New Porsche Panamera reveal two weeks away

Porsche's second-generation Panamera sports sedan will make its global debut in Germany on June 28, when its sleek new exterior design, digitised cabin concept and smaller but more powerful V8 engines will be revealed.

Combined with a lighter new chassis, it'll not only be sexier but faster, more efficient and packed with more techno doodads than ever when it arrives in Australia in early 2017.

Teased recently via the 'Courage Changes Everything' video and due to be launched in Europe in August, the new Panamera replaces a model that is currently priced between $204,200 and $444,200. Most new-generation Porsches have increased slightly in price, so expect this trend to continue with the new Panamera.

Making use of the new MSB platform that will be shared with the next Bentley Continental and Flying Spur, reducing development costs for both Volkswagen Group-owned premium brands, the 2017 Panamera is likely to bring new technologies to the fore, including a fully digitised instrument panel in the cockpit and new chassis tech.

Talking to motoring.com.au at the national launch of the 718 Boxster, Porsche Cars Australia Public Relations Manager Paul Ellis confirmed the new Panamera – codenamed G2 -- will be "shown for the first time on June 28 in Europe," and will "absolutely" bring new innovations to the table.

"You will see innovations in exterior design, you'll certainly see innovations in the interior with the driver interface and you'll see chassis innovations. And I'm not comparing us against other car manufacturers but to ourselves in isolation – [chassis] things we haven't done before. This will be very special," he said of the new vehicle.

"You'll see all-new V8 engines with that car, which are reduced in capacity but significantly higher in performance. So there's going to be plenty to admire from an enthusiast's perspective about what defines the new Panamera," said Ellis.

The Porsche exec wouldn't confirm the capacity of the new turbo-petrol V8s but given increasingly stringent emissions regulations that have seen the new Boxster migrate to 2.0- and 2.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder boxer engines, we could see the 4.8-litre V8 shrink to 4.0 litres.

The 2017 Panamera's new design is also likely to tip its hat to the new Boxster and will be significantly more modern, but Ellis says a paradigm shift in the overall design was never on the agenda.

"It still looks like a Panamera and it's still a large, spacious, luxurious four-seater car, but it's clearly a new model."

As well as more potent turbo V8 engines, expect new turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel V6s, as well as a new plug-in hybrid powerplant. There's also talk of an updated version of Porsche's seven-speed PDK automatic gearbox launching in the new Panamera, which would further reduce emissions and fuel consumption while potentially improving straight-line performance.

But rumours of an expansion to the Panamera range to include a coupe and a convertible, are just that says Ellis. Asked if the Panamera could morph into two-door models to increase sales and market penetration, Ellis was sceptical.

"Matthias Muller, former Porsche head and now VW Group boss, has said we're sticking to our core business, so we're sticking to what we need to do as opposed to indulging ourselves with flights of fancy with all these different and wonderful things.

"So while I'm sure our designers would love some of their concepts to be further explored – and it is the job of a designer to push boundaries to explore new fields – at the end of the day everything has to stack up."

However, there is strong evidence – including these spy shots -- to suggest Porsche is developing a shooting brake or wagon version of the new Panamera, which is a vehicle that would resonate in Germany where wagons often outsell their sedan counterparts.

"You have to have a solid business case. It has to make sense and it has to be something the market requires. There's no use providing a car that the market doesn't want," said Ellis.

"The reality is we only pursue what makes sense and what is mandatory."

And while that's likely to include the first Panamera shooting brake, is speculation of the Panamera range expanding to include a two-door coupe and convertible premature?

"I think at this stage it is," said Ellis.