Porsche Unveil Their Big-Booted Panamera

The Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo concept was first unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 2012, and at the Geneva Motor Show this year we finally get to see the final product…and it’s pretty similar to the concept.

There could be a chance that families driving the Panamera might have a gripe that it just doesn’t have enough space. These families might end up looking elsewhere for something slightly on the larger side. Well, to stop that happening Porsche have unveiled a larger version of the Panamera, the Sport Turismo.

At first glance, it doesn’t look much bigger, and that’s because the wheelbase, the length and the width remain unchanged. So, what’s different?Well the height has risen by 5cm and the rear doors are larger with more glass. Also, the D-pillars are notably more upright. It is here that you start to see the difference, particularly when looking at the roof as it sweeps backwards more than the current Panamera.

The main difference comes from the boot, which is now an impressive 520 litres. Compare that to the Panamera E-Hybrid and you’re looking at 95 extra litres (the E-Hybrid obviously has to make room for the battery) which is exactly what families are looking for. If you flatten the rear seats down and this increases to 1,390 litres. You can access this considerably larger boot by a wider opening door. It also has less of a load lip making it super easy to load and unload.[vc_single_image image=”51221″ img_size=”article-image”]They have also added a central rear seat, which means that now five people can ride in style instead of four (though whether more comfortably is up for debate).

Even the inside has been refreshed and it’s all very new. The physical rev counter is framed by twin 7-inch LCD instrument screens as well as a 12.3-inch main touchscreen. You also have touch-sensitive zones for the climate and the adaptive driving controls are grouped onto the transmission tunnel.

Also, like its competitors the Bentley Flying Spur and the Continental GT, all Sport Turismo trims get Porsche’s PTM, all-wheel drive system while S models get adaptive air suspension. Interestingly, the new Sport Turismo also has a natty spoiler on the roof. This is adaptive, with its pitch set in one of three stages depending on how you are driving or the mode you are in. This, allegedly, can generate an additional 50kg of downforce.[vc_single_image image=”51219″ img_size=”article-image”]The new Panamera was designed by Mitja Borket who also designed the all-electric Mission E concept and, interestingly, is now head of design at Lamborghini. It will be offered in five different model variants;

• Panamera 4
• Panamera 4S
• Panamera 4S Diesel
• Panamera 4 E-Hybrid
• Panamera Turbo

The most powerful of the bunch being the Panamera Turbo with a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 and 542bhp.The head of Porsche’s design operations Michael Mauer told Autocar “The Panamera Sport Turismo is a step forwards into a new market segment, but it retains all of the values and attributes characteristic of Porsche.”. Porsche chairman Oliver Blume said “The Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo is a car that will take you to Nurburgring in the morning, the Eiffel mountains in the afternoon and home on the Autobahn with no problems at all. You can have a three-seat configuration in a Panamera for the first time in a 2+1 set-up”.

There is no word yet as to how much this new Panamera will cost here in the UK. However, Porshce have confirmed that pricing in Europe will start at €97,557 and will extend to €158,604 for the range topping Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo. You can watch Grey’s Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey debut the Panamera below.JTNDY2VudGVyJTNFJTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwd2lkdGglM0QlMjIxMDAwJTIyJTIwaGVpZ2h0JTNEJTIyMzE1JTIyJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ3d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20lMkZlbWJlZCUyRlJFQXdxbVdPbkxVJTIyJTIwZnJhbWVib3JkZXIlM0QlMjIwJTIyJTIwYWxsb3dmdWxsc2NyZWVuJTNFJTNDJTJGaWZyYW1lJTNFJTNDJTJGY2VudGVyJTNF