Porsche's Sedan as a Sports Car

The 2010 Porsche Panamera

"Hatchback" has long been synonymous with small, cheap and undesirable in the U.S. car buyer's lexicon. Porsche plans to change that perception � with the force of a six-digit price tag.

The German carmaker just rolled out the Panamera, a large, fast four-door sedan featuring a hatch, which, unlike a standard trunk lid, exposes the car's interior when open. Drivers might sooner associate the feature with a $10,000 Hyundai Accent than a big luxury car.

Of course the Porsche is a better car than the Hyundai. It is more carefully put together, looks and sounds better, is faster and more fun to drive. But is it 10 times better, as its price may indicate? A few days with the Panamera was enough time to form an opinion.

The idea of a Porsche sedan may turn-off some of the carmaker's staunchest devotees. For them, Porsche is a sports-car company, and departures like the Panamera and the earlier Cayenne SUV of 2003 dilute the brand's purity.

"Hatchback" has long been synonymous with small, cheap and undesirable in the U.S. car buyer's lexicon. Porsche plans to change that perception � with the force of a six-digit price tag.

The German carmaker just rolled out the Panamera, a large, fast four-door sedan featuring a hatch, which, unlike a standard trunk lid, exposes the car's interior when open. Drivers might sooner associate the feature with a $10,000 Hyundai Accent than a big luxury car.

Of course the Porsche is a better car than the Hyundai. It is more carefully put together, looks and sounds better, is faster and more fun to drive. But is it 10 times better, as its price may indicate? A few days with the Panamera was enough time to form an opinion.

The idea of a Porsche sedan may turn-off some of the carmaker's staunchest devotees. For them, Porsche is a sports-car company, and departures like the Panamera and the earlier Cayenne SUV of 2003 dilute the brand's purity.