The Porsche Panamera, now in its second generation, was launched in 2009 following a notion that a market existed for a ‘family’ Porsche that was not an SUV. As with any Porsche that departed from the iconic 911, it was not welcomed by the dedicated core of enthusiasts for the marque, but as with the Cayenne SUV, they were proven wrong.
Words Tony Whitney
The Porsche Panamera, now in its second generation, was launched in 2009 following a notion that a market existed for a ‘family’ Porsche that was not an SUV. As with any Porsche that departed from the iconic 911, it was not welcomed by the dedicated core of enthusiasts for the marque, but as with the Cayenne SUV, they were proven wrong.
Words Tony Whitney
The fact is, for a small family that needed a four-door but yearned for the performance and ambiance of a Porsche, it was the perfect answer. Globally, the Panamera has sold well with over 34,000 units delivered worldwide last year, a strong performance for a premium car from a carmaker like Porsche.
We’ll have to wait at least until 2024 for Porsche to announce a third-generation Panamera, but insiders believe that it will not depart radically from the model you can buy right now. It’s expected that the top of the line product will continue to be the Turbo S E-Hybrid, a model that offers superlative performance with an environmental bonus. There are three hybrids in the Panamera range but it’s the Turbo S that’s captured enthusiasts’ hearts.
At the time of its introduction, the Panamera was almost unmatched as a four-door, four-seat luxury sports saloon but since that time, many competitors have appeared. The bodywork is intriguing because although it’s low and sleek, it really will accommodate two adults in the rear. That may be so, but few grown-ups would want to tackle a long road trip back there and it’s families with a couple of pre-teens who have formed the nucleus of Panamera buyers. ›
Various subtle upgrades over the model’s years seemed to have made the bodywork even more appealing and today’s Panamera is a very handsome and capable-looking sporty saloon by any standard.
At the heart of the Turbo S E-Hybrid’s impressive performance is a highly refined twin-turbo V-8 boosted by a 134-horsepower electric motor using a 17.9 kWh lithium battery. Combined horsepower is 690 – perfect for a family car with a Porsche badge on its bonnet! Power is delivered to all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission that can be manually overridden when needed. All that power may be daunting to some, but all-wheel drive goes a long way towards maximising safety, even in wet and icy conditions. Excellent weight balance helps here too. It’s worth emphasising that the Turbo S E-Hybrid has plug-in capability and the battery can be charged either at home or at a charging station. Electric-only range for the car around town is around 48-50 km.
The Turbo S has a performance-tuned suspension that aims at combining a comfortable ride with taut and predictable handling.
Driving a Panamera is a reminder of who built this car and a well driven Turbo S E-Hybrid will just about keep up with a 911 Carrera on a winding road and Porsche has proved this with endless laps of the famed Nurburgring track. What you have with this car is a roomy family hauler with supercar performance and what could be more enjoyable than that?
The interior is beautifully trimmed and fitted out with the usual high quality materials we’ve come to expect with a Porsche. Hip-hugging seats front and rear ensure that all occupants can enjoy fast and challenging roads without any drama. As is so common nowadays, there’s a big rectangular screen in the centre of the dash to take care of the myriad infotainment duties modern luxury cars come with. A nice retro touch on the instrument panel is an analogue rev counter but the rest is digital
It would be hard to imagine how Porsche could improve the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid and spy shots of the new generation model show few changes other than some new ducting and detailing picked up from the Taycan EV. One thing for certain will be a rise in price. It’s an expensive proposition to build cars like this right now so we wouldn’t be surprised to see existing Panamera stocks sell out quickly.
ENGINE 4.0-litre V-8 twin-turbo plus electric motor. Total horsepower 690.
TRANSMISSION 8-speed Porsche PDK, manual override. Standard all-wheel drive.
ACCELERATION Zero to 100 km/h in 3.1-seconds.
TOP SPEED 315-km/h.
I LIKED Supercar performance in a family saloon. Superb drivetrain with a welcome fuel economy bonus. Outstanding handling for what is a fairly large sporty car.
I DIDN’T LIKE The cabin is a little snug even if Porsche did a clever job with packaging four people.
MARKET ALTERNATIVES BMW 8-Series Gran Coupe, Mercedes-Benz CLS, Audi A7.
WHO DRIVES ONE? Buyers with growing families who don’t want to give up on the world of sports car excitement to drive something more utilitarian. Buyers who own other Porsche products like the Cayenne SUV who like to have something sportier alongside in the garage.
PRICE AND AVAILABILITY Available now at €204.894.