2022 Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo

The Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo has the best chance of rekindling America's love affair with the wagon, at least for buyers with the means to afford this high-performance vehicle. It's essentially a Panamera with an extended roof. A wagon, if you will, but don't call it that. Labeling a car the W-word is akin to handing down a death sentence in an era when crossovers are the in thing. Three non-Turbo-badged versions of the Sport Turismo are available, powered by twin-turbocharged V6 and V8 engines with power outputs ranging from 325 horsepower in the base 4 to 473 hp in the GTS. An eight-speed PDK transmission ensures that performance is lightning fast by enabling one of the most repeatable launch control sequences on the market. This car has to be good, as it's not just competing against the Audi RS6 Avant and Mercedes-AMG E63 Wagon, but also an entire segment of performance SUVs. If anyone can change the USA's perception of the wagon, it's Porsche.

To our eyes, the Panamera looks best as a wagon. That extended roofline works a charm, not to mention the standard roof spoiler. The Panamera has always been a bit heavy and bulbous at the rear. It's a brilliant design from the front to the B-Pillar, but then it just looks like a 911 forced into unwanted extension surgery. We reckon the Sport Turismo is what the Panamera should have been from the beginning, instead of trying to force an iconic design into a shape it was never meant to be. LED headlights and taillights are standard on all models, as is a panoramic roof. The V6 models - badged as the 4 and 4S - get 19-inch wheels as standard, while the GTS gets a nice set of black 20s to complement the rest of the black styling elements like the window surrounds and bumper inserts. On the base model, there are twin single-tube tailpipes with a brushed stainless steel finish while the GTS gets quad tailpipes with a sporty high gloss black finish. E-Hybrid variants get e-hybrid badges accented with Acid Green, the same color applied to their brake calipers to denote the electric assistance.

The Sport Turismo's overall length is 198.8 inches, and it rides on an impressive 116.1-inch wheelbase. With the mirrors extended, the overall width is 85.3 inches. The 4 and 4S are 56.2 inches tall, while the GTS sits slightly closer to the ground at 56 inches. The base 4 and 4S have the same 4,403-pound curb weight. The GTS model's larger engine adds roughly 200 lbs for a total of 4,601 lbs.

All models come standard with Porsche's brilliant 8-speed dual-clutch PDK gearbox, sending power to an intelligent all-wheel-drive system with a rear bias. This is one of the greatest transmissions in existence, and we're 100 percent convinced Porsche had a team of clairvoyants design it. How else could it predict the driver's behavior so accurately? The gearbox might be the same, but there are three different engines available - if you include the hybrid variants in the count.

The 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 delivers 325 hp and 331 lb-ft of torque in the Panamera 4 Sport Turismo. That's a slight dip in power compared to the older V6 engine, but you get a lot more in return. It's more responsive, vocal, and willing to rev. The 0 to 60 mph sprint time is down to five seconds or 4.8 with the Sport Chrono Package, and it has a top speed of 164 mph. Porsche uses the same engine in the 4S, but outputs are pushed up to 443 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque. The 0 to 60 mph time drops down to 4.1 seconds in this configuration, and the top speed increases to 180 mph. The famous Sport Chrono Package can also be added to the 4S, dropping its 0-60 time to 3.9 seconds. This is primarily thanks to launch control, which comes standard with the package.

The GTS comes with the Sport Chrono Package as standard. It's equipped with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 producing 473 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque. It gets to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and tops out at 182 mph.

For a greener alternative, two plug-in hybrid versions are available. They use the same 2.9L twin-turbo V6 engine as the 4 and 4S, with the same specs from the engine alone, but add an electric motor to each pushing the combined power and torque up to 455 hp/516 lb-ft on the 4 E-Hybrid and 552 hp/553 lb-ft on the 4S E-Hybrid resulting in quickest 0-60 times of 4.2 and 3.5 seconds respectively.

Porsche made some minor tweaks to the steering and adaptive suspension for the 2021 refresh, with these updates continuing on into 2022. The steering on the previous model felt a little numb, but Porsche has perfected electric steering over the years. These lessons learned from cars like the GT3 have eventually been implemented in cars like this, and the Panamera Sport Turismo is better off for it.

Don't get us wrong - the Panamera is no GT3 or even a standard 911 for that matter, but it's darn good for what it is. Body roll is minimal, and the standard AWD gives you the confidence to push it hard. Still, there's no getting away from the fact that it weighs more than 4,000 lbs. The best way to explain the handling is to say that it won't annoy you if you're used to a 911. If you have a 911 you use over the weekends, the Panamera Sport Turismo is a perfectly acceptable weekday tool.

The ride quality depends on which setting you choose. The sportier settings give you a stiffer ride, while the comfort mode is actually comfortable enough to use on a daily basis. The Sport Turismo soaks up all but the worst undulations and hovers around majestically considering it's a heavyweight high-performance wagon.

