Porsche Panamera

The Panamera is a midsize luxury sedan that can seat four or five passengers, depending on the configuration. In Porsche's lineup, it’s positioned above two-door sports cars such as the Porsche 911 and below larger SUVs such as the Cayenne. Related models include the Panamera Sport Turismo, a wagon variant, and the Panamera Executive, which features a longer wheelbase for increased rear-seat comfort. Its most recent (second) generation debuted in 2017, offering an updated exterior design, a more refined interior, and improved performance.

Porsche offers the Panamera in a wide range of trims, including the base Panamera, the Panamera 4, the Panamera 4S, the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, the Panamera GTS, the Panamera Turbo, and the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. Going up the range generally adds increasing levels of performance and features, which are detailed below.

In first-generation models (2010-2016), the base Panamera and Panamera 4 come with a 3.6-liter V6 engine producing 300 horsepower. The Panamera S and 4S feature a 4.8-liter V8 producing 400 hp, while the Panamera GTS gets a more powerful version of that engine with 430 to 440 hp, depending on the model year. The Panamera Turbo and Turbo S crank things up even further with a version that produces 500 hp (in the Turbo) or 550 hp (in the Turbo S). In 2013, the Panamera S E-Hybrid was introduced, featuring a 3.0-liter V6 combined with an electric motor, delivering a total of 416 hp and up to 20 miles of all-electric range.

The introduction of the second-generation Panamera brought some notable powertrain updates. In 2019, the base Panamera and Panamera 4 received a new 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 producing 325 hp, replacing the previous 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 with 330 hp. Two years earlier (2017), the Panamera 4S got a more potent version of that mill with 434 hp, which was later increased to 440 hp. The Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, introduced in 2016, combines the 2.9-liter V6 with an electric motor, producing a total of 462 hp and capable of around 31 miles of all-electric range. In 2018, the Panamera GTS got a new 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with 453 hp, while the Panamera Turbo received a 550-hp version of that mill. Lastly, the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, introduced in 2017, combines the twin-turbo V8 with an electric motor for a total of 680 hp and up to 31 miles of all-electric range.

All models come with Porsche's PDK (Porsche Doppelkupplung) seven-speed or eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, depending on the specific model and production year. Rear-wheel drive is standard on the base model and some lower trims, while all-wheel drive is offered on most upper-level trims.

Since 2017, the Panamera has featured a standard 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay integration. Android Auto followed in 2021. However, note that most advanced driver aids remain optional, including adaptive cruise control, forward collision mitigation, and blind-spot monitoring, so you’ll need to check the specs of each example you’re considering to learn what driver-assist features it has.

For used car buyers, we recommend targeting 2017 and later examples of the Panamera due to the improvements to its design, performance, and technology that Porsche made in that year. In terms of trims, the Panamera 4S offers a balance of performance and value, or the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid if you're interested in a more eco-friendly option with impressive power.