Previewed as an electric-powered concept car at the 2012 Paris auto show, when it was received with huge enthusiasm, Porsche’s first station wagon, the Panamera Sport Turismo, was revealed as a full production model at the Geneva show earlier this year. And now this sleek new sports wagon, whose concept and styling take the distinctive Porsche design language into a hitherto unexplored niche for the manufacturer, is available to Hong Kong customers following a public unveiling at Elements mall on November 3.
The Sport Turismo, which, as the name suggests, is heavily based on the Panamera saloon, is available with a choice of power units that range from a 2.9-litre turbo V6, producing 325bhp and 450Nm from just 1,340rpm, to the 4-litre turbocharged V8 of the Turbo, with 542bhp. Petrol-electric versions are also available, with the mightily accelerative Turbo S E-Hybrid (it packs 671bhp and 849Nm of torque) reaching 100km/h from a standstill in just 3.4 seconds, when equipped with the Sport Chrono Package – yet it can also be driven purely on battery power for distances of up to 49km.
Whichever power unit you select, however, all Panamera Sport Turismos feature the Porsche Traction Management active all-wheel-drive system with map-controlled multi-plate clutch and eight-speed PDK (double-clutch) transmission. Moreover, its advanced 48-volt electric system permits the installation of three-chamber adaptive air suspension and, to boost both manoeuvrability and agility, rear-axle steering. Little wonder, then, that the Panamera Sport Turismo’s superbly developed chassis offers class-leading ride comfort, as well as genuine sportscar handling.
The cabin is streamlined and advanced, featuring a large central TFT touchscreen for the infotainment systems and, with the exception of the prominent analogue tachometer that’s placed – as with all Porsches – at the centre of the instrument binnacle, all dials are virtual. Most subsidiary controls are located on the broad central console, where traditional switchgear is replaced by haptic, touch-sensitive graphics. Seats are superb, finish and build quality are second to none, and the ambience is redolent of a beautifully appointed and ultra-contemporary grand tourer. (You can also stuff a fair bit of kit in through the tailgate, not that we care too much about such practicalities here at Prestige.)
Add to all that the fact that the Panamera Sport Turismo is not only one of the best-looking cars in the current Porsche line-up, but also among the most eye-catching machines on the road today, and we have a feeling we’ll be seeing quite a few of these super-stylish sports wagons cruising around town very soon indeed.
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