Panamera diesel: a sensible Porsche in Oz?
A new variant of the Panamera will have the cognoscenti choking on their Brandy AlexandersPorsche Cars Australia has issued its latest price list, featuring a new entry that will be seen in some quarters as everything that Porsche is not — the Panamera diesel.
Deliveries will commence in September, but the dealers are already accepting orders for the $194,900 'sparkless' Panamera — a relative bargain, undercutting the petrol model by $5300. And as motoring.com.au correspondent Gautam Sharma reported back in May, this new variant will transport driver and three passengers between Sydney and Melbourne on one tank of fuel, with about 10 litres to spare.
Indeed, it's likely the diesel Panamera's effortless touring and long range between drinks will broaden the appeal of the sedan in Australia. The Panamera diesel can still top 240km/h, which, in this country is overkill... if you subscribe to the government's view that speed kills. That capability is a result of the output of 184kW and 550Nm from the car's Volkswagen-sourced 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6. The standard eight-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission assists too, both in performance and fuel economy. Fuel consumption is 6.5L/100km in standard form and yet the car will sprint to 100km/h from a standing start in 6.8 seconds.
As with other Porsche models, the warranty for the new car runs 36 months, with unlimited kilometre coverage and includes 24-hour roadside assistance for the duration of the warranty.
So while the Panamera diesel might be the red-haired stepchild in the Porsche range, it's a choice that does make sense.
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