PORSCHE PANAMERA S
Desperate Expansion
Porsche diversifies into another mould with a car feeling very much like a reborn 928
Spoiled by the success of the Cayenne SUV, Porsche is hoping to reap more with its all-new Panamera which curiously sits between a hatchback and a coupe'. Whether the new four-door will become popular remains to be seen. Here's why.
To many Porsche enthusiasts, particularly in Thailand, the brand is known for its sporty attributes, hence the never-dying popularity of the 911 Carrera.
True, the Cayenne was the anti-thesis of Germany's sports car specialist. But people probably went for it because it was a statement of fashion: the vehicle's high driving position and the higher level of practicality it presented over the squashed Carrera 2+2.
Many people say the Panamera, for what it's all supposed to be, slots perfectly between the 911 and Cayenne in terms of practicality, statement and driveability. In other words, the Panamera isn't as utility-oriented as an SUV or as pure as a sports car.
Maybe the best way to describe the Panamera is that it is a modern iteration of the 928 of the past but with two extra doors.
They may have even called the 928 a coupe', but it was more of a three-door hatchback by nature; the same goes for the Panamera hatch which some would prefer to call saloon.
In the Panamera, the engine sits up front in a manner traditional of cars and SUVs. The front is typically Porsche-like with its trademark lights, as well as the frog-like profile. It's a strange-looking car with some clumsy proportions, but fans may feel otherwise and suggest it's a proper Porsh-cha.
The simple reason why the Panamera should be called a hatch is because of the boot lid that opens in one-piece way with the windscreen.
The boot is small and shallow, but its practicality is aided by cubbie holes on the sides and beneath the floor and the ability of the rear seats to fold flat.
As Porsche doesn't want the Panamera to conform to rules, the rear takes only two persons. The perches - which ape those up front with side airbags fitted into them, too - are good to sit in. There's no problem about head or legroom, even for six-footers.
Helping out on practicality once again is a centre rail running between the seats that houses small storage compartments. And making life for rear passengers easier are doors that open with no fixed apertures.
The cabin up front is an even more pleasant place to be in. The cockpit feels purposeful and special, and it oozes with quality. The centre console - with all those switches - feels like no other earlier Porsches, and even appears messy initially. It only starts to work after you get acquainted with it.
As said earlier, the Panamera seems to sit between the 911 and Cayenne, meaning that it yields a fine balance between sportiness and four-seat practicality.
The same could be said for the Panamera on the move, where you sit neither low nor high. You can detect the car's immense size with large sheet of metal up front and how far the body stretches back - and how restricted the rear-view is through the mirror.
It appears there's a compromise in the Panamera's design. Glance at the spec sheet and you'll note that it's nearly as long as a 7-series or S-class but not as effective overall as a true four-door package since rules have been bent.
Crank the petrol engine to life and note the evocative V8 growl. The throttle doesn't have that snappy responsiveness as you would have liked. But upon getting used to the modulation on offer, the Panamera moves effortlessly around town.
There's plenty of low-rev shove, the steering is lighter than you would expect of a Porsche and the ride is quite plush in comfort mode of the adjustable suspension.
There's harshness over rough surfaces, although it's less pronounced than in the 911. Just don't expect the ride to be as quiet as in a Bimmer or Mercedes.
In the real world, 4,000rpm is practically all you need with the seven-speed PDK automatic efficiently sending power to the rear wheels (there's also all-wheel-drive in the form of Panamera 4S for those needing more of all-weather grip).
Cockpit is a nice place to be in; build quality is superb.
You then start to wonder what the motor's like when pushed to higher levels, given the generous amount of refinement it has lower down the engine speed range.
What you get when the V8 is pushed to the 6,700rpm redline is a remarkable level of performance and a smooth, quick gear-shifting of the dual-clutch 'box. You just hope that the engine could sound a little naughtier because we aren't talking about a Cayenne in the first place.
Like in the Cayenne model portfolio, the Panamera S's V8 is all you need and what you must have. The smaller V6 is really for star-gazers, while the twin-turbo V8 is only suitable for those who haven't received a bonus in years.
The Panamera's chassis is equally as impressive. Grip is never short, although the sport mode makes the ride at high speeds remarkably flat. And even if the steering is light at low speeds, it maintains enough crispness elsewhere.
The handling balance is also a boon. Throw the Panamera into corners you can feel how neutral the car is. Begin to push more than usual and you easily catch the car's tail out even when stability control is on. Turn it off and the road's all yours.
In fact, the limits and level of exploitability and adjustability are quite similar to a Jaguar XF when powered by a roaring V8. Because of this, the Panamera is still a proper Porsche and arguably the best car to drive in a class where it isn't easy to locate its direct rival.
To sum up, the Panamera plugs the gap between the 911 and Cayenne quite well in product terms. However, the price doesn't play to the tune when the car in S form costs B17m in Thailand - more expensive than, say, a similar performing 911 CS2 costing B15.6m.
Probably that's why some at the Thai Porsche office believe why many fans will either settle for the Cayenne or 911. Even the Panamera V6, with an un-Porsche performance, already costs a hefty B13.3m.
If Porsche really wants to push sales of the Panamera in Thailand, then the pending Hybrid option (see Offrecord on page M1) seems a better option.
Rear has proper head and legroom for two adults.
Switches feel messy at first but work fine after a while.
400hp V8 feels just about right in power terms.
Rear seats can fold flat in an easy manner.
Panamera S asks for B17m.
Excellent chassis is both grippy, worth exploiting.
Credit: Bangkok Post (www.bangkokpost.com)
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