Porsche Panamera review

Why should you compromise in life? If you have the funds to treat yourself to a luxury car but need four seats, you really can have sports-car performance too. For proof of that, just take a look at the Porsche Panamera.

Underneath its sharp four-door exterior is a rather athletic frame, with a choice of V6 or V8 petrol petrol engines and rear or four-wheel drive. Plug-in hybrid versions are also available, in case you want to reduce your fuel consumption, go very quickly – or both.

So how does the Porsche Panamera compare with its fully electric stablemate, the Porsche Taycan, as well as more direct luxury car rivals such as the BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé? Read on to find out...

The Porsche Panamera’s engine line-up consists of V6s and V8s. They are all petrol-powered, although some have plug-in hybrid (PHEV) electrical assistance.

The cheapest of the non-PHEVs is the 2.9-litre V6 in the rear-wheel-drive Panamera and the four-wheel-drive Panamera 4 models. With 348bhp, these are officially good for 0-62mph in 5.1 and 4.8 seconds respectively. The pricier 494bhp V8-engined GTS (also four-wheel drive) needs just 3.8 seconds.

As for the PHEVs, they use the standard engines as a starting point, before adding an electric motor to deliver even more power and stronger performance.

The entry-level Panamera 4 E-Hybrid – which features the V6 engine – produces a hefty 464bhp, which is enough for a 0-62mph sprint time of 4.1 seconds. As a bonus, it’s officially capable of covering up to 57 miles purely on electric power.

The 4S E-Hybrid increases power to 537bhp and cuts the 0-62mph time to 3.7 seconds, yet still has an official electric-only range of up to 55 miles.

Then there’s the 671bhp Turbo E-Hybrid and the 771bhp Turbo S E-Hybrid, which use the V8 and are fast enough to embarrass some supercars (0-62mph takes them 3.2 and 2.9 seconds respectively). What’s more, they can still officially cover more than 50 miles purely on electric power.

We’ve tried the Panamera GTS and the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, both of which – unsurprisingly – feel more than quick enough, even though the GTS doesn’t pin you back in your seat when accelerating out of corners in the way the Turbo S E-Hybrid can.

On the other hand, it’s the GTS that sounds better, with a lovely woofling exhaust note, whereas the Turbo S E-Hybrid is more subdued, and what you do hear sounds a little artificial.

Air suspension is now standard across the Panamera range, but the GTS rides 10mm lower than lesser variants and features torque vectoring at the rear to help it turn into bends more eagerly.

Sure enough, its handling is poised and precise, with minimal body lean and an excellent feeling of balance. You never completely forget that this is a heavy car in the way that you do in the fully electric Porsche Taycan.

However, the Panamera GTS does feel a degree or two lighter than the Turbo S E-Hybrid – which it is, according to Porsche's figures – and far more focused than a BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé.

Don’t think that this has been achieved by giving the GTS an uncompromising ride, though. It’s firm but very well controlled across heavily undulating roads, and calmer than you might expect at motorway speeds.

So what of the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid? Well, that also comes with lots of kit that’s designed to improve agility, including four-wheel steering, but what really makes this version special is its Porsche Active Ride active suspension.

Available as an option on other hybrid variants but standard here, it leans the car into bends and pitches it fore and aft almost imperceptibly to counteract the forces that would otherwise act on you as you slow, corner and accelerate again. Plus, when you switch out of Sport mode, it turns the Panamera into a superbly comfortable cruiser.

An eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox is standard on all models, with no manual gearbox option available. It can be jerky when making low-speed manoeuvres, but is otherwise smooth under normal use, in addition to being capable of ultra-rapid shifts in the right circumstances.

Wind noise is well contained, but the Panamera’s giant tyres do generate quite a bit of road roar on coarse surfaces.

“I’m a big fan of the GTS’s exhaust tuning – it really does bring out the audible appeal of the Panamera’s V8 engine.” – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

The driver’s seating position in the Porsche Panamera is fabulous. The pedals and steering wheel line up well and the low-slung seat gives it a sports car feel. Once you’ve set the electrically adjustable steering wheel and seat to your liking, it’s wonderfully comfortable.

