Porsche Panamera V6 2010 Review - International

Porsche Panamera V6

What we liked
>> Surprising performance
>> Good steering feel, roadholding
>> Modern interior design

Not so much
>> Sounds good for a V6 but it's no V8
>> PDK still not as smooth as regular auto
>> Expensive, but cheaper than BMW and Benz

Overall rating: 3.0/5.0
Engine and Drivetrain: 3.5/5.0
Price, Value, Practicality: 2.5/5.0
Safety: 3.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.5/5.0
X-factor: 2.0/5.0

About our ratings

OVERVIEW
>> One year on, a V6 joins the Panamera line-up
A little more than a year after the Porsche's first-ever sedan was released, the German sportscar maker has released the most affordable -- and least powerful --  a V6 version. But with a 0 to 100km/h time of 6.1 seconds, it's no slouch.

The 3.6-litre V6 is the latest addition to the Panamera line-up in what Porsche calls a "top-down" launch strategy. That is, the V8 and turbo models come first and the V6 follows. (A hybrid is due in 2011 and a a diesel version is due in 2012.)

It's an interesting position to take given that Porsche expects the V6 to account for half of all Panamera sales globally -- in much the same way as the V6 and diesel variants dominate the Cayenne 4WD range.

In Australia, the V6 slashes the starting price of the Panamera range by $77,000. The rear-drive V6 costs $193,000 while the all-wheel drive version costs $204,400. The Panamera's previous entry point was $270,200 for the V8 rear-drive model.

As with the rest of the Panamera range, both V6 variants are backed exclusively by Porsche's seven-speed twin-clutch automated transmission that it calls PDK.

While the top end V8 and Turbo V8 Panameras have targeted the Maserati Quattroporte, the V6 Panamera is likely to target Mercedes-Benz S Class and BMW 7 Series customers.

"We expect the V6 will appeal to younger, slightly less wealthy buyers, as well as people who want to make a statement about the environment by only having a V6 engine," says Dr Stefan Utsch, the sales and marketing manager for the Panamera.

More than 23,000 Panameras have been sold in a little over a year. Porsche expects annual sales to settle to around 20,000 per annum, evenly split between V6 and V8 models.

In North America, the biggest market for the Panamera to date, 59 per cent of buyers have never owned a Porsche before, while for 29 per cent of buyers the Panamera was an additional Porsche. The company says a further 12 per cent of Panamera buyers in North America substituted the Panamera for another Porsche model (6 per cent were 911 customers, 5 per cent were Cayenne customers, and 1 per cent were listed as 'other').

Perhaps unsurprisingly, 93 per cent of Panamera customers are male, and the average age is 53, although the new model may bring this figure down.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
>> Buy a V6 and save $77K
Forget the savings on the fuel bill, the V6 Panamera makes a pretty compelling case on the price list alone. Its starting price of $193,000 is $77,200 (to be exact) cheaper than the V8 version. That leaves almost enough change for a top-line HSV GTS V8 as a weekend toy.

There are a few other bits and pieces missing, as well as the two extra cylinders under the bonnet, but they're mostly incidental.

Compared to the V8, the V6 misses out on tyre pressure monitors, bi-xenon headlights, heated front seats and, from the 2011 model year, air suspension will become standard on the V8 (the V6 gets steel-spring suspension). That said, all of the above are of course available as options on the V6.

The front seats on the V8 have 14-way power adjustment; on the V6 they have eight-way power adjustment. But look at it this way: you'll manage.

For the car-spotters, the brakes are the same size on both the V6 and V8 models, but the V6 has black brake calipers while the V8 has red brake calipers. The V6 has black window frames, the V8 has chrome. And the V6 has dual tailpipes (one tube each side) while the V8 has quad tailpipes (two tubes each side).

Oh, and the finishing touch, the V6 simply has a 'Panamera' badge on its bootlid, the V8 says 'Panamera S'.

MECHANICAL
>> Bespoke 3.6 V6 is three-quarters V8
Although it has the same power and torque as the 3.6-litre V6 engine in the new Cayenne 4WD, the two engines are completely different. Indeed, the V6 in the Cayenne is essentially the same engine as used the Volkswagen Touareg (the Cayenne's twin under the skin). The Panamera's V6 is all-Porsche.

Featuring direct injection the V6 is based on the Panamera's V8; it's just missing a couple of cylinders. With 220kW of power and 400Nm of torque, the Panamera's V6 is no slouch. By comparison, the 4.8-litre V8 has 294kW and 500Nm.

Thanks to a unique final drive ratio, the difference in performance is marginal.

The V6 Panamera rear-drive stops the clocks in the 0 to 100km/h sprint in 6.3 seconds, the V6 all-wheel-drive version does the same task in 6.1 seconds. When equipped with the optional Sports Chrono launch control, Porsche says you can trim 0.2 seconds off these times.

With or without launch control they're impressive numbers, considering the V8 does the 100km/h dash in 5.4 seconds.

