Porsche Sport Turismo test drive review…. an all-round sports car

June 27, 2018

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This Porsche Turismo extends the borders between the world of sports cars and the world of family cars. This is a 5-door hatch/wagon that has been developed and designed down to the last detail to meet the needs of Porsche 911 and Cayman owners looking for more space. Yes, Porsche has the Panamera sedan….but this Sport Turismo adds a little more space at the rear for luggage and activity equipment.

First. The Cabin

The Porsche interior that we have been used to has been reinterpreted in this Turismo as well as its sibling the Panamera. Black panel surfaces and interactive displays combine a clear and intuitive user interface like that of smartphones and tablets with the practical requirements for controlling the car. The long familiar knobs, buttons and conventional instruments have been replaced by touch-sensitive panels and individually configurable displays which take centre stage in the new Porsche Advanced Cockpit.

This new interface is shared with the Panamera and offers great benefits for the driver as well as the front and rear passengers. Despite a significantly extended range of communication, convenience and assistance systems, different functions can now be used and operated more clearly and intuitively. The Porsche Advanced Cockpit transforms the analogue world into the digital present of mobility.

Just like the all new Porsche Panamera, the Sport Turismo is characterised by its very dynamic proportions. The Turismo is 5,049 millimetres long, 1,428 millimetres high and 1,937 millimetres wide, while the large wheelbase spans 2,950 millimetres. The silhouette is further characterised by short body overhangs and large wheels measuring up to 21 inches.

Beginning from the B-pillars, that is, from the start of the rear doors, the Sport Turismo features a completely unique rear design. Above the pronounced shoulder, an elongated window line and equally long roof contour lend the vehicle its striking appearance. At the rear, the roof drops away much less dramatically than the window line, resulting in a prominent and distinctive D-pillar which transitions into the shoulder section in a coupé-like fashion.

Second. The Adaptively Extendible Roof Spoiler

At the top rear of the vehicle, the roof extends into an adaptive spoiler. This is the first of its kind in the market. The angle of the roof spoiler is set in three stages depending on the driving situation and selected vehicle settings, and generates an additional downforce of up to 50 kg on the rear axle.

Up to a speed of 170 km/h, the aerodynamic guide element which is a central system component of the Porsche Active Aerodynamics (PAA) stays in its retracted position with an angle of minus 7 degrees, which reduces drag and thus optimises fuel consumption.

Above 170 km/h, the roof spoiler automatically moves to the performance position with an angle of plus 1 degree, thereby increasing driving stability and lateral dynamics. When in the Sport and Sport Plus driving modes, the roof spoiler automatically moves to the performance position at speeds of 90 km/h upwards. PAA also provides active assistance by adapting the roof spoiler’s angle of inclination to plus 26 degrees when the panoramic sliding roof is open at a speed of 90 km/h or above. In this case, the spoiler helps to minimise wind noise.

Third. The Seats At The Rear

The new Sport Turismo has rear seats like in a proper luxury sedan. The two outside seats take the form of individual seats – in keeping with the model line’s claim for sporty performance with maximum passenger comfort.

The raised roof line of the Sport Turismo allows for easier entry and exit at the rear of the vehicle and ensures greater head clearance. The usability of the luggage compartment benefits from the wide opening tailgate, which is electrically operated as standard, and a loading edge height of just 628 millimetres.

Measured to the upper edge of the rear seats, the up to 520-litre storage capacity of the Sport Turismo (Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Sport Turismo: 425 litres) betters that of the sports saloon by 20 litres. When loaded up to roof level and with the rear seats folded down, the gains amount to around 50 litres.

The backrests of the rear seats can be folded down together or individually (in a 40:20:40 split) and are unlocked electrically from the luggage compartment. When all of the backrests are folded down, the loading floor is virtually level. In this case, the storage volume is expanded to up to 1,390 litres.

Fourth. The Drive

The Sport Turismo we are test driving here has Porsche’s 3.0 engine under the hood which is good for 330bhp. It does a very good job of imitating a base Porsche 911, especially when you put it in “sports mode,” which changes a number of electronically modulated variables such as throttle, transmission maps, handling parameters, and so on to give this large vehicle nimble handling. At ignition this new engine is quieter. Prod the accelerator and the rumble is muted. This new 3-liter is refined with a hint of being bored. But find an open road, stick the 8-speed into sports mode and a hyperactive child is woken up. This 3-liter turbo shows its mettle on the open road. Braking is strong and even after a couple of hours of quick inner city driving there is no fade or retardation of the brakes.

A manufacturer of sports cars with the emphasis on sports, Porsche has made sure that this outstanding performance goes together directly with an equally supreme standard of sporting and agile handling, excellent driving dynamics and, not least, superior safety reserves.