The Porsche Panamera is entering its third model generation. The sports car manufacturer's luxury sedan emphasises its sporty character with even more powerful drive units. The profile is enhanced by a fundamentally updated operating concept and numerous innovative technologies. These include the new Porsche Active Ride suspension, which combines a significantly higher level of comfort with the sporty driving characteristics that are typical of Porsche. The integration of the user’s own digital ecosystem into the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system offers new ways of interacting with the Panamera. The design of the new Panamera is technical yet elegant, and dynamic – giving the model line’s attractive proportions a fresh look. A wide range of driver assistance systems and a fundamentally redesigned, driver-centric interior enhance the driving experience.
Superior feel with state-of-the-art suspension
The new Panamera comes as standard with adaptive two-valve air suspension including Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) and featuring two-valve dampers. The two-valve technology separates the damper control in the rebound and compression stages and as such offers an even greater spread between comfort and sportiness: The system noticeably dampens impacts from transverse joints and damaged road surfaces while at the same time ensuring more body stability in dynamic driving situations. Handling can be further improved with the optional all-wheel steering.
In addition, the innovative Porsche Active Ride active suspension is available as an option for the E-Hybrid models of the new Panamera. This system outperforms other suspension system designs in every key respect and offers an unprecedented breadth of capabilities between driving comfort and driving dynamics. The basis for this comes from newly developed active shock absorbers – also with two-valve technology – each connected to an electrically operated hydraulic pump. This generates a volume flow in the damper according to demand and can therefore build up forces between the body and wheels in a lightning-fast, highly precise and targeted manner. This counteracts and almost completely compensates for the forces acting on the suspension as a result of uneven road surfaces. A weight-saving single-chamber air-suspension system complements this technology.
The suspension keeps the body of the Panamera level at all times, even during dynamic braking, steering and acceleration manoeuvres. With a smooth ride, the system absorbs bumps almost completely. In dynamic driving situations, the Porsche Active Ride suspension ensures a perfect connection to the road thanks to a balanced distribution of wheel loads.
If the appropriate mode is activated, the suspension can also compensate for pitching and rolling motions to reduce the accelerative forces acting on the car’s occupants. In this setting, the new Panamera actually leans inwards into corners like a motorcycle. It also pulls the front down when accelerating and the rear when decelerating. When stationary, the Porsche Active Ride suspension system lifts the body to a comfortable height for ease of entry and exit.
More E-Performance and comprehensively revamped engines
Porsche offers a total of four efficient E-Hybrid powertrains for the new Panamera, in response to the high demand for this type of drive system. All E-Hybrid variants benefit from greater performance, range and efficiency. The Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid (Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid: Fuel consumption* combined (WLTP) 1.7 – 1.2 l/100 km, Fuel consumption with depleted battery combined 11.7 – 10.5 l/100 km, Electric power consumption* combined (WLTP) 29.9 – 27.6 kWh/100 km, CO₂ emissions* combined (WLTP) 39 – 27 g/km, CO2 class B , CO2 class with depleted battery G ) is available right from the market launch of the car. The heart of its powertrain is a fundamentally revised four-litre V8 biturbo engine. The power output of the newly developed electric motor is 140 kW (190 PS). Together, they create a system power output of 500 kW (680 PS). Overall torque reaches an impressive 930 Nm. Porsche integrates the electric motor into the housing of the comprehensively redesigned eight-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission. Dispensing with a separate E-motor housing saves around five kilograms. The integration of the unit into the transmission’s oil circuit also optimises the heat balance of the electric drive unit and therefore allows higher continuous output from the electric motor.
The Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid sprints to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds and achieves a top speed of 315 km/h. Its battery capacity is now 25.9 kWh. This enables an electric range of up to 91 km in the combined WLTP cycle or 83-93 km in the city cycle. A new 11 kW on-board AC charger shortens charging time at suitable charging points to two hours and 39 minutes.
