Panamera

Make
Porsche
Segment
Sedan

Mercedes' AMG wing is larger than you'd typically think. So large in fact that the tuner goes toe to toe with Porsche's entire sales numbers prior to the introduction of its baby SUV. On the other hand, Porsche has been steadily increasing its sales by lining dealerships one Macan…erm, one new model at a time. What used to be Germany's favorite sports car brand is now selling SUVs, sedans, and the like. To continue that expansion, Porsche is gifting us the Panamera Sport Turismo.

The original Panamera Sport Turismo Concept went on display at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, but we have less than two weeks left until the car's official reveal at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. Prior to its trip to Switzerland, our spy photographers caught this example undergoing the last round of winter testing in Sweden. We weren't surprised to see that the front end bears a strong resemblance to the current Panamera because as a wagon (or shooting brake, Porsche hasn't made that clear yet), the only real change will take place at the rear end of the car. Coincidentally, that's the part that Porsche left camouflaged although lightly enough that we may as well consider this an uncloaked version.

Word on the street is that the production model will keep 99 percent of the concept's design influence, meaning it'll be among the new class of wagons that seriously elevates the level of aesthetics that modern wagons can provide. The main difference between this test mule and what's likely to make it to production are the tail lamps, which resemble those of the first generation Panamera. We're fairly confident that Porsche will exchange those for the more sleek design we see on the current Panamera as well as on the Sport Turismo Concept. The mule we see here is an E-Hybrid, denoted by the lime green brake calipers and the extra fuel door which houses the socket that puts the "plug" in "plug-in hybrid."

So far as we can tell, there's every reason to expect the Sport Turismo to gain all of the regular Panamera's engine options, meaning twin-turbo V6 and V8 engines, hybrid options, and diesel models should be available. We'll keep you updated on the Geneva debut of Porsche's newest beauty as we learn more.