The Panamera is not exactly light on its feet either. The V6 model weighs 1760kg in rear-drive form and 1820kg in all-wheel-drive form (both figures are for PDK models), which is 40kg and 55kg lighter than the equivalent V8 models respectively. About 30kg of the weight reduction is the V6 engine itself, while luxury equipment makes up for the remaining weight difference.

The lighter weight over the nose means the V6 has the best front-to-rear weight distribution in the Panamera line-up: 52 per cent of the car's weight is over the front wheels, 48 per cent over the rear.

The seven-speed twin-clutch automated manual transmission that Porsche calls PDK is unchanged from the V8 version, but it feels slightly smoother, perhaps because there is less torque involved with each gearshift.

Porsche also says it has refined the fuel-saving stop-start system (the engine automatically shuts off when you stop and starts again as soon as you take your foot off the brake) by making it react more quickly and more smoothly than before.

The official fuel rating average for the V6 rear-drive is 9.3L/100km; the V6 all-wheel-drive is 9.6L/100km -- the most frugal in its petrol six-cylinder luxury class.

PACKAGING

Leather dash and a high end sound system are among the many options, but Australian Panameras all come with navigation integrated into the instrument cluster as standard.

There's room inside for four tall adults (sitting in four leather sports seats) and a decent amount of luggage in the hatch-like boot; this is one of the trade-offs for the slightly awkward-looking rear-end design.

Porsche went for function over form on this one; Aston Martin's sleek Rapide sedan did the opposite -- and got pilloried for having a cramped back seat.

One of my favourite things about the Panamera, though, is the stepless door hinges. They stop wherever you hold the door, making it ideal to squeeze into or out of the car in tight parking spaces. Genius.

SAFETY
>> V6 engine won't get you into too much trouble
As with all Panamera models, the V6 comes with the works from a safety viewpoint. Front airbags as well as side airbags in the front and rear seats, and a full length curtain airbag from front to rear.

Stability control, superb grip and balance (and a relatively modest engine compared to the rest of the Panamera range) will hopefully avoid a crash in the first place.

Don't expect to see an ANCAP crash test rating on the Panamera anytime soon, however. The independent authority (which pays for the cars it crashes) tends not to test prestige cars, rightly making the assumption (in most cases) that the manufacturers will be able to offer leading edge safety in this price category.

COMPETITORS
>> V6 takes on BMW, Benz
Porsche openly admits the biggest rival to the Panamera V8 and V8 Turbo models has so far been the Italian Maserati Quattroporte sports sedan. The soon-to-be-released Aston Martin Rapide will also be a rival for the top Panamera models.

But the $193,000 V6 Panamera is likely to pinch a few sales away from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. For starters, it's cheaper than both its like rivals. The Mercedes-Benz S350 costs $214,900 and is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 which has less power (200kW and 350Nm), is slower (0 to 100km/h in 7.3 seconds) and uses more fuel (10.9L/100km) than the Panamera V6.

Meanwhile the BMW 740i, which costs $203,000, is slightly quicker but also slightly thirstier. Its turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine has more power and torque (240kW and 450Nm), enabling it to dash to 100km/h in 5.9 seconds. But its average fuel rating is 9.9L/100km, a fraction more than both V6 Panamera models.

But it's amazing what technology, a twin-clutch transmission and a low centre of gravity can do.

Porsche's 3.6-litre V6 was purpose-built for the Panamera, right down to the finest detail. And its power delivery was optimised to suit this relatively big, heavy car.

The peak power of 220kW is impressive enough (it wasn't that long ago that Holden Commodore V8s were pumping out these numbers), but it's the 400Nm of torque that gets the Panamera V6 moving. It arrives about 3600rpm and stays with you until about 4500rpm, right in the meat of the powerband, and where the engine revs tend to be doing most of their work.

On the drive program in Cologne we only got to sample the rear-drive V6, which is likely to be the most popular variant. So it was 60kg lighter than the all-wheel drive. But it still felt, well, sprightly. I expect you probably won't believe it because, to be frank, I wouldn't believe it unless I experienced this for myself.

The V6 engine doesn't sound bad, but it doesn't sound great either. If Porsche could give this engine a more distinctive tone (as it does with the sportscar engines) this could help the aural excitement. But each time I pressed the accelerator I came away surprised by how willing the engine was and how effortless it felt. I'm still trying to reconcile it as I write this brief appraisal.

So, things I didn't like? Not much. The suspension can still be a little choppy and/or noisy over expansion joins, but rolling bumps in general were okay.

The PDK transmission felt a little smoother than other Panameras I've driven, even though Porsche insists the hardware and the software are unchanged. The stop-start system was recalibrated and improved, however, to act faster and smoother on shut down and start up.

Perhaps the V6's lower levels of torque (compared to the V8) are slightly less brutal on the driveline. For now, it's one of life's mysteries.

The PDK still isn't perfect however, and can feel baulky in stop-start city traffic. But this seems to be a trait of most twin-clutch auto gearboxes; it's not exclusive to Porsche.

So, in summary, the Panamera V6 was one of the surprises of the year for me. Whether I could justify $200,000 on a V6 Porsche is another matter. But we reckon there'll be plenty of potential Mercedes-Benz S Class or BMW 7 Series customers prepared to give it a try.

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