Neither hatch nor estate, the Sport Turismo probably sits most happily in the Venn diagram marked ‘shooting brake’ but the Mercedes-Benz CLS does it better. Most of the assembled journos thought the Sport Turismo more handsome than the standard car, but I thought the opposite having finally nailed the looks of the Panamera in second generation guise they went and buggered about with it and created a car with a bigger behind.
So hardly numbers that will rule in a Sport Turismo where a regular Pan was ruled out, but my TV frequently tells me every little helps. More noticeable is the wider tailgate and lower loading lip, accessed by a standard electric tailgate.
Boot volume is up by 25 litres with the seats in place and 86 litres with them folded (5 litres respectively) although the hybrid version gives up 95 litres in the quest for e-mode driving. Indeed it is, although Porsche hasn’t gone ‘full wagon’ on us. Is it any more practical than the regular Panamera? The seat itself is more of a leathered armrest and your legs still have to straddle that bulky transmission tunnel. We still can’t tell for sure when Porsche will unveil the refreshed Panamera given the virus pandemic, but we expect them to do so in the next few months.There’s a bit more light coming into the cabin and even the option to add a fifth person, although the 4+1 arrangement, as Porsche dubs it, should really be reserved for the masochistic. The E-Hybrid combines the 2.9-liter V6 with an electric motor for a total of 456 HP, whereas the Turbo S E-Hybrid features no less than 671 HP. The current Porsche Panamera is offered with quite a wide range of powertrains, including a 325 HP 2.9-liter V6 in the base model, a 434 HP 2.9 V6 in the S, a 454 HP 4.0 V8 in the GTS and a 550 HP 4.0 V8 in the Turbo. There’s also a chance of introducing a more focused variant, like the one we spotted last year. The mid-life facelift of the Porsche Panamera will most likely introduce improvements across the powertrain range, including for the aforementioned electrified models which account for more than half of the total Panamera sales in Europe. The only change we can safely speculate is the replacement of the current model’s gear selector with the newer and smaller unit from the 911. The interior of the Panamera is still considered one of the finest cabins in its segment and is expected to feature updated tech and new connectivity features but don’t expect any major design changes. Beyond the presence of the charging flap on the left side of the car, the bright Acid Green brake calipers betray the identity of the model. The test car spotted here is apparently one of the two plug-in hybrid variants of the Panamera, meaning either the 4 E-Hybrid or the Turbo S E-Hybrid. These changes will include slightly reshaped bumpers front and rear, as well as new lighting signatures for the lights all around. The facelift will introduce a range of really subtle differences in order to freshen up the Panamera and make it feel more in line with the 911. Read More: 2021 Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo Spied Too, Has A 992 Vibe About It Porsche apparently doesn’t want to mess too much with the shape of the current Panamera, which has generally been praised for its imposing sporty looks. ĭespite featuring very little camouflage, you’d be hard-pressed to find any styling differences on the pictured test car. Porsche continues the development of the facelifted Panamera, which following winter testing earlier this year, was spotted on the roads round the Nürburgring Nordschleife wearing slightly less camouflage in Sport Turismo guise with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, as evidenced by the twin fuel caps on either side of the car.