The Porsche Panamera is entering its third model generation. Porsche says the sports car manufacturer's luxury sedan emphasises its sporting character with even more powerful drive systems, a modernised operating concept and plenty of innovative technology as standard.
A host of new and updated technologies are present on the just-unveiled Porsche Panamera. These include the new Porsche Active Ride suspension system, which combines a significantly higher level of comfort with the sporting driving characteristics for which Porsche is famous. The integration of the user’s own digital ecosystem into the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) will also offer new ways of interacting with the car.
Meanwhile, the technical yet elegant and dynamic design of the new Panamera gives the model line’s attractive proportions a fresh update. A wide range of driver assistance systems and a fundamentally redesigned, driver-centered interior enhance the driving experience.
The new Panamera already comes with dual-chamber two-valve air suspension with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) as standard. The two-valve technology separates the rebound and compression stages of the damper control and therefore offers an even wider range between comfort and sportiness: the system noticeably dampens impacts from transverse joints and road damage while at the same time ensuring more body stability in dynamic driving situations. The car’s handling can be further improved thanks to optional all-wheel steering.
In addition, the innovative Porsche Active Ride active suspension system is available as an option for E-Hybrid models of the new Panamera. This system surpasses other suspension concepts in all relevant parameters and offers an unprecedented range between driving comfort and driving dynamics. The basis for this is 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, which counteract and almost completely compensate for the forces resulting from the road excitation. A weight-saving single-chamber air-suspension system complements this technology.
Globally, 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 - which will be ready at market launch - is expected to be a stand-out in the E-Hybrid range.
The heart of its powertrain is a fundamentally revised four-litre V8 turbo engine. The output of the newly developed electric motor is 140kW. Together, they create a system output of 500kW. The system torque reaches an impressive 930Nm.
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 oil circuit of the transmission also optimises the heat balance of the electric drive unit and allows higher continuous output from the electric motor.
The Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid sprints to 100km/h in 3.2 seconds and boasts a top speed of 315km/h. Its battery capacity is now 25.9kWh. This enables an equivalent electric range of up to 91km in the combined WLTP cycle or 83–93km in the city cycle. A new 11kW on-board AC charger shortens the charging time at suitable charging points to two hours and 39 minutes.
Model variants bearing the Turbo name enjoy a special position at Porsche as the performance flagships. Porsche has strengthened this position in the model line with the Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid. Externally, it is characterised by a distinctive rear apron with painted diffuser panels and a unique front apron in body colour. There are also chrome-plated tailpipes in dark bronze and optional centre-lock wheels, which can also be specified on the other 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 bonnet, wheels and steering wheel. Inside, Turbonite is combined with carbon elements to create a sporting ambience. It 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.
The new Panamera retains the characteristic lines and proportions of the model line. It measures 5,052mm in length, is 1,937mm wide and 1,423mm high. Porsche says its fundamentally revamped appearance lends the sports sedan an even more expressive and sporting look.
Up front, an additional air intake above the number plate compensates for the increased air requirement of the drive systems. The redesigned window line in the sideview reinforces the sedan 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.
Deliveries of the new Porsche Panamera will begin in Europe in March 2024, with further New Zealand specification and pricing information available closer to the model's local launch.