Porsche Panamera Review (2017-present)

There were plenty of critics of the original Panamera, but despite their gripes – “it’s not a real Porsche”, “it looks too gawky” – there were also plenty of buyers. So in June 2016 Porsche unveiled the second-generation Panamera to the world at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It was an appropriate venue given that even the slowest Panamera mk2 is capable of 163mph, while the range-topping Turbo S E-Hybrid will do a top speed of 192mph and packs a 671bhp punch.

Although the family resemblance is clear, the second-generation Panamera is longer and wider than its forebear, has a longer wheelbase for greater legroom in the rear seats, and has a slightly lower rear roofline for a sportier and less controversial look. It’s a much smarter beast than the first-generation Panamera, but retains the original’s practical hatchback body style.

The Panamera also offers the option of a long-wheelbase version called the Executive, which has an extra 150mm between the front and rear axles. In 2017 Porsche launched another variant, the Panamera Sport Turismo, which can loosely be described as an estate car but the styling of which actually has more in common with the 'shooting brake' bodywork sometimes applied to coupes in the 1960s and ’70s.

Being something of a niche, not-quite-coupe-not-quite-saloon offering, pinning down direct rivals for the Panamera can be tricky, but there are plenty of other cars - including sporty four-doors cars or luxurious pseudo-coupes - that qualify if your comparative criteria are less stringent. Possible Audi alternatives include the A8 limousine or the A7 Sportback, for example, while BMW might try to tempt you with a 7 Series saloon or an 8-Series Gran Coupe. Also competing for your cash will be numerous offerings from the Mercedes-AMG stable, those including the S-Class saloon, S-Class Coupe, CLS, AMG GT four-door, and more. Maserati might try to tempt you with its Quattroporte super-saloon, while fast versions of the Jaguar XJ might also tickle your fancy, as might a Bentley Continental GT.

The Panamera’s cabin is chic, luxurious, comfortable, impeccably made, and bristles with hi-tech gadgetry: you get a real sense of occasion driving or travelling in this car.

And that all starts with the cosseting, low slung driving position that helps the Porsche feel almost as sporty as the brand’s legendary 911. There’s a wide range of seat and wheel adjustment for the driver, while despite an imposingly wide, button-festooned transmission tunnel there’s loads of room for both front seat occupants.

In the rear, even the standard length Panamera lives up to its limousine billing with plenty of legroom, and while the low slung roofline looks like it steals space for heads, only the very tallest will find their heads brushing the ceiling. Most versions have a rear bench with a pair of separate, contoured seats, making the Porsche a strict four-seater. However, the Sport Turismo has what the firm calls a ‘4+1’ layout, which includes space for a third passenger in the middle of the rear seat - although the wide transmission tunnel plus the flat, narrow perch mean it’s best for occasional use only.

The standard Panamera features a wide hatchback opening at the rear and decent 495-litre boot. It’s possible to fold the rear seats (leaving a usefully flat load area) and extend the carrying capacity to 1,305-litres. If you need to frequently haul more luggage, then the Sport Turismo’s extended and raised roofline helps increase space to 520-litres with the rear bench in place and 1,390-litres when it’s lowered.

Regardless of bodystyle, the Porsche features just enough storage space in the cabin to handle smartphones, wallets, drinks bottles and, for those that still use them, the odd map.

While the entry-level model is rear-wheel drive, the rest of the Panamera range features permanent four-wheel drive, a system that Porsche refers to as Porsche Traction Management, or PTM. It’s a suitably sophisticated, hi-tech system, tuned to give the best possible handling characteristics and it works brilliantly. The car’s too large to be as nimble as its sibling, the iconic Porsche 911, but enthusiast drivers will still revel in how the Panamera can be flung around like a sports car.

Porsche’s great achievement with the Panamera is that despite upholding the marque’s reputation for hardcore performance, it has also succeeded in making this a truly comfortable car. The E-Hybrid, GTS and Turbo versions have Porsche’s excellent air suspension as standard, while the rest have adaptive dampers, and both set-ups provide ride quality appropriate to a luxury car, while also offering the ability to firm up for more enthusiastic driving duties.

The Panamera’s engine range is mainly petrol-based, but from launch until September 2018 the line-up included the world’s quickest production diesel engine, a twin-turbo V8 with 416bhp, good for 177mph. The base engine is a turbocharged petrol 3.0-litre V6 with 322bhp. Next is a twin-turbo 2.9-litre V6 giving 428bhp, then a 448bhp naturally aspirated 4.0-litre V8, followed by a twin-turbo version of the V8 knocking out 535bhp.

