Although still famous for its sports cars, Porsche has added mainstream luxury vehicles to its repertoire to support its performance cars. The Cayenne SUV was the first to join the lineup, and it eventually gave birth to the Macan crossover. In between, Porsche added its take on a four-door sedan: the Panamera.
In 2018, Porsche decided to take a cue from sleek luxury estate cars like the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5-Series wagon. The Panamera Sport Turismo was born, marrying the Panamera’s luxury polish with a more palatable estate body style. With a new turbocharged engine, the 2019 Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo is back to provide the trinity of performance, luxury, and utility.
What's New for 2019
The big addition for 2019 is the new GTS trim. A cross between luxury and performance, the model comes along with a new turbocharged V8 engine option.
Choosing Your Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo
While the regular Panamera can be had with rear-wheel drive, the Sport Turismo only comes in all-wheel drive. That means a bump to the starting price – the cheapest Sport Turismo is over $10,000 more expensive than a base-spec Panamera.
The trims of the Panamera Sport Turismo are divided by engine. The base engine is a 2.9-liter turbocharged V6 producing 330 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque. Porsche claims a zero-to-60 mph time of 5.2 seconds (or 5.0 with the optional Sport Chrono package). For the 4S trim, Porsche slaps on another turbo, which boosts output to 440 hp and 405 lb-ft and drops the zero-to-60 time by a full second.
New for this year, the GTS trim gets a twin-turbocharged V8 for 453 hp and 457 lb-ft. Finally, the firebreathing Turbo gets a tuned version of the same engine with a massive 550 hp and 567 lb-ft. All that power will send the Turbo from zero-to-60 in as little as 3.6 seconds.
All models use Porsche’s eight-speed automatic PDK gearbox. The EPA hasn’t released fuel economy estimates yet, but the numbers shouldn’t change from last year’s 20 miles per gallon city, 26 mpg highway, and 22 combined (for the base engine).
But the Panamera ST isn’t all about performance. The hatchback roof doesn’t gain too much cargo space over the conventional Panamera, but 18.3 cubic feet behind the seats is still respectable. More useful is a liftover height that’s 5.6 inches lower in the Sport Turismo.
The second row also gets extra head room thanks to the higher roofline, which tall passengers will appreciate. NBA players may be disappointed, however, as the Sport Turismo isn't available in long-wheelbase Executive form. Porsche calls the seating “4 plus 1,” but it’s really best for just four.
The features and packages are divided across the Panamera Sport Turismo’s four trims:
The 2019 Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo isn’t quite as focused as the Carrera, the Cayman, or even the Boxster, but it’s remarkably dynamic for a four-door sedan. The GTS is a nice balance between athleticism and comfort, and no one will object to the V8 soundtrack.