Considering the performance, the fuel consumption of the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo wagon isn't that bad. The base 4's EPA-estimated figures are 18/23/20 mpg city/highway/combined. With the high-output V6 under the hood in 4S guise, the gas mileage figures are 17/23/19 mpg. The 4.0-liter twin-turbo engine in the GTS is claimed to consume 15/20/17 mpg. All models are fitted with a sizable 23.7-gallon gas tank, which means even the thirsty 4.0L has an ample range of 403 miles.

The plug-in hybrid variants are better still, consuming 22 MPG combined, while the base 4 E-Hybrid manages 52 MPGe when running with the electric motor, while the 4S E-Hybrid achieves 50 MPGe. Both of these have a 19-mile electric range and the 17.9 kWh lithium-ion battery takes as little as two and a half hours on a high-speed public charging network.

Porsche calls the Panamera Sport Turismo a 4+1 seater. Since there is no legroom for the middle rear-seat passenger, only four adults can be comfortably accommodated. Space up front is generous, while rear passengers may feel constrained. The sunroof's natural light gives it a more airy feel, and you can opt for a lighter upholstery color to make it feel more spacious. All four seats are comfortable, supportive, and come with adequate side bolstering. Front passengers get eight-way power-adjustable seats with seat heating. Visibility is poor out of the rear, and blind-spot monitoring would have been a helpful standard addition.

The Panamera Sport Turismo is a wagon, which means you get ample cargo capacity - or at least more than you get in the standard sedan. The 18.3 cubic feet of cargo capacity (14.7 in the E-Hybrid twins) is perfectly adequate for the daily grind, as well as a weekend away for four, although it falls short of the Audi RS6's 30 cubic feet by some margin, despite the two sharing similar external dimensions. Unlike many high-end sedans, you can fold the rear seats forward to increase cargo capacity. They drop down in a 40/20/40 split, creating a 49-cube packing space, dropping to 45.4 in the PHEVs. A center pass-through is also standard.

Interior space is limited for smaller items, though. The door pockets are tiny, as is the storage space underneath the center armrest. Front passengers get a set of cupholders integrated into the armrest. These cupholders aren't the same size, however. You'll have to play a game of rock/paper/scissors every time you pull over for a beverage.

The standard luxury and convenience features are almost the same across the range. These items include eight-way power-adjustable heated front seats, an adaptive spoiler, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry, a rearview camera, and parking sensors front and rear. In addition to the above, the 4S comes with quad tailpipes and red brake calipers. The GTS model has leather and Race-tex upholstery, 18-way power-adjustable front seats, and the Sport Chrono Package as standard.

The options list is about a mile long. Call us old-fashioned, but we believe a $100,000 car should at least come standard with adaptive cruise control, a leather interior, and a surround-view camera as standard. We understand customers want to customize their vehicles to their exact specifications, but charging $280 for a heated steering wheel and $2,250 for adaptive cruise control on a car that costs $99,200 is shameless.

The Porsche's 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen screen is an attractive unit, but it lacked some functionality in previous model years. Porsche now includes wireless charging, wireless Apple CarPlay, and, finally, Android Auto, albeit wired. It also comes with Bluetooth, SiriusXM, HD Radio, navigation, and voice control. As standard, it's coupled to a 10-speaker sound system with a relatively weak 150 watts. Connect Plus is standard, allowing you to check on your car remotely. Optionally, customers can spec a 710-watt, 14-speaker Bose sound system, a 1,455-watt 21-speaker Burmester 3D sound system, and a rear-seat entertainment system. The latter consists of a pair of ten-inch touchscreen displays that should keep the kids sufficiently entertained for a few hours.

The entire Panamera range was recall-free in 2019 and 2020, but the 2021 Sport Turismo was recalled once by the NHTSA for front lower trailing arms that were incorrectly forged, an issue that could lead to a loss of vehicle control. As standard, the Sport Turismo comes with a four-year/50,000-mile limited and powertrain warranty. A one-year/10,000-mile complimentary maintenance plan is included, too.

Neither the IIHS nor the NHTSA has completed a safety review of the Panamera Sport Turismo. It falls under the category of cars that are too expensive to crash. Oddly, the Panamera doesn't have a Euro NCAP score either. The rest of Porsche's passenger car range are five-star cars, however, so the automaker clearly takes safety seriously.

The standard safety features list consists of rain-sensing wipers, ten airbags (including dual front knee bags and rear-seat side bags), a rearview camera, park assist front and rear, ABS brakes, and adaptive traction and stability control. It's a bit light on driver assistance features, although Porsche now includes lane-keep assist as standard. Features like LED Matrix headlights, adaptive cruise control, and a surround-view camera are only available as optional extras. This is disappointing considering its main rival comes with all of the above included as standard. And you also can't ignore other large German sedans either. The new S-Class is a prime example of how high-end cars are supposed to set the safety standard. Porsche also charges a high price for these features; a head-up display costs $1,490, adaptive cruise control is $2,250, and lane change assist is $1,060.