That said, we’ve only tried the 14-way adjustable sports seats. On models without these, you’ll need to add them at extra cost if you want adjustable lumbar support.

Visibility out of the rear isn’t great, due to the sloping roofline and large rear pillars, but front and rear parking sensors are included on all Panameras to help you judge the car’s extremities. Powerful LED headlights are standard too, for confident night driving.

Instead of providing physical buttons, Porsche has placed many of the Panamera’s controls in a touch-sensitive panel on the central console. It looks good at first glance but proves problematic to use while driving: you have to look down often to see which function you’re prodding.

The infotainment system itself is more impressive. The 12.3in touchscreen is mounted high enough up on the dashboard that you can see it easily, and most icons are large enough to operate at a glance. Only when you dive deeper into the menus will you find smaller icons that are trickier to find while driving.

There’s also a 12.6in digital driver's display. It's not as configurable as the equivalent in the BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé but looks sharp, and a large head-up display is available.

A third (10.9in screen) is positioned ahead of your front passenger so they can change the radio station, for example, while you keep an eye on the sat-nav map. It also offers Netflix streaming, among other features, and is tinted so it can’t be seen from the driver’s seat.

Quality is very impressive throughout the Panamera. Everything feels beautifully put together and, depending on how much you want to spend, it’s possible to get virtually every surface covered in leather, Alcantara or a veneer of some sort.

“If your family is like mine and everyone’s phone always seems to be low on juice, the Panamera has been specced with you in mind, with a wireless charging pad in the centre console and four USB-C ports on board.” – Steve Huntingford, Editor

Front-seat occupants won’t have any complaints regarding space in the Porsche Panamera. Head and leg room are both more than adequate for anyone six feet tall or even higher.

Storage space is good too. You get a decent central cubby and a few other nooks and crannies dotted around for your odds and ends. The door bins can swallow a fair amount of clutter or a drinks bottle. People in the back get a central armrest, storage between the seats and reasonable-sized door bins.

Is there enough space for the rear seat passengers, though? Yes, a surprising amount, as it happens. While there are only two rear seats, the head and leg room they offer is better than in the Audi e-tron GT and Porsche Taycan.

Indeed, a couple of six-foot-plus adults can sit contentedly behind tall adults in the front. Electrically adjustable rear seats are an option, but you don’t really need them because the standard rear seats are really supportive and comfortable.

The 500-litre boot is big enough to swallow four carry-on suitcases, and the Panamera’s wide-opening powered tailgate lets you get bulky items in with ease. The battery location of the plug-in hybrid (E-Hybrid) models raises the boot floor and reduces boot capacity to 405 litres (just a bit more than in the Volkswagen Golf).

“The technology fest continues in the back of the Panamera, where your passengers can view a 7in screen, although I think a slightly bigger display would be better.” – Darren Moss, Deputy Digital Editor

No Panamera is cheap to buy, and Porsche dealers don’t do discounts. The E-Hybrids do at least keep costs down for company car drivers, although you’ll pay even less BIK tax with a fully electric Audi e-tron GT or Porsche Taycan.

The E-Hybrids also offer excellent official fuel economy figures. For example, the 4 E-Hybrid manages up to 282.5mpg. In reality you'll have to do a lot of electric-only driving and charge up regularly to get anywhere close – and a long motorway journey with a flat main battery is likely to reduce it to around 35mpg.

All Panameras come with a reasonable amount of standard equipment, but nothing out of the ordinary for a luxury car at this price level. Yes, you get alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, leather seats, cruise control and heated front seats, but you’ll need to pay for extras such as privacy glass, a really good stereo and keyless entry.

The 4S E-Hybrid, GTS and Turbo models add a sprinkling of extra luxuries, but a five-figure options spend is still easily possible on top.

Porsche finished in 21st place out of 31 car makers in our 2024 What Car Reliability Survey. Unlike some brands, Porsche’s warranty isn’t limited by mileage, but it does end after three years unless you extend it at extra cost.

While Euro NCAP has not tested the Panamera for safety, it comes with a decent amount of driver aids, including adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist and automatic emergency braking (AEB).

“I always thought it was very stingy that Porsche charged extra for AEB in the Panamera, so it’s good to see that’s no longer the case.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

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