The Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid makes 680 horsepower when the gas engine is combined with the plug-in hybrid electric motor, as well as 626 lbs.-ft. of torque. How huge are those figures? Imagine: When you floor the throttle, and after the car's computer takes a moment to consider all the possibilities, it hammers you like a baseball off Jose Bautista's bat.
For that, you're paying more than $200,000, and if you buy one, you're probably happy to do so. Is it practical? For decades, Porsche owners thought practicality was being able to throw their bags, or their kids, in the cramped back seats of their 911s. Then along came the spacious Cayenne SUV, and its success proved to Porsche that practicality pays.
After the Cayenne came the Panamera sedan, which was an obvious evolution for the designers but not necessarily for the company's bottom line. There's only a limited demand for sedans these days because SUVs, in their place, offer space for both passengers and cargo, not to mention the family dog.
Most car companies are trying to find that magic compromise between an SUV and a sedan. It's not an issue in Europe, where makers build hatchbacks and sell zillions of them, but in the United States, 'hatchback' sums up images of Gremlins and Pintos. Mike Myers may have redefined comedy with Wayne's World, but Garth's AMC Pacer in the movie helped kill any appeal left to hatchbacks .
Different makers have different ways of dealing with this. Buick calls its new Regal a "sportback" and Subaru calls its Outback the non-SUV SUV. Now, from the country that gave us "four-door coupe" sedans and "cabriolet" convertibles, we have the Sport Turismo – a hatchback version of the Panamera.
It's good looking, sporty and spacious without being an SUV or really even a crossover. The vehicle is reshaped from the B-pillar back, with three seats in the back and a rear door that includes the window and is hinged from the roof.
Two individual seats in the back, like those in the current sedan, are optional.
The Sport Turismo is spacious and sporty looking.
The 425 litres of space in the trunk is 50 litres more than the sedan. Folding down the seats boosts cargo to 1,295 litres – enough to stow three or probably four golf bags.
This is the same setup as on the other Sport Turismos in Porsche's lineup, which are available on all the other, lesser engine versions of the Panamera. It's a popular option that the maker expects to account for at least 20 per cent of its total sedan sales.
Of course, the Sport Turismo still wallops home 680 horsepower, so there's a small, adaptive rear roof spoiler at the top of the hatch – er, sorry, rear door. It deploys from horizontal to two different open positions, to add up to 50 kg of down force when needed for stability at speed. The truly clever stuff is all under the hood, where a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V-8 – the same as in the regular Panamera Turbo – combines with an electric motor to make an extra 136 horsepower.
The hybrid powertrain is similar to that developed for the 918 supercar and is intended for performance rather than economy. This is enough to either ram the car from zero-to-100 km/h in 3.4 seconds or allow it to drive at up to 140 km/h in totally electric mode. The all-electric range is 49 kilometres.
Like all of Porsche's plug-in E-Hybrids, the Sport Turismo can be set to use either no electricity or all electricity when needed, or even recharge the hybrid battery on the fly.
Is it all worth it? The Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo costs $214,900, which is $5,100 more than the equivalent sedan. For that, you get a bit more space and practicality without sacrificing any of the car's brute force and technical wizardry. In the end, maybe it all comes down to how much you value the family dog.
Tech specs
- Price: $214,900
- Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V-8 plus electric motor with 14 kWh lithium-ion battery
- Transmission/drive: Eight-speed PDK automatic/all-wheel
- Fuel economy (e-litres/100 km): 3.0 combined (claimed)
- Alternatives: Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, Mercedes-AMG E63 wagon
Looks
Call it what you like, the Sport Turismo is a smooth extension to the Panamera sedan that's not quite long enough to be a wagon, and not quite tall enough to be a crossover or SUV. It still looks like a Porsche, however, with its sloped hood and aggressive headlights and vents – and for many, that's the most important thing.
Interior
Very comfortable inside for the long haul and even for tight roads. In the back, there's enough headspace and legroom for three adults. Of course, you should expect nothing less at this price – or even at a quarter of this price.
The interior is roomy, with enough space in the back for three adults.
Performance
Just a total tour de force for both massive power and incredible electric ability. You don't need anywhere near the strength of this vehicle, but that doesn't have to mean you don't want it.
Technology
Pretty much everything that's available these days is offered on the Panamera, including some Porsche-specific driving features such as Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control Sport with Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus. Phew!
Cargo
Fifty extra litres of standard trunk space, and three times that when the seats are flat, makes this a much more practical vehicle than the sedan. It still falls shy of the Cayenne SUV, but how much space do you actually need?
Extra trunk space makes the Sport Turismo a more practical choice than the sedan.
The verdict
9.0
One of the most advanced vehicles on the market, and also one of the most desirable. It falls short with a limited battery range and a high cost, but this is still a magnificent car.
The writer was a guest of the auto maker. Content was not subject to approval.
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