Looking at the Panamera, it’ll have you wonder whether you can go fast and tackle corners in this thing. The Panamera will surprise you with its talents, despite being a four-door. The second-generation car, launched back in 2017, looks so much better than the previous-generation model. The first car look awkward from many angles and it looked bulky, more than anything. The other thing that put off Porsche purists was the fact that the Panamera came with an engine in the front. The purists may not have taken to it well but a lot of customers did, and Porsche stated that the car sold very well. Porsche sold close to 2 lakh Panameras ever since its launch back in 2009. The all-new Panamera looks sharper, bolder with a rear that could be mistaken for being a 911. Does it have what’s needed to find Indian buyers?
Sportier Panamera
It’s difficult to ignore the styling of the Porsche Panamera. It looks sportier and more low-slung than before because of an increase in height and a slight reduction at the back. The Porsche Panamera is based on Volkswagen’s MSB modular platform, which means the car is longer, wider and taller and gets an extended wheelbase too. Up-ahead, the Porsche Panamera gets a power bulge on the bonnet with lines defining it, flowing into the front bumper. The fenders have strong impressions on them. The LED headlamps get four-point LED DRLs, below which you will notice bar lights that double up as indicators.
From the side, it looks like one of those proper Porsche Cars with a couple-like roofline. The fenders up-front get cooling air vents and there’s a huge retractable spoiler at the back. We like the design of the LED tail lamps that are connected by an LED strip in between. Porsche Cars seem to have nailed it with the new car, after having learnt a bitter lesson with the old one. It is properly modern and manages to turn a lot of heads.
A look inside
The central console is very fitting on a car that costs so much. You don’t find too many buttons; instead you get touch-sensitive surfaces. The 12.3-inch infotainment screen is perhaps the best we’ve seen. It’s easy to use, comes with multiple functions. Also, there aren’t too many colours and the big monochrome display looks fantastic. You can also pinch and expand the navigation display with just two fingers. The signature five-dial layout is found behind the steering, but the only analogue bit is the tachometer, flanked by a pair of 7.0-inch screens that are basically used for the remaining dials. The screens can be customized and the front seats feature a massage function.
You get a V8
About the engine
The Panamera simply darts forward with the Traction Management’s all-wheel drive keeping it safe, along with variable torque distribution. Put it in Sport Plus, the exhaust burbles and the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 awakens. But it’s not the kind of V8 you’d find in an AMG. It, however, builds speed very quickly and it munches miles within seconds. The engine develops 542bhp and it can sprint from 0-100kph in 3.58 seconds. The Panamera is a wizard at overtaking other cars. If you opt for the Sport Chrono package, you get Launch Control and access to four driving modes: Normal, Sport, Sport + and Individual, all of which are controlled via a steering-mounted rotary switch. Dab on the Sport Response button, and the car simply rockets ahead and the engine responses and gearshifts are much better in this mode.
The car rides on air suspension at all four corners, resulting in a comfy ride, but it still won’t take in the big bumps very well, because, well, this is a sports coupe sedan that sits very low to the ground and that also means limited suspension travel. The ride height can be adjusted to suit our roads with some speed-breakers getting cleared easily.
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