Performance up, prices down for 2021 Porsche Panamera

Full details of the upgraded 2021 Porsche Panamera have been announced, including pricing and specifications for Australia, where prices will start under $200,000 and a long-wheelbase version of the German sports limousine will join the range.

Now available to order ahead of its arrival Down Under in December, the updated Porsche Panamera range will be priced from $199,500 plus on-road costs – $19,100 less than before.

And for the first time, a long-wheelbase ‘Executive’ variant will be available in Australia, priced at $219,200 – $9500 more than the model it’s based on, the 2021 Porsche Panamera 4, which at $209,700 costs $19,300 less than the model it replaces.

The same price cut applies to the Panamera 4 Sport Turismo wagon ($217,000) and the new plug-in Panamera 4S E-Hybrid costs $292,500, but the biggest reductions are for the sporty GTS sedan ($309,500 and wagon ($316,800), both of which are $57,200 cheaper than before ($218,600).

For now, topping the range is the new Turbo S sedan ($409,500), a nameplate that returns to the second-generation Panamera line-up.

Porsche is yet to reveal replacements for the outgoing Turbo (which was priced at $391,300), the flagship Turbo S E-Hybrid (previously $466,600) or the wagon versions thereof (priced about $6000 higher).

More Sport Turismo wagon variants are also likely to be announced soon, but the mooted two-door coupe and cabriolet versions of the Panamera are likely to be further away.

Despite the price cuts, extra standard equipment for Australia includes Lane Change Assist and LED matrix headlights including PDLS Plus for variants up to and including the Panamera GTS (previously standard only in Australia’s Turbo S).

For Australia, there’s now also Power Steering Plus and Head-up display for variants up to and including the Panamera GTS (previously only standard in Turbo S), and front seat ventilation and soft-close doors for variants up to and including the Panamera 4 (previously standard across the rest of the Australian range).

Other Aussie extras include an air ioniser for the Panamera 4S E-Hybrid and above, and 18-way Adaptive sport seats with memory package for the Panamera Turbo S.

Porsche says the reintroduction of the Turbo S name reflects its significant power increase over the old Panamera Turbo, as evidenced by its new ‘executive car’ lap record at the Nurburgring earlier this month. At 7:29.81, the new Turbo S is 13sec quicker around the 20.8km Nordschleife than the Panamera Turbo was in 2016.

Its Weissach-developed, Zuffenhausen-built twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 now produces 463kW of power and 820Nm of torque (up 59kW/50Nm on the old Turbo) and is claimed to deliver class-leading performance including a 0-100km/h sprint time of just 3.1sec and a 315km/h top speed.

Standard Turbo S features include three-chamber air suspension, Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) and Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control Sport (PDCC Sport) including Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus).

Next on the performance totem is the GTS that runs a lower-output version of the biturbo V8, which at 353kW/620Nm is nevertheless 15kW up on its predecessor.

Porsche says it delivers peak power at its rev limit, offering power delivery “resembling a classic sports car with naturally aspirated engine”, as well as a more prominent V8 note thanks to a new exhaust system with asymmetrically positioned rear silencers.

At the bottom of the range, the 2021 Porsche Panamera and all-wheel drive Panamera 4 both now come with the German sports car maker’s own 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6, as seen in the Macan GTS and Turbo and the Cayenne S).

The 243kW/450Nm outputs match those of the current model’s Volkswagen-sourced 3.0-litre turbo V6, and V6 diesel versions of the Panamera are gone for good.

Other base Panamera updates include revised PASM tuning that’s claimed to improve damping comfort and revised PDCC electric roll stabilisation that’s said to enhance body stability, plus “new equipment generation for the steering control and tyres”.

In the middle of the range, the new Porsche Panamera 4S E-Hybrid brings an all-new plug-in hybrid powertrain with a total output of 412kW and XXXkm electric-only driving range – 30 per cent longer than previous hybrid models.

This is courtesy of a new 17.9kWh battery (up from 14.1kWh) that powers a 100kW electric motor integrated into the eight-speed dual-clutch PDK automatic transmission bolted to the 324kW 2.9-litre biturbo petrol V6.

Combined, total system output is rated at 412kW/750Nm – enough for the 4S E-Hybrid to hit 100km/h in a claimed 3.7sec and a 298km/h top speed.

In terms of styling, depending on the drive system, the previously optional Sport Design front-end with large side openings and a single-bar front light module is now standard, while the Turbo S scores an all-new front-end design with larger intakes and a reworked rear lighting strip between fresh LED tail-light clusters (darkened Exclusive Design units for GTS variants).

Rounding out the mild design updates are three new 20- and 21-inch wheels (for a total of 10), while driver-assist and connectivity upgrades sees wireless Apple CarPlay, Real-time Traffic Information, Online Map Updates and Porsche Connect App support join the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system.

Standard across the range is Lane Keeping Assist and, in Australia, Lane Change Assist, LED matrix headlights including PDLS Plus, Park Assist including Surround View, adaptive cruise control and head-up display.

How much does the 2021 Porsche Panamera cost?
Panamera – $199,500 (-$19,100)
Panamera 4 – $209,700 (-$19,300)
Panamera 4 Executive – $219,200 (new)
Panamera 4 Sport Turismo – $217,000 (-$19,300)
Panamera 4S E-Hybrid – $292,500 (new)
Panamera GTS – $309,500 (-$57,200)
Panamera GTS Sport Turismo – $316,800 (-$57,200)
Panamera Turbo S – $409,500 (new)
* Prices exclude on-road costs