There was a line-up of Panameras at Porsche’s event, and we were given the keys to one of them. We walked towards the one that unlocked with the key we were given. What we thought initially was the Sport Turismo was the regular Panamera. The regular Panamera is very similar to the Turismo on the outside, almost identical in the front. To be precise, the cars are identical from the nose to the rear door. After that, the roof is raised marginally and goes down to tapering downwards to the rear of the car. The Turismo also has the same set of tail-lights as the Panamera. After looking at the very few differences between the two cars, you’re left wondering how much room Porsche has managed to add to the existing Panamera.
How much more Practical Is It?
The Panamera Sport has an increase of about 50 litres of room on the inside. This increase doesn’t seem like a lot considering how the car has a different body style for added practicality. The manufacturer’s own product presentation showed the Turismo only being able to take one extra suitcase over the regular Panamera. However, it’s the loading of these suitcases that is now easier. The sill at the rear is low and carved into the rear bumper.
This new variant also allows for a bench seat at the back, a first among Panameras. No longer is one restricted to single rear seats. The new bench is still designed to seat two comfortably, but it does have a cushion in the centre to seat a third passenger. This cushion is raised and uncomfortable with not much leg space owing to the large central tunnel. The overall room at the rear has increased but it still not like most luxury sedans where one would the get feeling of vastness.
Other than this, it is very similar to the regular Panamera. Nice things like the amazing build quality and five-pod instrument cluster also make its way to this car. The touchscreen panel that controls things like the blower controls and vents are also standard.
How does It Perform?
The car undoubtedly stays true to the company’s sporty nature in terms of performance. The car has a well-developed chassis and suspension set-up. This Porsche is wide, long and has unimpressive rear visibility. However, once accustomed to the size of the car, it feels special to drive.
The Turismo drives exactly like the regular car, but it does lack the rearward visibility as we said before. This is because of the awkwardly shaped rear windscreen. Steering feel on the car is heavy but not so much that it proves to be a burden. It actually works well and reminds you of the large size of the car constantly. We had been driving the hybrid Panamera Turbo in the beginning of the day, after which we drove the Sport Turismo. We found the Turismo to be purer driving experience even though it had a turbocharged motor and an electric power steering. Porsche have almost entirely eliminated turbo lag and power delivery is constant. The engine in the car is a 4-litre twin turbo V8 making 550hp and 770Nm. It is paired to an eight-speed automatic with all-wheel-drive and reaches 100kph in 3.6sec.
Should I Buy one?
Porsche isn’t very sure what exactly the Sport Turismo is, the company doesn’t want to call it a station wagon or call it a more practical Panamera, because it hardly is. It is also not considered to be a midpoint between the Panamera and the company’s SUV, the Cayenne. The price of this car is slightly higher than the regular version internationally and in India. It costs 2.3 crore (ex-showroom, India), while the Turbo S E-hybrid model is available for ₹2.38 crore. Will there be takers? We’ll have to wait and see.
