Launched: Third-Gen Porsche Panamera – 348 HP V6, from RM1.3 Million

The third-gen Porsche Panamera has finally arrived in Malaysia, featuring a single V6 variant.

Following its global debut in November last year, the all-new, third-gen Porsche Panamera has finally made its landfall into our market. Officially brought in by Porsche brand custodian Sime Darby Auto Performance (SDAP), the new Panamera is currently available in its sole baseline V6 variant, featuring tons of mechanical improvements and minor cosmetic upgrades over its predecessor.

For the Malaysian market, the baseline Panamera gets the updated 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine that now produces up to 348 HP and 500 NM. Mated to Porsche’s signature 8-speed PDK transmission, the new Panamera is good enough for a decent century sprint time of 5.1 seconds and a V-Max of 272 KM/H.

Beyond its improved V6 mill, the third-gen Panamera also benefits from a host of mechanical upgrades. For starters, the new GT model now gets a beefier brake setup featuring six-piston units for the front axle and four-piston ones for the rear, with the former also featuring larger rotors. More importantly, this upgraded brake setup is now hooked up to Porsche’s new electric brake booster system, which helps to improve pedal feel and braking precision.

More impressive is the new Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system the new Panamera rides on, featuring dual-chamber, two-valve air suspensions primed on each of the four corners of the car. Should you desire more precise handling performance, the new Panamera also comes with an optional rear-axle steering system.

The third-gen Panamera looks painstakingly similar to its predecessor, featuring some minor styling updates on the exterior.

On the visual front, the new Panamera does look quite similar to its predecessor, so much so that many folks presume that this new-gen model is just a mere facelift from the previous, second-gen model. Key design highlights present on the exterior include its updated LED matrix headlights, which are heavily inspired by the facelifted Cayenne SUV, a full-width LED taillight unit that is slimmer than before, standard 19-inch wheels, and many more.

On board, the new Panamera adopts some hi-tech elements from its all-electric twin, the Porsche Taycan, while retaining some analogue control elements. For starters, the cabin is now primed with two massive displays – one 12.6-inch unit for the digital instrument cluster and a smaller 12.3-inch unit for the main infotainment setup that supports both wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Also available here is the optional 10.9-inch third display mounted on the passenger side of the front dash.

As for the analogue elements, the gear shifter has been moved to the rear part of the steering wheel, allowing extra space for cubbies, a wireless charging pad, and dedicated climate control switches at the central console. Elsewhere, the two powered front seats now come with massage functions, which can be controlled via either the new MyPorsche mobile app, the Apple CarPlay connectivity, or the Siri voice assistant.

Fully-imported (CBU) from the Porsche Leipzig plant, the all-new, third-gen Porsche Panamera is now available for booking, starting at RM1.3 million excluding insurance and options. To learn more about the new Panamera, you can visit any Porsche Centres nearby or virtually via Porsche Malaysia’s official website.