Luxury cars branch out with four-door sedans, minivans
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Luxury-vehicle makers are casting aside decades of tradition in pursuit of more space in the garages of car buyers. The latest evidence: Porsche AG, long known for making luxurious and impractical two-door sports cars, said Wednesday that it plans to build its first production four-door coupe.
The Stuttgart, Germany, auto maker Wednesday ended months of speculation by saying it plans to add the new model, the Panamera -- named after a Mexican long-distance car race -- to its lineup. The move illustrates how the drive to maintain growth in luxury-automobile sales, combined with an expanding field of rivals, is changing the definition of what constitutes a high-end car. Not too long ago, it meant either plush sedans or turbocharged sports cars like the venerable Porsche 911. Now, however, upscale car makers are branching out.
In a few months, DaimlerChrysler AG's Mercedes-Benz plans to roll out its new R-Class, a cross between a minivan, sport-utility vehicle and station wagon on steroids. BMW AG is developing its own minivan-like vehicle, which it says will have the towering seating of an SUV, but a car-like silhouette.
The shift by Europe's luxury automotive brands toward new designs partly reflects changing customer tastes, as buyers increasingly demand the spaciousness of minivans and SUVs, but in a sleeker form. Although sedans still account for around half of the global premium-car market, their share is expected to fall to around 45 percent over the next five years. That might sound small, but for brands like Mercedes and BMW -- where two models can account for more than half the company's profits -- it's a significant shift.
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