addition of a new body style has an intriguing possibility, especially after Porsche themselves unveiled the identically named concept car in 2012 at that year’s Paris Motor Show, where it received a very positive reaction.
Granted, the production model unveiled today won’t be as slick looking as the show car from 5 years ago, and indeed retains many visual cues from the sedan, perhaps even too many, despite the silhouette remaining quite faithful to the concept.
The extended roofline and added vertical space amounts to a 20-litre larger boot at 520-litres, aided by a much reduced load lip. In addition, the rear doors have been reshaped to better accommodate the new roofline, and now are less raked than before and allowing easier access as a result. Once inside, there’s a considerable improvement to rear passenger headroom.
The tailgate itself, meanwhile, does measure identically widthways with the sedan, but allows for much wider loading aperture given its hinge located further back. That new hatch also houses an active spoiler. While other wagons do have subtle aero bits at the apex of the roofline, the Panamera Sport Turismo’s can lift or retract in three stages, depending on vehicle speed and other variables such as driving mode.
When fully utilised, Porsche claims it can generate as much as 50kg of downforce pressing against the rear axle.
Other than these changes, or rather aside from the new roof and hatch and the practicality plusses that follow, the Sport Turismo is unchanged from the standard car. It’s unclear whether all variants of the second-generation Panamera will be eventually available in two body styles, but at least initially it will be available for the Panamera 4, 4S, 4S Diesel, 4 E-Hybrid, and Turbo.
Like the liftback sedan, the Sport Turismo variants will feature the same interior trim choices and engine specifications, varying between the carry-over 3.0-litre turbo V6, newer 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6, and the storming 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8.
Pricing hasn’t been confirmed for the Australian market, though it’s likely to be offered at a reasonable premium over the sedan at every variant’s price point.
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