Porsche Panamera 2024, how it’s made. The preview test

Don’t call it a restyling. Although the silhouette of the Panamera has remained unchanged, the interventions under the skin are so important and so relevant that the new Porsche sedan can be considered a completely new generation. In fact, in addition to the small aesthetic details that make this flagship more modern, the first generation of which dates back to 2009 and the second to 2016, fundamental elements of the mechanics have changed: two new groups of electro-actuated suspensions which replace the already effective three-chamber shock absorbers, as well as a hybrid system completely revised to optimize the integration between the thermal, electric engine and gearbox.

Panamera 2024, the design

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It moves slightly away from the soft, rounded lines of the 911 which has always inspired it. Now the Panamera has style more personalaggressive and squared, especially at the front where new bumpers and new, more voluminous lights stand out, which integrate standard LED matrix headlights or the optional HD LEDs with 32,000 pixels and dedicated lane lighting.

External

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Even the frame of the C pillar presents a new edge. The rear area is also different, where the bumpers now have a design reminiscent of that of the 911 GT3 with LED light bar which loses the step, similar to what we had seen on the latest update of the Cayenne. Those who are more attentive to details will notice the absence of a frame on the windows and on the tailgate, a more refined solution than in the past.

Interior

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Inside it is enriched with a new instrument panel fully digital 12.6-inch screen and an additional 10.9-inch screen dedicated to passengers. Now the dashboard, equipped with three screens, is completely digital. The gear lever has been moved to the right of the steering wheel, while the central tunnel is occupied by climate buttons and knobs, making it cleaner.

State-of-the-art suspension

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The real revolution of the 2024 Panamera comes from one suspension scheme completely revised. If the outgoing generation was equipped with optional three-chamber air suspension, this new one is equipped as standard with a similar electronically controlled air suspension system, but double chamber, therefore one less, characterized by a double control valve, which allows the Panamera to independently adjust the extension and compression of the shock absorber control system. This solution, in addition to further accentuating the difference between comfort and sport settings, makes the response of the suspension to the road surface quicker, in order to improve comfort and dynamic driving.

Porsche Active Ride

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Furthermore, for the E-Hybrid versions a completely different and innovative optional system is available, called Porsche Active Ride. This solution also relies on active shock absorbers with double valve technology, but with a single air chamber. However, the shock absorbers in this case are managed individually via an electrically operated hydraulic pump, with reaction times in the order of milliseconds. This allowed the removal of the traditional anti-roll bar, as the shock absorbers counteract roll and pitch independently. For example, during acceleration phases, the rear shock absorbers extend, raising the rear of the Panamera and keeping the car perfectly level. They act in the same way when braking or cornering, when the car tends to lie down. There is also a function that raises the car for easier access.

Integrated PDK

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Another important update concerns the E-Hybrid system, i.e. plug-in hybrids. At the top of the range is the Turbo E-Hybrid, already available at launch. The Twin-turbo V8 four-liter version has had its injection and cylinder pressures revised. It is coupled to a new 140 kW (190 HP) electric motor for a system power of 680 horsepower and a couple of 930 Nm. This time the electric engine has been integrated into the housing of the eight-speed, oil-cooled Pdk dual clutch gearbox.

Low weight and improved battery

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This allowed a saving of 5 kg and a better performance of the engine, which can count on greater continuous output thanks to the optimization of the thermal balance obtained from the integration of the electric motor into the gearbox oil circuit. The battery is now larger and has a capacity of 25.9 kWh. With the 11 kW alternating current charger, this translates into a charging time from zero in 2 hours and 40 minutes and an electric range of 91 km in the mixed cycle.

The turbo is more exclusive

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The Turbo has received dedicated aesthetic treatments to underline its higher positioning compared to the rest of the range. In fact, the Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds and accelerates to a maximum speed of 315 km/h. Compared to the rest of the range, it stands out for its painted rear bumper diffusers and a front sub-bumper in the same color as the bodywork. The details also differentiate the Turbo from other Panameras: the new color is now available Turbonite, which is also used as a contrast for the side windows and for the “Turbo” logo and is also found in the interior in contrast with the carbon elements and in the central rev counter. It can also be applied to the new single-nut rims, also exclusive to the Turbo model.

Even v6

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Those who don’t need the rocket performance of the Turbo can count on the already very fast Panamera and Panamera 4, available immediately. They are moved by the known 2.9 liter V6 turbo, which has been updated and features changes to boost pressure, injection flow rate and ignition timing. It now delivers 23 more horsepower, for a total of 353 HP and 500 Nm. This power translates into a 0 to 100 km/h sprint in 5.2 seconds for the Panamera and 4.8 seconds for the all-wheel drive Panamera 4, with a top speed of 272 km/h for the rear-wheel drive version and 270 km/h for the all-wheel drive version.

First contact

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We’ve already driven some camouflaged prototypes of the Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid near the factory in Leipzig, Saxony, where the sedan has been produced since its debut. Two variants tested: the one with standard suspension, therefore double chamber and double valve, and the one equipped with Porsche Active Ride. You always appreciate the sprint from a standstill in a Porsche Turbo: the Panamera with this engine is a real bullet, with great progression and always very rapid changes. What we were really interested in above all was testing the suspension: the difference between the standard double-chamber, double-valve suspension and the three-chamber system of the outgoing generation is difficult to perceive in such a short test.

The effects of active riding

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What was evident, however, is how the Panamera changes with the system Active Ride. “It feels like traveling on a carpet” is a journalistic expression that is sometimes overused, but which often serves to make people understand how effective the suspension absorption is. In the case of the Panamera equipped with Porsche Active Ride suspension, it can be used to give the idea of ​​a car that does not lie down, therefore It has no roll and which never pitches. And therefore it always seems flat. It took a few kilometers to get used to such behavior, but once down, the impression was that Porsche had set a new benchmark. Therefore every manufacturer who wants to offer a flagship in this segment in the future will have to adopt similar solutions.

Prices

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Porsche has already announced the prices for the new Panamera in Italy: let’s start with 112,182 euros of the Panamera, while to have the Panamera 4, with four-wheel drive, you spend 116,431 euros. The price of the Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid starts at 198,632 euros.