Porsche Panamera 4S 2013 Review

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory & delivery charges): $299,300
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Sports Exhaust System $6690; 20-inch Alloy Wheels $3980; Carbon Interior Package $3890; Sport Chrono Package Plus $2890
Crash rating: N/A
Fuel: 98 RON PULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 8.9 (combined)
CO2 emissions (g/km): 208 (combined)
Also consider: Aston Martin Rapide (from $370,800); Maserati Quattroporte (from $250,000)

Swoopy sports-luxury sedans like the Panamera might polarise opinion, but there’s no disputing their popularity.

OK, so perhaps that’s a statement less relevant here in Australia than it might be in places like China. But it still points to the fact that Porsche, Aston Martin and Maserati were on to something when they dared to pen such a controversial design.

The model tested, the 4S, is one of eight grades of Panamera available, and evolves a formula that was introduced in 2010. But in place of the V8 donk offered previously, the 4S is now motivated by a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 coupled to a seven-speed Porsche doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK, or dual-clutch transmission) and constant all-wheel drive.

The new twin-turbo unit is said to improve fuel consumption by around 18 per cent compared to the V8, while also providing incremental increases in power and torque. That means an output of 309kW at 5000rpm and 520Nm between 1750 and 5000rpm. Adequate figures by any stretch.

In the 1870kg Panamera 4S those numbers are sufficient to accelerate man and machine to 100km/h in a claimed 4.5 seconds. And though that time is impressive in its own right, what’s more impressive is the way in which the power is delivered.

Plant your foot from a standing start and the Panamera 4S almost seems to ‘hang’ in mid-air as drive is prioritised under an outbreak of torque. A moment later, the whole car seems to magically appear a few car lengths ahead of where it just was. It’s a difficult sensation to describe, but I compare it to an old Road Runner cartoon where a silhouette of dust remains in the shape of the character just launched from frame. Meep meep.

It’s just one of the benefits of having so much traction available. And frankly, there’s but one downside to the quick-acting system. In tight turns, and at very low-speeds, the front inside wheel does tend to bind. It’s a phenomenon common to all-wheel drive systems in vehicles of this kind, and one we’ve noted previously from Audi’s quattro all-paw arrangement.

In spite of its strong and linear acceleration, the Panamera 4S is remarkably efficient. A week of testing in predominantly urban traffic returned an average of 9.8L/100km, less than a litre more than the combined cycle claim.

But it’s the highway where the Panamera makes the most sense. Sure, the urban commute is great for turning heads, but for appreciating the car’s Grand Touring prowess, nothing comes close to a long stretch of road.

At highway speeds, the Panamera 4S is settled and confident. It feels beautifully planted and would, we assume, be equally at home at much higher speeds. In reality, it’s an autobahn cruiser built for speed. It’s fast, sorted and impressively quiet.

Which is terrific considering just how ripe with creature comforts the Panamera 4S is. From the figure-hugging seats to the ideal relationship the driver has with the controls right through to the stunning array of infotainment, comfort and convenience items on offer.

Initially, the vast array of hard buttons used to access the multitude of amenity features can feel overwhelming. Learning the location of the most-used of these takes some familiarisation, but after a while you find the layout easier than scrolling through a screen-and-menu system. And by the end of the week, they pretty much fall to hand without so much as a glance.

The Panamera isn’t just the realm of front-seat occupants, either. Up the back, the car is accommodating and luxurious, even offering enough room for a pair of adults to sit comfortably on longer trips. It’s also easier to step in and out of than the Aston Martin Rapide we sampled a few years back, which should hold a lot of appeal for those who intend to use the rear seats regularly.

As a competent and comfortable GT car Porsche’s swoopy sports-luxury sedan fills its niche skilfully -- so perhaps it’s not hard to see why it’s so popular after all.

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