Production begins for the 2018 Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo

The first time Porsche revealed the Panamera Sport Turismo to the public was during the 2017 Geneva Motor Show earlier this year. And now it has already entered production, and is on its way to its first customers all over the globe. The Leipzig facility was produced especially for the second-generation Panamera family, and Porsche had to invest a total of €500 million ($582 million), a part of which was used to build a new quality center.

The new 400-hectare facility is also in charge of the production of the Macan and Cayenne SUVs, apart from the Panameras. There are 4,055 people who are working in the facility and in the last year alone, they produced a total of 158,432 cars. The Leipzig facility opened in August 2002 and already €1.3 billion ($1.5M) have been invested.

Within the facility, 345,345 square meters cover the production area. To date, the Leipzig factory has 948 robots in the body shop, paint shop, and in the assembly facility, where they build 1.7 million parts each day. There is a wood chip burning system that provides 80% CO2-neutral heat to the paint shop. Outside the production area, there is a 3.7-kilometer race track and a 6-kilometer off-road track. In terms of wildlife, 75 aurochs, 1.5 million bees, and wild horses live in the area. Porsche’s factory is also open to visitors, and 40,000 people come to the customer center annually.

Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo is available in a long list of variations. All in all, there are six different models, and 17 variants available in the market - including the Panamera hatchback.

Some of the Panamera Sport Turismo models include the 542 horsepower Turbo Sport Turismo, the 456 horsepower E-Hybrid Sport Turismo, the 440 horsepower 4S Turismo Sport, and the base 330 horsepower 4 Sport Turismo. All models come standard with an all-wheel-drive setup. The base model starts at $97,250 while the range topping model starts at $155,050.

Sport Turismo comes with a fifth seat at the back and has a little more cargo space (0.7 cubic feet) compared to that of the standard hatchback model. All models also come standard with air suspension.

The current range topping model is the 671 horsepower Turbo S E-Hybrid with an electrified powertrain. The same powertrain will be given to the upcoming Cayenne that should make its debut in the next couple of months, as well as the Audi S8 E-Tron that is scheduled for release in 2019, replacing the S8.

PRESS RELEASE

Production launch of the new Panamera Sport Turismo

Series production of the new Panamera Sport Turismo has started at the Porsche plant in Leipzig. The first customer vehicles successfully completed the production process in the body shop, paint shop and in assembly.

This process has been specially adapted to the new model. “This launch confirms Leipzig’s leading role in the production of highly complex model and technology variants. As the winner of the J.D. Power Award, the plant is known for its outstanding production quality worldwide and its optimal mix of workshop manufacturing and series production”, says Gerd Rupp, Chair of the Executive Board at Porsche Leipzig GmbH.

Porsche expanded the Leipzig site by putting a body shop for the new Panamera model range into operation last year as a completely new production facility. The EUR 500 million investment also included a brand new quality centre that provides crucial support during the start of production for new models. It also safeguards the stringent quality requirements of Porsche and manages the transition from the development stage to series production.

The Panamera Sport Turismo celebrated its world première at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2017. Based on the successful sports saloon, the new version once again makes a profound statement in the luxury segment with its unmistakeable design. At the same time, the Sport Turismo, with up to 404 kW/550 hp (Panamera 4 Sport Turismo: Fuel consumption combined 7.9 – 7.8 l/100 km; CO2 emissions 180 – 178 g/km; Panamera 4S Sport Turismo: Fuel consumption combined 8.3 – 8.2 l/100 km; CO2emissions 189 – 187 g/km; Panamera 4S Diesel Sport Turismo: Fuel consumption combined 6.8 – 6.7 l/100 km; CO2 emissions 178 – 176 g/km; Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo: Fuel consumption combined 9.5 – 9.4 l/100 km; CO2 emissions 217 – 215 g/km; Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Sport Turismo: Fuel consumption combined 2.5 l/100 km; electric power consumption 15.9 kWh/100 km; CO2 emissions 56 g/km), is more versatile than any other model in its class. With a large tailgate, low loading edge, increased luggage compartment volume and a 4+1 seating concept, the new Panamera model offers the perfect combination of everyday usability and maximum flexibility.

Source: Porsche