Porsche is dropping the Sport Turismo wagon option from the Panamera lineup, reverting back to a sedan-only range.
The third generation of the Porsche Panamera debuted earlier today with no signs of the Sport Turismo. Those who hoped for the more practical wagon to follow in the future will be disappointed, as the slow sales of the existing model didn’t justify the development of a successor. On the other hand, the long-wheelbase Porsche Panamera Executive will reportedly live on in China where buyers prioritize rear legroom.
Porsche issued the following statement to Automotive News Europe: “In China and the US – our main markets in the D-Segment – the Sport Turismo plays only a minor role. For this reason, we have decided to discontinue this model variant with the launch of the new generation.”
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According to Autocar, the Sport Turismo accounted for less than 10% of the overall Panamera sales which explains why Porsche decided against renewing the series.
The Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo was first introduced in 2017 and received a facelift in 2020. The model was based on the second generation with a redesigned rear section resulting in a larger boot. Unlike the fully electric Taycan, the bulkier Panamera was never available in the more adventurous Cross Turismo guise which could potentially attract more buyers than the hatchback-style Sport Turismo wagon.
While the discontinuation of the model might hurt a few Porsche fans, the truth is that the Panamera Sport Turismo had internal competition from the hugely popular Porsche Cayenne. Furthermore, the standard Panamera is not a typical sedan, as the tailgate opens together with the rear window effectively making it a hatchback/fastback.
Those who are interested in German performance wagons anyway will now have to settle for an all-electric Taycan Sport Turismo, or the more traditional Audi RS6 and the upcoming BMW M5 Touring.
