Australian New Car Buyer – June 2019

122 | AUSTRALIAN NEW CAR&SUV BUYER’S GUIDE

T

he idea, the name and
the Porsche badge are all
that the second generation
Panamera shares with the
2009 original. So says Gernot
Döllner, the executive in charge
of the Panamera.
“When it comes to styling, the
Panamera has made some great
strides forward,” Döllner says.
“It more resembles the 911,”
he says. Good thing, too.
There are quite a few other
points of similarity between
Porsche’s rear-engined sports
car and its big, front-engined,
fi ve-door limo.
Now with a trim and taut
behind, the Panamera is an
attractive, if unusual, shape.
Porsche cites big luxury sedans
like the BMW 7 Series and
Mercedes-Benz S-Class as the
Panamera’s natural prey, but it’s
a very different beast.
This is also obvious from
behind the wheel. Porsche
engineers developed an all-new
three-chamber air suspension

system for the new Panamera

and believe their car comes close

to matching the superbly serene

ride of the S-Class.

The Porsche’s ride in the

cushiest mode, ‘Normal’, isn’t

bad. But it is still some way short

of magically silken smoothness.

On the other hand, in its

‘Sport’ and ‘Sport Plus’ driving

modes, the Panamera is

remarkably agile and

entertaining to drive quickly —

especially the top-of-the-range

Panamera Turbo, powered by an

all-new twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8

with 404kW of power.

Though smaller than the

engine in the previous

Panamera Turbo, the new donk

is more powerful and delivers a

quicker 0–100km/h sprint —

now just 3.8 seconds.

The $388,100 Turbo features

Porsche’s eight-speed double-

clutch transmission and all-

wheel drive.

The Panamera range opens

with the 243kW 3.0-litre V6

turbopetrol, at $216,900 with rear-

wheel drive or $227,300 for the

Panamera 4, with all-wheel drive.

Other variants with all-wheel

drive include the 340kW

E-Hybrid, at $249,900 and the

$313,500 4S, with an all-new

324kW 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6.

The 388kW 4.0-litre twin turbo

V8 GTS is $364,100.

A new Sport Turismo variant,

with a pseudo wagon style body,

is also available, with prices

starting at $234,600 for the

Sport Turismo 4. The 4S is

$320,800, the GTS is $371,400,

the 4E is $257,200, the Turbo is

$394,300 and the Turbo S

E-Hybrid is $469,500.

At the international launch of

the new Panamera in southern

Germany, the eight-speed

gearboxes of the Turbo and 4S

Diesel driven would sometimes

shift jerkily at low speed.

Wind noise levels at German

autobahn cruising speeds were

also higher than expected.

Inside, the new Panamera

blends luxury and modernity. A

big hi-res touchscreen dominates

the centre of the beautifully made

dash, and Porsche’s traditional

central tachometer is fl anked by

a pair of equally impressive

auxiliary info screens.

While the Porsche lacks some

of the high-tech driver-aid

systems of its Mercedes S-Class

competitor, it’s hard to fault the

design, material and assembly

quality of its cabin.

With a slightly longer wheelbase

than before, the interior gains

some much-needed acreage,

especially in the back seat.

Four 193cm-tall adults will fi t,

ever-precise Porsche claims, and

the cargo compartment has also

grown by around 50 litres.

Now good looking on the

outside as well as beautiful on the

inside, the second generation

Porsche Panamera is a more

attractive alternative than ever to

the straight-laced sedan fl agships

from BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

By Joh n Carey

PORSCHE PANAMERA FROM $216,900

THINGS WE LIKE

 Lusciously luxurious interior

 911-like exterior style

 Superb handling, grip

 You’re not wanting for

performance, especially the Turbo

model’s new V8

 Stronger resale values than rivals

THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE

Ride quality isn’t as supple as it

should be

High-speed wind noise

Gearshifts not always smooth

Lacks some driver-aid safety tech

SPEX (Panamera Turbo)

Made in Germany

4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol/eight-

speed PDK/all-wheel drive

404kW of power at 5750rpm/770Nm

of torque from 1960-4500rpm

0–100km/h in 3.8 seconds (claimed)

7.3L/100km highway; 12.9L/100km

city; 98 octane premium; CO 2

emissions are 214g/km

Warranty: Three years/unlimited

kilometres

Standard: Eight airbags, stability

control, Sports Chrono, four-zone

air, leather upholstery, 12.3-

inch touchscreen infotainment,

navigation, voice control, Apple

CarPlay and Android Auto, power

tailgate, 21-inch alloy wheels,

adaptive LED matrix headlights

Redbook future values: 3yr: 54%;

5yr: 39%

Safety

Not rated

Performance

Handling

Quality and reliability

Comfort and refi nement

Value for money

Overall

STARS

compare with ...

Audi A7/A8, BMW 7 Series,

Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes

S-Class