The Panamera and Panamera 4 variants will also be available from launch. Modifications to boost pressure, fuel injection flow rate and ignition timing optimise the performance of the 2.9-litre V6 turbo engine. It now generates 260 kW (353 PS) and offers 500 Nm of torque – an increase of 17 kW (23 PS) and 50 Nm compared to its predecessor. This shortens the Panamera’s sprint from rest to 100 km/h to 5.3 seconds (5.1 sec. with the Sport Chrono package) and boosts the top speed to 272 km/h. The all-wheel drive Panamera 4 now takes 5.0 seconds for the same measurement (4.8 sec. with the Sport Chrono package) and reaches 270 km/h.
Exterior and interior: luxurious and sporty
The new Panamera retains the characteristic lines and proportions of the model line. It measures 5,052 mm in length and is 1,937 mm wide and 1,423 mm high. Its fundamentally revamped appearance, meanwhile, lends the sports sedan an even more expressive and sporting appearance. At the front, an extra air intake above the number plate secures the additional air required by the drive systems. The redesigned window line in the car’s profile reinforces the sedan-like character of the four-door sports car. The outer edges of the rear window are flush with the contour of the body, creating harmonious lines at the rear of the car.
The Porsche Driver Experience cockpit concept strikes an ideal balance between digital and analogue control elements and positions the input and output elements essential for the act of driving along the driver’s axis. The selector lever is directly to the right of the steering wheel. The mode switch for the Normal, Sport and Sport Plus driving programmes and the assistance control stalks are also directly accessible to the driver. This means that the driver does not have to take their eyes off the road to adjust the drive programmes and assistance systems.
An optional passenger display closely integrates the passenger into the driving experience. The 10.9-inch screen displays vehicle performance data on request. It also allows operation of the infotainment system and supports video streaming while the car is driving. In order to avoid distracting the driver, the passenger display cannot be seen from the driver’s seat.
A more distinctive Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid
Model variants bearing the name Turbo enjoy a special position at Porsche as the performance flagships. The sports car manufacturer has strengthened this position in the model line with the Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid. Its exterior design is characterised by a distinctive rear bumper with painted diffuser panels, plus a unique front bumper painted in the same colour as the car’s exterior. There are also chrome-plated tailpipes in dark bronze and optional centre-lock wheels, which can also be specified on the other Panamera models.
The Turbo-exclusive colour, Turbonite, is used as a contrast on the side window strips and the Turbo logo on the tailgate, as well as in the Porsche crest on the front bonnet, wheels and steering wheel. Inside, Turbonite is combined with carbon elements to create a sporting ambience. The colour can be found, for example, in the central rev-counter in the instrument cluster and as the colour of the controls in the centre console.
Digital experience and new assistance systems
The new Panamera will become an integral part of the driver’s digital ecosystem. To log in with their personal Porsche ID, all customers need to do is scan a QR code displayed in the PCM with their smartphone. Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto enable the linking of smartphone and vehicle data for improved usability. The integration of vehicle functions from the MyPorsche app into Apple CarPlay® enables optimised operation of digital functions and creates a clearer overview. Functions such as air conditioning, seat massage and ambient lighting can be controlled directly via Apple CarPlay® or with the Siri® voice assistant.
Porsche is also equipping the Panamera with standard Matrix LED headlights. The high-resolution HD Matrix LED lighting system, which has more than 32,000 pixels per headlight, is available as an option. It offers completely new lighting features, such as dedicated lane brightening. The illumination range is up to 600 metres. Porsche has significantly upgraded the range of assistance systems in the new Panamera. The standard active speed assistant now interacts with traffic sign recognition. If the system is active, the Panamera will not automatically drive faster than the appropriate speed limit. The Porsche InnoDrive including adaptive cruise control features active lane guidance and junction assist. A swerve assistant is now also part of the range of functions. Also new is that, during automatic parking, the driver no longer has to be in the car, although they are still responsible for the manoeuvre. The parking process can be monitored from a smartphone with the new Remote ParkAssist function.
Porsche produces the new Panamera at the Porsche Plant Leipzig. The production site in Saxony is closely associated with the Panamera. From 2009 to 2016, the first generation of the four-door sports sedan was assembled there. For the second generation, Leipzig took over complete production of the sports car in 2016. Porsche invested some 500 million euros in the plant at the time. In just under two years of construction, a second body shop with a production area of roughly 60,000 square metres was built. Preparations for production of the third generation were carried out intelligently during ongoing operations.