The new Panamera Sport Turismo is a bit like Peter Quill and the Guardians of the Galaxy. They do a little bit of good, a little bit of bad, and a bit of both. They are lovable rogues, and the same is true of the Panamera Sport Turismo. On the good side, you have the engines and the handling. While it may not be a 911, you can certainly feel that Porsche DNA coursing through its veins. It's the seating position, the feel of the steering wheel, and the tachometer placed center stage on the instrument cluster. Like every other Porsche, the 2022 Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo feels substantial. And we can't deny the allure of the badge. You get to say you have a Porsche in the driveway.

But in many ways, the Porsche is disappointing. The pricing starts at $100,000, and at that price, you could buy several sedans, wagons, and SUVs that are better. If luxury is your thing, get an S-Class. Both the Audi RS6 and Mercedes-AMG E63 are better wagons with way more cargo space. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio Q also has an alluring, exciting badge, and it's just as fast and more practical.

Our biggest gripe is the lack of standard convenience and safety features. We find it absurd that you have to pay extra for full leather seats, adaptive cruise control, ambient lighting, ventilated seats, and a Bose surround sound system. Surely these things should be standard on a $100,000 car? Is the badge strong enough to make you look the other way while handing over another $20,000+ for a reasonably specced Panamera?

If you thought the standard one was expensive, just wait until you see the price of the Panamera Sport Turismo. The base 4 has an MSRP of $99,200, increasing to $112,600 for the 4S. The V8-engined GTS starts at a much steeper $136,900, but before that, the 4 E-Hybrid goes for $109,000 while the 4S E-Hybrid starts at $118,700. These prices exclude the $1,350 destination charge. Because we were curious, we decided to add all of the things we believe should be standard to the GTS model, which we think is the best model in the normal range. Without even trying too hard, we got it up to around $170,000. Add even more, and you get uncomfortably close to the Bentley Flying Spur's price.

It's the most expensive model in the standard range, but the GTS offers the best balance. It might even be better than the ballistic Turbo models. Trust us when we say that 473 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque is enough. It's ballistic in a straight line, but the power doesn't corrupt the rest of the driving experience. In the Turbo models, you can't keep your foot buried in the carpet for more than five seconds, and you simply can't use more than 70 percent of their potential on public roads. You can still get yourself into some serious trouble in the GTS, but your jail sentence will be in weeks rather than years. The GTS also has a more upmarket leather and Race-Tex interior and 18-way power-adjustable front seats as standard. You also don't have to pay extra for the Sport Chrono Package. Simply put, the 2022 Panamera Sport Turismo in GTS trim is all the Panamera you need.

The Audi RS6 Avant is just short of $10,000 more expensive than the base Sport Turismo, but if you had to add everything you get as standard in the Audi to the Porsche, the latter would be way more expensive. We know design is subjective, but we dare anyone to call the RS6 ugly. It's so sinister yet extremely handsome. If one of James Bond's adversaries was a family man, this is what he'd drive. When it comes to performance, the Audi walks all over the standard Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo range. It uses the same V8 as the Panamera GTS but is tuned to deliver 591 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. As if that's not enough, it also has a 48-volt mild-hybrid system to fill in the power gaps. The RS6 is on a whole other level of fast compared to the base Porsche and more comparable to the Panamera Turbo. The base Panamera ST gets to 60 mph in five seconds, while the Audi takes just 3.5 seconds for the same money. The Audi handles beautifully when you push it hard, but it can be sedate and comfortable when you have the family on board. The interior is nicer, there's more room for rear-seat passengers, and it has a much larger 30 cube trunk.

The Audi isn't just better than the Porsche. It's one of the best cars on sale in the US right now.

These two cars are mechanically identical, offering the same pace and driving experience. The base Sport Turismo is over $6,000 more expensive than the regular, equivalent Panamera, which is a lot of money to pay for a larger trunk. The Sport Turismo has 18.3 cubes, while the standard Panamera has 17.6. This isn't a vast difference, so we can't even base the decision on practicality.

From a value perspective, the Panamera's pricing starts at $88,400 in RWD guise, which is a lot more palatable than the near $100,000 base Sport Turismo. You can also order it in Executive long-wheelbase guise, adding more space and luxury for rear-seat passengers. It essentially boils down to the body style you prefer. Some of us prefer the standard Panamera, while others don't like that bulbous rear end. Style is subjective, so the best thing to do is head down to the nearest Porsche dealer to see both cars in the flesh before you decide.