There are also two plug-in hybrid Panameras, one that teams its 134bhp electric motor and batteries with the 2.9 V6 in the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid; the other mated with the twin-turbo V8 to create the 662bhp Turbo S E-Hybrid. Both hybrids can be driven emissions-free, with an electric range of up to 31 miles.

Porsche used to have a reputation for being rather stingy with its standard kit, but you can’t charge the best part of £100,000 for a car and leave out the luxury car essentials. As a result, all Panamera models get LED headlamps, leather trimmed and powered seats, front and rear parking sensors and adaptive dampers included in the price.

Of course, it’s still a Porsche so you can choose from an extensive, and expensive, list of options - and many customers do. There are bespoke leather trim and paint finishes, colour coded seat belts and badging, four-zone climate control and even carbon ceramic brakes, the latter costing as much as an entry-level Dacia Sandero.

For well-heeled keen drivers there are also a raft of options aimed at further sharpening the driving experience. Air suspension can be added, as can a 48 volt active anti-roll bar system that allows the Panamera to corner without any lean. A torque vectoring limited slip rear differential creates extra agility, as does a very impressive four-wheel steering set-up.

All versions of the Panamera now get the brand’s excellent Porsche Communication Management 6.0 infotainment system. Featuring a glossy, widescreen touchscreen display and numerous connected features it takes some getting used to, but the functions you need most often are easy to access, while both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity are included.

This is an extremely complex, high performance Porsche, so you’d best have deep pockets. The E-Hybrid models promise fuel consumption figures on the bright side of 80mpg, but even driven calmly you’re realistically looking at, say, an average of 62mpg. That’s extraordinary for a car of this type, but use the electric motor to boost your Panamera’s performance, then the economy tumbles far lower than that. For maximum fuel economy, you'll want to use the electric motor as much as possible, rather than the petrol engine.

On the other hand the gutsy V8 twin-turbo diesel has a quoted combined fuel economy figure of 42.2mpg, and even if it really achieves just 30, that’s a hugely impressive MPG figure for a car with so much get-up-and-go.

If you’re worried about annual Vehicle Excise Duty, then the Panamera probably isn’t for you. Pre-April 2017 (when the tax regime changed) E-Hybrids get away free, but most versions of the car are going to cost you almost £500 a year to tax courtesy of the supplement for cars that were £40,000 or more to buy new. As for insurance, groups 47-50 will come as scant surprise.

With even the earliest examples of the Panamera being barely out of warranty and therefore in possession of a full Porsche service history, chances are you’ll be heading to an Official Porsche Centre when your next service is due. Furthermore, excellent though the independent Porsche specialist network is in the UK, the Panamera is too recent for them. That said, it might not hurt to ask if you have a really early car.

The Panamera is due a service every two years or 20,000 miles, and within the dealer network the first will cost you £625 to £650 depending on model, the second £750 to £1,095, third £1,095 to £1,400, fourth £595 to £895, and the fifth (10 years/100,000 miles) between £525 and £550. According to the official schedule, if you make it to 12 years or 120,000 miles then prepare yourself for a bill of between £1,400 and £1,500.

Another expense to be aware of is replacing the PDK automatic gearbox’s oil and filter every four years or 36,000 miles at a cost of about £420. Don’t miss this, as the PDK is sensitive to its oil condition and is £7,500 or more to replace. And if you want to extend your warranty – and we advise that you do – then your Panamera will need a £220 check-over by a dealer before you can sign on the dotted line.

These are early days for the Porsche Panamera and as yet there are very few issues to report. However, its predecessor was not the most reliable of vehicles and there are a number of areas to keep a keen eye on.

An absolutely flawless record for oil and filter changes on the PDK automatic gearbox is essential. On the first-generation Panamera there were many instances of its PDK Mechatronic control module and its clutch packs expensively failing because of oil quality issues, which is why the service intervals are now 36,000 miles. Whatever you do, do not ignore them.

The V8 diesel version of the latest Panamera won’t be immune to the diesel particulate filter (DPF) problems that afflicted earlier models. Give the car a full-throttle blast occasionally to ensure that the PDF’s regeneration process is triggered, otherwise the filter clogs up, diesel fuel drips into the sump diluting and raising engine oil level, and you’re facing a world of financial pain.

Electrical gremlins are starting to surface. The software for the Panamera’s touchscreen infotainment system in some instances is taking an age to load, instrument clusters are literally going dark with dealers unable to explain why, and a few cars have suffered complete electrical shutdown while on the move. Oxygen and fuel sensors have also been known to fail.

Although not yet reported on UK Panamera forums, some owners in the USA are complaining about rattling interior trim and buckled carpets.