Porsche to sell Panamera wagon in U.S.

CALISTOGA, Calif. -- Porsche will sell a wagon variant of its second-generation Panamera in the United States.

The brand's U.S. chief Klaus Zellmer confirmed the wagon plan in an interview at a press event here. He did not detail timing of the wagon's arrival other than to say it won't be in 2017. The second-generation Panamera's main body style, a sedan, is to arrive in U.S. dealerships beginning early next year.

"We have to have some patience for [the wagon] to arrive in the U.S.," said Zellmer, CEO of Porsche Cars North America. "But we are confident that this car will be well received here, despite the fact that this country doesn't really like hatchbacks or wagons."

The wagon -- or shooting brake as it is sometimes called in Europe -- evolved from the Sport Turismo concept car Porsche showed at the 2012 Paris auto show, Zellmer said.

Porsche is to unveil the redesigned Panamera in September at the Paris auto show with the sedan going on sale in Europe shortly afterward. The wagon is expected to go on sale in Europe next year. That schedule, with the wagon arriving the year after the sedan, means a 2018 arrival for the wagon in the U.S. would make sense.

Zellmer said a five-seat Panamera is also under examination. That seating configuration has been sought by U.S. dealers, who say they lose Panamera shoppers to other brands because of its lack of a fifth seat.