When Porsche first came out with the Panamera in 2009, the world thought that the German luxury carmaker had gone mad. It had the Porsche purists in an uproar in as much the same way as many are hoping that Donald Trump’s winning the US elections is all a bad dream.
Seven years and two generations later, however, it seems like Porsche is the one laughing. The Panamera has become so successful that it is one of the brand’s hottest selling models. And people seem to love it so much that Porsche decided it was time to unveil even more variants to appeal to a wider audience, particularly the executive set. Enter the new Panamera entry and top-spec offerings
At the “lower end” of the spectrum is the Panamera with a V6 turbo motor. This one adds 20 more horses compared to the previous-gen’s V6 lump. This makes for 330hp that seems more than enough for the daily grind. It can be had in either rear- or all-wheel drive versions (Panamera 4).
At the other end of the scale are the more opulent variants, meant to be used by the chauffeur-driven market. These include the Panamera 4 Executive, Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Executive, , Panamera 4S Executive, and Panamera Turbo Executive. Yes, the Executive models are aimed squarely at, you guessed it, the Executive class.
What sets this grade apart from the rest is the 150mm longer wheelbase. This allows for more room and even more goodies inside that luxurious cabin. They come standard with a large panoramic moonroof, adaptive air suspension with electronic dampers (Porsche Active Suspension Management or PASM), front and rear comfort seats with electronic adjustment, and roll-up rear sunblind.
Move up to the Panamera 4S Executive or the Panamera Turbo Executive and you get even more niceties like soft-close doors, rear-axle steering, as well as LED headlamps, four-zone climate control, and ambient lighting for the Turbo Executive grade. Meant to please the rear passengers as much as the driver, the Executive models now feature a large rear center console. It can even be equipped with folding tables or an inductive antenna for smartphones.
And what backseat would be complete nowadays without stuff like the Porsche Rear Entertainment system? The large 10.1-inch displays can mirror your phone or serve as workstation. Moreover, they can even be detached and used as a tablet when outside the vehicle.
The new Porsche Panamera long wheelbase and V6 variants will be unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show this November.
