Test drive of the 2021 Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo: the sportiest wagon of them all!
With the release of its “Executive” limousine version and “Sport Turismo” wagon variant, the Panamera has become THE most versatile model from Porsche. But its practicality goes far beyond the various body iterations available in the catalogue, as the range of the sedan from Zuffenhausen is also available in countless variants. But among these, one embodies more than the others the spirit of eco-friendlinessand everyday sportiness: the Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo. Porsche Rive-Sud, your Porsche dealer of choice in St-Hubert and Longueuil, gives you its opinion below on the current model-year of this car, the 2021 Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo, following a test drive on the South Shore of Montreal. Read on!
Design: a wagon body with an ultra-sporty feel and rare charisma!
Let's start with the exterior styling of the 2021 Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo. This was our first point of contact with our test vehicle, but also the very first thing that made a strong impression on us.
And for good reason: never before has a wagon been able to combine high-level sportiness and elegance so harmoniously. With its streamlined teardrop-shaped headlights, sloping hood, low roofline, aggressive roof spoiler and its ultra-sharp rear light strip, the Sport Turismo variant of the current Panamera seems to be sculpted by the wind. Add to this equation the quad exhaust tailpipes of this Turbo S E-Hybrid iteration and the black-painted, 21-inch Panamera SportDesign wheels of our model, and you get one of the most stunning vehicles in production today, all categories combined. That's saying something!
Our 2021 Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo test car came in a stunning Cherry Metallic body colour that highlighted its curves even more. As you can imagine, we were immediately seduced by the exterior styling of the high-performance Porsche hybrid model awaiting us in the Porsche Rive-Sud parking lot, before we even started our test drive!
Technical specifications: data that promises supercar performance on paper!
However, appearance is not the very first element by which a Porsche is judged. The first criterion is performance, whether it's a wagon or not! But we were quickly reassured when we opened the engine compartment to discover the heart of our 2021 Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo.
Indeed, it housed nothing less than a hybrid powertrain consisting of a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine and an electric unit, providing a combined output of 690 horsepower and 641 lb-ft of torque. Mated to an 8-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission, our Panamera is able, according to the manufacturer, to achieve the 0-100 km/h sprint in just 3.2 seconds with the Sport Chrono Package. Its top speed? An astonishing 315 km/h. It's also a very eco-friendly car, as it's normally capable of running in all-electric mode for a little over 30 kilometres at up to 130 km/h.
And thanks to its standard all-wheel drive system, which Porsche Canada qualifies as amazingly capable, the performance of this incredible wagon should be 100% usable at all times, even in winter! It remains to be seen whether this is the case when behind the wheel.
Interior: driver-centered, but with cutting-edge technologies for all the occupants!
It was then time for us to get into this powerful Porsche wagon. However, we didn't start the car just yet and took a few moments to explore the interior and especially, to admire it!
Its design is simply stunning, with a streamlined dashboard styled horizontally as well as, in our case, absolutely superb wooden appliqués! The materials used and the build quality are simply extraordinary. Finally, the ergonomics are perfect, and all the controls are within easy reach!
But the most impressive thing about our model is the on-board Porsche features and innovations it came with. Burmester High-End surround sound system, 18-way adjustable electric seats, two-tone leather upholstery (Black/Bordeaux Red) and Night Vision Assist: we had everything we could dream of to carry out our test drive in the best possible conditions.
On the road: a comfortable yet very sporty vehicle!
It was now time for us to start our long-awaited test drive! Hence, we started the noble powertrain of our Porsche model and left the parking lot of the Porsche Rive-Sud dealership, heading for the first access road to the nearest highway.
However, we did not have to wait for the fast lane to be pleasantly surprised. Indeed, from the very first few meters, we were able to enjoy the amazing performance of the suspensions on the road. All the imperfections, including the few potholes, were absorbed efficiently, without any excessive movement of the body, and without shaking us inside. Impressive!
It was then time to insert ourselves on the highway, and thus to test the accelerations of our 2021 Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo. As soon as we touch the right pedal, the powerful Porsche wagon shoots forward with great force. It increases its speed with ease, so much so that we reach the speed limit long before we get on the fast lane. We confirm these first impressions with two overtaking maneuvers in quick succession. Each time, our Panamera seems to simply teleport itself! The 0-100 km/h figure given by Porsche Canada, which we believe is conservative, is largely confirmed.
Next comes a first curve, then a second. This is the perfect opportunity to test road handling at highway speeds! Once again, our high-performance Porsche wagon behaves just as we expected: the vehicle does not roll at all and the steering is very precise. Moreover, the car never felt uncomfortable on the road (not even once!), despite its rather firm ride comfort. After about thirty kilometres, we got out at the first exit to take the fast lane in the opposite direction. On the way back, a heavy spring rain started to fall, which allowed us to put the Porsche all-wheel drive system to the test. And it lived up to its name, as it literally glued our Panamera to the road despite the extremely slippery road surface.
The 2021 Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo is THE absolute benchmark. Period!
At the end of our 2021 Panamera Sport Turismo test drive, our opinion is unanimous: the Porsche high-performance hybrid wagon is the best in the business. With its attractive looks, its versatility, its performance that would make most of today's supercars jealous, and its state-of-the-art on-board Porsche technologies, the 2021 Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo does it all.
Contact one of our specialists at Porsche Rive-Sud, your dealership of choice serving St-Hubert and Longueuil, to book it! We will also take this opportunity to inform you about the current Porsche leasing and financing programs and offers. See you soon at the dealership to discover the 2021 Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo!