Third-Gen Porsche Panamera Debuts with No Sport Turismo Variant

Third-gen Porsche Panamera arrives with four E-Hybrid PHEV options and no Sport Touring wagon variant

Following several teasers and previews, Porsche has finally unveiled the third-gen Panamera model to the world. Featuring a somewhat mild design upgrade and plenty of new equipment, the new Panamera only arrives in a single, four-door saloon body type, with the German automaker omitting the cult-favourite Sport Touring wagon variant for the third-gen model.

Starting off with the visuals, one can be forgiven for thinking that this is just a mere facelift from the previous model, as the new Panamera looks very similar to its predecessors. For starters, this low-slung sedan still retains its predecessor’s fastback GT body style, while its front face is heavily adopted from the facelifted Cayenne SUV, featuring a larger central intake and new shape and lighting signatures for its LED matrix headlights.

More importantly, the new Panamera is now offered in several new colours and wheel designs, including optional 21-inch centre-locked wheels. Moving to the rear part, the Panamera’s sloping roofline goes all the way to its tailgate, with a retractable active rear spoiler kept tucked underneath. Aside from that, the full-width LED taillight bar is now much slimmer, which is mated to its sculpted rear bumper design, making the Panamera look much closer to the 992-gen 911 than before.

The Porsche 'Turbonite' emblem and finishing is offered for the first time on the new Panamera Turbo

First-time making its appearance in a Porsche Turbo model are the new Turbonite finishing on some parts of the top-specced Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid. This unique shade can be seen on the Panamera’s front hood emblem, front bumper accents, window surround, the ‘Turbo’ lettering at the tailgate, and many more.

Prior to its global debut, we’ve been given a preview of the new Panamera's cabin design, where it features the Taycan-inspired triple display layout. Both the 12.6-inch curved digital instrument cluster and the central infotainment display are joined by a third optional 10.9-inch screen, which is mounted directly on the front passenger side of the front dash.

Aside from the new screen layout, the new Panamera’s cabin also comes with a cleaner central console stack, where it houses the controls for both the climate and the seat ventilated functions. With both the gear shifter and drive mode selector moved to the steering wheel, this leaves more space for a chilled smartphone compartment with a wireless charging pad.

On the powertrain front, the new Panamera is now offered with four E-Hybrid powertrain options alongside several fully-ICED ones – all featuring increased power outputs and improved efficiency for better mileage. Regardless of your preferences, all new Panamera models are fitted with an improved 8-speed dual-clutch PDK automatic gearbox, which Porsche claims to weigh 5 KG less than the old unit.

Third-gen Porsche Panamera 4 (left) & Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid (right)

Starting off with the baseline Panamera and Panamera 4, both models are powered by an upgraded 2.9-litre turbocharged V6 mill that now outputs 348 HP and 499 NM – about 23 HP and 50 NM more than its predecessors. Meanwhile, the Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model gets a larger 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 mill that is mated to a single electric motor that is juiced by a 25.9-kWh battery pack, delivering a combined output of 670 HP.

Though it already sounds impressive on paper, we believe that Porsche will almost certainly unveil a more potent electrified variant of the new Panamera in the near future, similar to what it did with the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid, which is rated at 729 HP.

Moreover, the new Panamera also gets several other important mechanical upgrades, including the new ‘Porsche Active Ride’ trick suspension setup derived from the new Cayenne model. Offered exclusively to the Panamera E-Hybrid models, this innovative setup features new active shock absorbers, an electrically-operated hydraulic pump, and a one-chamber air suspension setup.

Thanks to this new setup, Porsche says the new Panamera now offers a better balance of performance and comfort, plus a new ‘Comfort Access’ function that lifts the Panamera up by 55 MM, allowing for a better ground clearance for easier ingress and egress.

Now available for order in selected international markets, including Germany and the US, the all-new third-gen Porsche Panamera is tagged at $99,900 (RM467,981) for the base model and $106,900 (RM500,773) for the Panamera 4, with pricing for the Turbo-E Hybrid variants to be announced subsequently. With its production set to take place at Porsche’s Leipzig plant in Germany, deliveries are expected to commence in said markets as early as spring 2024.

Unfortunately, the new Panamera is only offered with the standard, four-door fastback saloon body style, with Porsche dropping the quirky Sport Turismo wagon version for this third-gen model. This means that the only way for you to get a new Porsche wagon is to opt for the Panamera’s all-electric twin, the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo.