Porsche Panamera

Panamera generations at a glance

Michael Mauer led the design of the first generation, Peter Varga the second and James Burgess the third.

First generation (970): a new kind of Porsche, 2009–2016

The Panamera was shown at the Shanghai Auto Show in April 2009, and production began the same month. It was Porsche's first four-door saloon-style car. The bodies were built at the Volkswagen Group plant in Hannover, the engines in Stuttgart, and final assembly took place in Leipzig.

The 970 kept a sporty layout with four individual seats separated by a wide centre console. It weighed nearly 1,800 kg and had a 440-litre boot behind a large tailgate. The old 1cars text described a drag coefficient of 0.29, an active rear spoiler with a variable angle and double-wishbone front suspension.

By 2011 the 4S was the most popular version, with 9,394 sales, ahead of the Turbo with 6,171. The United States was the biggest single market, with 6,188 cars sold by 2011 and 7,614 in 2012.

The 2013 facelift and the first plug-in hybrid

Porsche presented the updated 970 in Shanghai in April 2013. It brought new bumpers, a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 for the S, and a long-wheelbase Executive version for selected markets, 150 mm longer between the axles. The Turbo S rose to 419 kW (570 PS) and reached 100 km/h in 3.3 seconds with launch control.

The big news was the S E-Hybrid, Porsche's first plug-in hybrid in this class. It combined the supercharged V6 with a 96 PS electric motor for 310 kW (422 PS) and 590 Nm. Its 9.4 kWh battery gave more than 32 km of electric driving on the NEDC cycle and charged in about 2.5 hours. In the US it started at 99,000 dollars in 2014, about €75,000 at the time. From January to August 2014 it took about 9 % of Panamera sales worldwide.

Second generation (971): MSB platform and Sport Turismo, 2016–2023

The second Panamera was revealed in Berlin on 28 June 2016. It moved to the Volkswagen Group's MSB platform, which it shares with Bentley, and full production moved to Leipzig. It is 35 mm longer than the first generation, with a 30 mm longer wheelbase. The Sport Turismo estate followed at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2017.

The facelift for the 2021 model year added a full-width LED light bar at the rear and more power. The Turbo S reached 463 kW (630 PS) and 820 Nm, the GTS 353 kW (480 PS), and the Turbo S E-Hybrid 515 kW (700 PS). A new 4S E-Hybrid with 412 kW (560 PS) needed only 3.5 seconds to 100 km/h. Porsche dropped the diesel in 2018.

Third generation (976): Porsche Active Ride, 2023 onwards

Porsche presented the third Panamera on 24 November 2023. The styling changes are evolutionary, the Sport Turismo was dropped, and every version now has air suspension. E-Hybrid models can have Porsche Active Ride, an electro-hydraulic active suspension that can lift the car by 55 mm to make getting in easier. Rear-wheel steering and centre-lock wheels are options.

The Turbo E-Hybrid has a 25.9 kWh battery (21.8 kWh usable), up to 90 km of electric range on the WLTP cycle and an 11 kW on-board charger. A full charge takes about 138 minutes. The long-wheelbase Executive is 5,202 mm long with a 3,100 mm wheelbase and weighs about 2,400 kg.

How the Panamera has grown

By our calculation, the most powerful Panamera has gained 170 kW in 14 years, an increase of 42 %. The 2009 Turbo S had 405 kW; the 2024 Turbo S E-Hybrid has 575 kW. The electric range of the plug-in versions has risen from about 32 km (NEDC) in 2013 to 90 km (WLTP) today, almost three times as far even on the stricter test.

The base car has also become stronger. The 2009 V6 had 221 kW; the 2023 base car has 260 kW, which is 39 kW more. You can check the power-to-weight ratio of any version with the 1cars power-to-weight calculator.

Panamera vs rivals

The Panamera's main strength is that it drives like a Porsche while carrying four adults and their luggage. To set it side by side with these rivals on power, size and weight, use the 1cars comparison tool.