Practical doesn’t mean boring
2018 PORSCHE PANAMERA SPORT TURISMO
Q What is it? A Um, a station wagon Porsche. Or to be more specific, a station wagon version of the four-door Panamera. While that may not sound appealing initially, the Sport Turismo actually manages to look better than the sedan it’s based on, while bumping up the cargo capacity to an SUVlike 1,390 litres. Top it off with 550 horsepower (in the topof-the-line 4.0-L twin-turbo V8-powered Turbo model) and you’re looking at a wagon every bit as sporty as, well, a Porsche. Q Why does it matter? A If the German automakers have learned anything in the past 10 years, it’s that their customers want — nay, expect — a plethora of models serving an ever-increasing number of niches. The Sport Turismo may not end up being Porsche Canada’s biggest seller, but it’s the same car as the sedan all the way back to the B-pillar so it didn’t require a ton of money to develop. Q When will Canada get it? A Sport Turismos will arrive in the fourth quarter of 2017 with the 330-hp Panamera 4 starting at $109,700 and the range-topping 550-hp Turbo retailing for $175,600. Q Should you buy it? A I suspect this may be a bit player in Porsche’s lineup. If you want almost as much carrying capacity as a Cayenne, more attractive styling than the Panamera and handling that’s a match for any large luxury sedan, then perhaps you’re one of the few who should be shopping the Panamera Sport Turismo.
2018 VOLVO XC60
Q What is it? A The replacement for Volvo’s best-selling XC60 premium mid-size SUV. Q Why does it matter? A Volvo sold more than a million of the original XC60 in its nine years of production and it accounts for roughly 30 per cent of Volvo’s total global sales. For those shopping for a new vehicle, this is a mid-size premium SUV — one of the hottest segments right now — from the company that specializes in safety technology. Q When will Canada get it? A The first XC60s will arrive on our shores in the fourth quarter of 2017. Q Should you buy it? A My, oh my, yes. Besides the fact that it’s powered by the same power plant as the XC90 — the 250-hp turbocharged 2.0-L engine in the T5, a supercharged and turbocharged 316-hp version of the same engine in the T6 and a 400-hp hybrid variant in the range-topping T8 — it’s also backed up by Volvo’s vaunted City Safety suite of technologies, now enhanced by Steer Assist and Oncoming Lane Mitigation. Essentially, the XC60 can recognize an oncoming car and steer out of its way, as well as change lanes automatically if it senses the driver isn’t paying attention and is at risk of running into the back of a slower moving car.
Performance and safety are the twin virtues of the new Volvo and the XC60 would appear to have both in spades. Making it all the more attractive is that it will start at a very competitive $45,900.