The next-generation Panamera made its global début and it is indeed a stunner.
The all-new second-generation Panamera four-door sport-luxury sedan looks even sharper and features bold new lines on the bonnet and a more svelte accentuated side profile. The rear looks much neater and less bulky with sharp new tail-lamp clusters.
The Panamera is now even longer at 5,049 mm, (+34 mm), slightly wider (+6 mm) and lower (by 5 mm), and has had its roof lowered by 20 mm at the rear for a more pronounced slant. The wheelbase has grown by 30 mm as well, to 2,950 mm. The Panamera has been introduced in three initial guises – 4S, 4S Diesel, and Turbo. The new car is built on the new Volkswagen Group’s MSB platform that also shares its underpinnings with Bentley. As such, the drivetrains powering the Panamera are cutting-edge and, needless to say, extremely potent.
The 4S uses an all-new 2.9-litre (2,894-cc) twin-turbo V6 making 440 PS peaking between 5,650 and 6,600 RPM with 550 Nm of peak torque between 1,750 and 5,500 RPM. The 4S Diesel inherits the SQ7 TDI’s all-new electric biturbo V8. Displacing 3,956 cc, in the Panamera, it puts out 422 PS between 3,500 and 5,000 RPM, with the peak 850 Nm coming in at just 1,000 RPM and staying until 3,250 RPM. The top-spec Panamera Turbo uses an all-new twin-turbo V8 displacing 3,996 cc and putting out 550 PS at 5,750 (to 6,000) RPM and a hefty 770 Nm of peak torque between 1,960 and 4,500 RPM.
The Panamera is essentially a 2+2 seater with even more room for rear passengers despite the deceptive roof line. The boot volume too has increased to 495 litres. For now, it’s just four-wheel-drive versions on offer. Rear-wheel-drive variants will follow. There are talks of a long wheelbase model as well. Prices for the new Panamera start at €113,047 (Rs 85 lakh) for the 4S, with the 4S Diesel priced from €116,954 (Rs 88 lakh) and the ultimate Turbo, Batman-style wing included, priced at €153,011 (Rs 1.15 crore), all prices for Stuttgart, Germany.
Story: Jim Gorde
