Porsche gives a wagon treatment to the Panamera.
Few recent products created more of an initial controversy than the Porsche Panamera. But Porsche’s coupe-like four-door might seem positively tame after getting a first official look at the German sports car maker’s Panamera Sport Turismo Concept, which is getting a much-rumored preview at this year’s Paris Motor Show.
It may be polarizing, but the Panamera has proven to be one of the most popular models in the Porsche line-up. Could the maker hit another home run with the Sport Turismo?
Perhaps that alternate term might help it overcome traditional resistance to wagons in the States. No such trouble in Europe, however, where the wagon has long been one of the most popular body styles, sometimes referred to as a “shooting brake.”
The Panamera Shooting Brake Concept gets some subtle tweaks up front.
Nose-on, you might not notice much of a difference between the current Panamera and the Sport Turismo concept – though there are some, most notably including the stacked LED projector lamps, as well as a wider front valance.
But from a side view you discover the slightly more squared-off rear that replaces the more bubble-like hatch of the current model. In wagon form, the taillights are now connected by a wide panel emblazoned with the Porsche name.
While most of the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo Concept appears quite ready for production, there are a few traditional show-car excesses, including sideview cameras that replace conventional mirrors.
A sharp eye at the maker’s Wednesday night sneak preview might have also caught the “e-hybrid” badge. Indeed, the Panamera Sport Turismo Concept is powered by a plug-in hybrid driveline.
The gasoline side of the powertrain is the 329-horsepower 3.0-liter V-6 used in the existing Panamera Hybrid. But it gets an upgraded electric motor turning out 94 hp, or about twice as much as the current hybrid. And there’s a bigger lithium-ion battery pack, 9.4 kWh, to be precise, enough to go up to 19 miles – at speeds up to 81 mph – in pure electric mode. The combined output is 410 hp and that will yield 0 to 60 times Porsche doesn’t have to apologize for, at less than 6 seconds.
For those more green-minded, fuel economy is expected to be in the range of around 80 mpg.
The system can be adjusted, with the touch of a button to operate in either conventional hybrid or electric vehicle mode. That allows a driver to use the plug-in system most efficiently, on local roads rather than highways, where battery power would be used up fastest. But the system can also be adjusted to increase the recharge rate of the lithium batteries when the vehicle is being driven on gas power.
The maker, meanwhile, claims that the battery pack can be recharged in just 2.5 volts using its 220-volt charging system.
Skipping the high-tech mirrors, it seems Porsche is quite serious about the Panamera Sport Turismo — even though the maker insists it is now just a design concept. Don’t be surprised to see it land in showrooms in late 2015 as a 2016 model, according to company officials. Whether it will make it to the U.S. remains to be seen, however.