2018 Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo First Look: Practical Panamera

Rich folks accustomed to sending the luggage ahead can now send more of it more swiftly with a new cluster of model variants being added to the Porsche Panamera constellation. They’ll go by the moniker Sport Turismo, and they’ll be distinguishable from the outside by their shooting brake profile, which involves a longer roofline, a larger rear quarter window, a fatter D-pillar, and a more upright but still rakish hatch glass. That hatch now drops well down into the bumper, so the Louis Vuittons only have to be hoisted 24.7 inches up onto the cargo deck.

There’s a bit more space on that deck now—18.3 cubic feet versus the faster-backed Panamera’s 17.4 with the rear seats up; 49.1 (45.7 for the E-Hybrid) versus 46.0 cubic feet with the 40/20/40 seat backs folded. A cargo management system of rails and accessories is available. With a skosh more headroom, the Sport Turismo dares to pad the center of the rear seat and provide a belt for a fifth occupant, making this the first five-seat Panamera (or as Porsche more aptly puts it, 4+1). A four-seat option is available with electrically adjustable seats. Overall dimensions barely wiggle from those of the standard-wheelbase Panamera. Only the height notches up 0.2 inch (to equal that of the LWB Executive variant).

The new hatch also trades the fast-back Panamera’s cool lifts-and-separates rear wing for a spoiler located above the hatch glass. This one is also integrated into the Porsche Active Aerodynamics system. It starts out at an angle of -7 degrees then rises to 1 degree at 105 mph in normal mode or at 55 mph in Sport or Sport+ modes. In this position it applies up to 110 pounds of downforce to the rear axle. Open the pano-roof above 55 mph, and the spoiler rises to 26 degrees to reduce wind noise.

The Sport Turismo treatment is available with every all-wheel-drive powertrain except the top Turbo S E-Hybrid, and it is only available in the standard wheelbase. Air suspension is standard on all Sport Turismos. There might be some variation in standard equipment specifications, too, as the price differential varies between models. The 330-hp turbo V-6 Panamera 4 Sport Turismo starts at $97,250 (up $6,600), the 456-hp turbo V-6 PHEV 4 E-Hybrid opens at $105,050 (a $4,400 premium), the 440-hp twin-turbo V-6 4S goes for $110,250 (plus $9,300), and the 550-hp twin-turbo V-8 Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo commands $155,050 ($7,100 over). Dealers are taking orders now for deliveries expected to start at the end of 2017.

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