C ar S cene I nvestigation: Porsche Panamera Diesel

Same concept, different power.

· Design & Engineering:

Compared to its competitors, the Panamera is fresh—a game changer to the usual fleet of XJ’s, A8’s, 7’s, and S-Class’. Despite being a diesel, this variant is no different from the petrol powered 3.6-liter Panamera, bar the letters diesel written neatly on the vehicle’s side in chrome. Hence, the same bold and powerful front, along with the gracious curves on the side and rear end are retained, allowing for an eye-pleasing sports luxo-barge. At 4,970mm long, the Panamera is also fairly imposing, allowing it to command attention amidst the busy roads of say, Shanghai. LED lamps, bi-xenon, automatic spoilers and the lot come standard on this variant, for it’s still a Porsche after all.

· Interior:

Porsche’s new lineup of interior made its debut in the Panamera. Hence, you get the same touch-interactive screen, with a telephony module, GPS map—the lot. Furthermore, Porsche caters to the audiophiles via the standard BOSE sound system, or the optional Brumster sound system, both of which deliver excellent sounds. Being a Porsche, the Panamera is rather driver orientated, with most things within an easy reach. Furthermore, the different available modes coupled with the standard paddle shifters and 8-speed Tiptronic allows one to have some fun with the luxo-barge as well. Unfortunately, there is one downside to the Panamera—the fact that it comes with only 4 seats. Though each seat is well spaced out, comfortable and well tailored, with enough buttons to cater to one’s needs, this is where the Panamera loses out to competition such as the XJ Supercharged, which caters excellent performance and unrivaled rear-seat comfort and entertainment. Nevertheless, the Panamera makes up for such a loss with its voluminous boot that swallows 445 liters of goods. This makes the vehicle capable of a trip up to the golf-course, or to the mountains for a weekend getaway.

· Ride & Handlings

Powering the German is a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 engine. Mated to an 8-speed Tiptronic gearbox, the Panamera Diesel churns out 250BHP, and 550Nm of torque, with the century sprint easily done in 6.8 seconds. Compared to the petrol powered 3.6-liter Panamera that has 400Nm at 4750 RPM, the Diesel churns out 550Nm at 1750 RPM! Furthermore, despite being powered by diesel, it’s hard to tell the difference, as there are no clattering or shudders produced by the engine up front. In addition, as the Porsche complies with Euro 5 emission rules and regulations, one can thoroughly enjoy the vehicle while having a sense of environmental friendliness.