It stands to reason, then, that manufacturers who don’t offer a wagon, estate or shooting brake variant are losing out on a significant portion of the European family car market. This detail isn’t lost on Porsche, and Autocar is reporting that a Panamera Estate concept is in the works.
Reportedly set to debut at this September's Paris Motor Show, the Panamera Estate will be used to gauge customer interest in such a product. The concept will reportedly be very close to how a production version could look, which means that Porsche is fairly serious about bringing such a model to market quickly.
That’s a relative term in the automotive world, and it’s unlikely that any such model variant could hit the market before 2016. Still, Porsche sees a place for the car as part of a planned model expansion that will give it annual sales of 200,000 units before the end of the decade.
The concept of a Panamera Estate was born from customer feedback, as Porsche says its clients are requesting more luggage space than what’s offered by the current Panamera sedan. The concept will look to blend the practicality of additional cargo room with a certain element of style, and mixing the two will likely be the biggest challenge.
If the car is a hit with the public, Porsche is even said to be pondering a long-wheelbase variant of the Panamera Estate, likely aimed at the Chinese market. Such a car could be attractive to the high-end limousine market, too, potentially giving Porsche access to additional fleet sales.