2019 Porsche Panamera Review, Ratings, Specs, Prices, And Photos
We鈥檝e spent time in about half of the Panamera鈥檚 vast lineup of many flavors for many purposes. There鈥檚 not a bad apple in this group of five-doors that mask their girth exceptionally well. That 911 soul is there, but in some models you鈥檒l have to look a little more deeply than others. That鈥檚 not a bad thing; after all, the Turbo S E-Hybrid is more akin to the outlandish, limited production 918 Spyder. 90,000 for the base, rear-wheel drive Panamera powered by a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 rated at 330 horsepower. It鈥檒l still sprint to 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds, or 5.2 with the optional Sport Chrono package, before dropping off at 164 mph. An all-wheel-drive model badged Panamera 4 is available. Sport Chrono adds to every Panamera a button in the middle of the sport mode selector that spools up 20 seconds of extra boost. It鈥檚 a call button you鈥檒l find yourself pushing often; if only it was bright red and not buried in black. We鈥檝e not yet driven the base Panamera, but we imagine that it鈥檒l be more than acceptable.
Next up is the Panamera 4S powered by a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V-6. We have driven the 4S. Peak torque hits at 1,750 rpm and doesn鈥檛 let up until 5,500 rpm, a compelling plateau accompanied by a subtle soundtrack of V-6 whammering and twin-turbo whistling. Although everything in the lineup has at least one turbo, the Panamera Turbo spins out a healthy 550 hp from its 4.0-liter V-8. Torque tops out at 567 lb-ft, a match for the overboost figure from the last Panamera. You鈥檒l hit 60 mph in as little as 3.4 seconds before topping out at 190 mph, assuming there鈥檚 a race track in your backyard. It鈥檚 usably faster without much of a brutish nature. Power is linear and delivered with a characteristic, but muffled V-8 roar. An 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that Porsche brands as PDK (or, if you鈥檙e fluent in German, Porsche Doppelkupplungs Getriebe) is fitted to all, but it only shuttles power to the rear wheels on the base model.
All other variants are all-wheel drive, even if they don鈥檛 have a 4 in their name. Paddle shifters live behind the steering wheel鈥檚 top spokes, where they should, and they fire off explosively fast shifts. Only an occasional low speed grumble endemic to this type of gearbox spoils the mood, with an emphasis on occasional. Both start with run-of-the-mill Panamera engines鈥攖he 4S鈥?2.9-liter V-6 in the case of the 4 E-Hybrid and the Turbo鈥檚 4.0-liter V-8 for the Turbo S E-Hybrid. From there, they gain lithium-ion battery packs and electric motors that add a few pounds easily offset by more performance. The 4 E-Hybrid, with its combined output of 462 hp and 516 pound-feet of torque, boasts incredible power and a lightning fast 4.4-second 0-60 mph sprint. Yet it鈥檚 a plug-in hybrid that can motor along in fully electric mode for around 30 miles. The Sport Chrono package is standard here. How the 4 E-Hybrid acts is determined by its modes. Hybrid Auto mode and an E-Power mode.
The car always starts out in E-Power, which means it will run on electricity alone up to 86 mph, provided you don鈥檛 kick the throttle down past a detent in the pedal stroke. An E-Hold mode preserves the battery鈥檚 state of charge for use later, too. E-Charge, meanwhile, uses the gas engine to charge up the battery鈥攊ts usefulness seems dubious unless you鈥檙e headed to an electric car-only zone. Porsche says the battery can be charged in 12.5 hours on a standard 110-volt outlet. Opt for the available 240-volt charger with its 7.2-watt capacity and the charge time falls to 2.4 hours. So if the 4 E-Hybrid is about guiltless performance, the Turbo S E-Hybrid goes in the opposite direction. It鈥檚 more in line with Porsche鈥檚 918 Spyder both in terms of its flagship status the way it uses hybrid tech to extract more performance. An electric motor ties up to the 4.0-liter V-8 for 680 hp and 626 lb-ft of torque, but numbers are only part of the story here. All that torque is available almost immediately, which endows the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid with Tesla-rivaling performance. Thrust is instant and intoxicating.
One demerit to both hybrid versions of the Panamera is their brake pedal feel. This regenerative system shuttles otherwise wasted energy back into the battery. At least these hybrids don鈥檛 ride or handle any differently. Their steering remains crisp and communicative, with hints of the road traveling from pavement to palm unlike any other large luxury car. The Panamera belies its heft by shuttling into corners with aplomb, but it feels like a large, planted car when the road gets bumpy. We鈥檝e not yet driven a Panamera with the standard suspension, but the three-mode adaptive setup provides a ride that can be cosseting or pleasantly firm. Even with optional 21-inch alloy wheels, the Panamera absorbs bumps both big and small in stride. Some credit is due to the Panamera鈥檚 hefty curb weight, which definitely smothers out some smaller heaves and bumps. If anything, it鈥檚 the Panamera鈥檚 length that plays a larger factor in the way it drives than its curb weight. The standard-length models come in at nearly 199 inches, while Executives stretch another 6 inches with all of that situated between the wheels. To combat this, an optional rear-wheel steering system modifies the rear axle. It helps the Panamera slot into typical parking spots with aplomb. But this being a Porsche, it also significantly aids high-speed stability and makes the car feel more poised and confident on a winding highway.