The Aston Martin Rapide has gone the way of the Dodo, and the Maserati Quattroporte is soldiering on, with super sedans replaced by SUVs left right and centre, but the Porsche Panamera is doing alright, despite the tremendous popularity of the Porsche Cayenne. Porsche gave it a bunch of updates globally last year, and this updated new Panamera has now reached our shores, with a starting price of Rs 1.69 core (ex-showroom).
We are getting the turbocharged V6 engine that’s also under the hood of the new Cayenne, which is good for 353 hp at 5,400 to 6,700 rpm, and a flat torque plane (can hardly call it a torque curve anymore) of 500 Nm at 1,900 to 4,800 rpm. It is 23 hp and 50 Nm greater than the model it replaces. With the help of an eight-speed PDK automatic gearbox, the German super sedan sprints to 100 km/h from zero in 5.3 seconds, and onto a top speed of 272 km/h, only usable on the Autobahn.
Visual tweaks to the new Panamera include headlights similar to the new Cayenne with four distinct elements inside the housing; there’s an additional air intake above the number plate for better breathing, and the tail section is curvy without being bulbous. Inside, there’s a driver focused cockpit, with the classic Porsche five-dial configuration projected onto a screen, and an infotainment touchscreen which doesn’t rise above the dashboard top, creating a seamless integration of vehicle functions and allowing the driver to focus on the road ahead. There’s also an option to add a co-driver display to the mix, increasing the digital real estate.
The new Porsche Panamera also gets dual-chamber two-valve air suspension with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) as standard, with the two-valve technology separating the compression and rebound strokes of the damper and thus enabling spirited cornering without compromising ride quality. Porsche Active Ride active suspension system is available as an option for the e-hybrid trims.
With the launch of the third-gen Porsche Panamera, the super-sedan gets a much-needed upgrade to take on the the Mercedes-AMG GT63 S e-Performance 4-door Coupe.
