For one, let’s talk about the form factor. It’s no secret that crossovers are hot and wagons are appreciated but not purchased. Just look at Alfa Romeo’s recent Giulia wagon situation: they canned it in favor of the Stelvio, which in fairness is basically a Giulia wagon with a mild lift. There’s still something magical about a proper wagon, though, and the Volvo V90 proves the rule. So too does this Sport Turismo.
It’s a unique design aft of the B-pillars, and so that means that the cargo compartment is different than the sedan. The loading edge is lower (24.7 inches) and the total maximum stowage grows to 49 cubic feet compared to 46 feet in the sedan. The hybrid version loses a bit to the extra powertrain fixins, coming in at 45.7 cubes maximum. For the first time in a Panamera, there’s the option of a three-across rear seat. Well, more of two individual seats plus an occasional use middle place.
Now onto the good stuff: engines, trims, and equipment. There will be four versions of the Sport Turismo, but all will feature all-wheel drive. The base car will start at $97,250 and feature a turbo V6 making 330 horsepower. The next step up is the E-Hybrid, which rings in at $105,050 and features a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6. Paired with its electric motor, it’ll make 462 hp in total. The S model costs $110,250 and makes 440 hp from a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6, while the top-of-the-line Turbo utilizes a 550 hp, 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 and starts at $155,050.
Performance seems strong. Porsche claims the base Sport Turismo will hit 60 miles per hour in 5 seconds. The 4S will do the deed a second faster, while the hybrid comes in between at 4.4 seconds. The Turbo is obviously quickest of all, hitting 60 mph in 3.4 seconds.
There are a couple of neat party tricks, too. For one, there’s an extendable rear spoiler that pops out of the roof. Its three stages of deployment provide up to 110 pounds of downforce to the rear axle. At its resting position, in normal mode, the spoiler stays at a negative 7-degree angle for better aerodynamic efficiency, but deploys at 105 mph into plus 1 degree. In Sport and Sport Plus, it deploys at just 56 mph. And if you pop the panoramic roof open above 56 mph, the wing moves to a plus 26 degrees position to minimize wind noise. Neat!
If you want one, you can order one now but will have to wait until the end of 2017 for delivery.
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