The German luxury carmaker Porsche has hit a home run with the upcoming 2017 Porsche Panamera set to make its grand splash in the global car showrooms early next year.
In fact, the 2017 Panamera is regarded as the brand’s best sedan yet. The most talked about by critics, a number of whom were able to test drive the sedan already in recent weeks, are the two new all-wheel drive variants, namely, the Panamera 4S and the Panamera Turbo.
Both trim levels have more power and better fuel efficiency than previous models. There are also many novel improvements and upgrades that are not immediately obvious when one sees the car, notes Bloomberg.
Compared to its predecessor, the 2017 Panamera is 76.26 inches wide, which is 0.24 inches wider than the previous generation. It is also taller by 5 mm from the predecessor model.
While it seems too negligible, the difference actually makes the car look a little punchier around the shoulder area, and it translates into slightly more shoulder room inside, even if the 2017 Porsche Panamera only sits four people including the driver.
An exciting hood over and under
The new hood of the 2017 Porsche Panamera also looks very exciting, with its four corners of brilliant LED matrix lights.
There is a narrow LED strip that elegantly connects the tail lights and a spoiler that elevates with the push of a button on the Turbo version.
The wheels of the current generation of the Panamera are bigger on the new car, with 19- and 20-inch rims coming standard, and 21-inch optional wheels for a bolder look.
What is even more exciting is what is under the hood of the 2017 Panamera. The Panamera 4S comes with a 2.9-liter V6 gasoline engine that gets 440 horsepower and will hit 60 miles per hour in four seconds.
The Panamera Turbo, on the other hand, has a 4.0- liter V8 gasoline engine that gets 550 horsepower and that will hit 60 mph in 3.4 seconds.
Both come with a new Porsche dual-clutch transmission (PDK) that has eight speeds and all-wheel-drive.
The PDK dual-clutch automatic gearbox is good in either auto or manual mode, darting swiftly and seamlessly between ratios. Only its software blots the copybook, by blocking manual down changes until the revs fall inexplicably low, notes Autocar of UK.
There is also a hybrid version of the 2017 Porsche Panamera that exudes 462 horsepower and can go from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, 31-mile pure electric range but it will debut in late in 2017. It will have 70% better fuel efficiency than the Panamera 4S.
Engine is lighter
Compared with the outgoing Panamera 4S, the V6 engine of the 2017 model has shrunk to 2.9 liters but has a couple of centrally mounted hot vee turbos plumbed in.
The new engine is 14 kilograms lighter than the outgoing 3.0-litre unit and is also considerably more efficient. It also produces an extra 20 bhp and 22 lb-ft more torque.
The 2017 Panamera may weigh the equivalent of a mid-sized hippopotamus, but sticking with the critter theme, it changes direction with the agility of a housefly.
That’s partly because of the Panamera’s new party trick of optional four-wheel steering, which aids rear-end stability at speed to the extent that Porsche can fit a quicker rack.
While all eyes and ears are set on the official rollout of the 2017 Porsche Panamera at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show, the German luxury carmaker has increased the model range of its latest sports sedan with the introduction of a long wheelbase version officially called as the Panamera Executive.
In addition to the Panamera Executive, a new mechanical version entry access featuring a 3.0-liter V6 turbo engine with 330 horsepower will also debut during the event as part of Porsche’s effort to continuously expand the Panamera brand.