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Week at the wheel: Porsche Panamera Diesel. Image by Max Earey.

Week at the wheel: Porsche Panamera Diesel
Dom needed an excuse to drive the Panamera Diesel a long way. Porsche gave him one.

   



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| Week at the Wheel | Porsche Panamera Diesel |

Overall rating: 4 4 4 4 4

One second Porsche is cranking out hardcore road-racing 911s, the next it has launched a diesel saloon... And although it is a bloody good one, for some people it will be a niche too far. Fine dynamics, awesome long-distance ability and an engine that makes it relevant for more than just the oil-rich make it a supremely competent machine with a great cabin. The Audi-sourced V6 engine punches harder than its numbers suggest, if not quite as hard as the styling demands. There are faster - and cheaper - diesel execs out there, but if you dig the looks and love the badge, then the Panamera Diesel is a mighty achievement.

Key Facts

Price: £59,435 (£68,849 as tested)
Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel
Transmission: eight-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Body style: four-door saloon/hatch-type thingy
Rivals: Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Jaguar XJ, Audi A8
CO2: 172g/km
Combined economy: 43.5mpg
Power: 250bhp at 3,800 - 4,400rpm
Torque: 405lb.ft at 1,750 - 2,750rpm

Inside & Out: 3 3 3 3 3

I kind of like the way the Panamera looks. It's not what you'd call conventionally handsome. It's no Johnny Depp. But it has a certain allure. Gerard Derardieu, perhaps? And you get the impression that if you did call it ugly within earshot, it'd probably punch your face in. It needs big rims, is colour-sensitive and let's be perfectly honest here: some people will hate you on sight for driving this car.

The cabin is well made and well laid out, oozing top-end tech from the new centre console, while doffing its cap to Porsche's past with the dial layout. Fit and finish is top-drawer, the seats are superb in the front and the back and there is a decent boot, too. Missing a bit of cubby stowage for change, phone and things up front, though.

Ride & Handling: 4 4 4 4 4

With PASM offering a helping hand, the Panamera rides wonderfully on all but the worst road surfaces. Don't bother taking it out of the softest setting though, at least not on the 20-inch optional wheels.

These do, however, offer up astonishing grip levels, and the Panamera's chassis is well balanced, the steering impressively feelsome and direct. Flat in the corners, there is enough compliance to ensure that bumps don't deflect you from a chosen line. It reminds me a little of the first time I drove an E34 M5 - the sensation of the car hammering a broken road surface flat rather than give up grip or composure.

For me, what makes a truly great long-distance machine is a car's ability to isolate the driver from noise and vibration - the absence of zizz, buzz and hum that allows you to step out at the other end of a transcontinental assault feeling in just the right frame of mind to murder five lagers, a dozen snails, two carafes of red wine, a huge steak, a crème brulee and four large Pasties. The Panamera is bang on the money.

Engine & Transmission: 5 5 5 5 5

Porsche maintains that it won't develop its own diesel units but this version lifted from the Audi stable is just fine. It is quiet when cruising but cultured when extended and you can feel every one of its 405lb.ft every time you flex your right foot.

The key to the Panamera's impressive cruising performance and frugality is the eight-speed gearbox. It means the motor is barely topping 2,000rpm at an 80mph cruise giving serene progress and a 750-mile range. The auto (this is not a dual-clutch PDK affair) is smooth and very responsive, dropping a handful of cogs the instant you think of overtaking.

Equipment, Economy & Value for Money: 3 3 3 3 3

From the outset the numbers became a source of fascination. And not for the usual Porsche reasons. Nearly 1,900kg, but only 250bhp? A 150mph top speed but fuel economy of over 43mpg on the combined cycle. And a CO2 figure of just 172g/km.

But the pricing isn't so appealing. With a wee bit of kit chucked in its direction (£777 for the paint, £2,185 for the 20-inch wheels, £1,052 for the PASM) this car was knocking on the door of £70,000. Bear in mind that a Jag XJ diesel starts at £55k, and Mercedes S-Class £60k and if you hop down a level you will find the superb BMW 530d offers superior performance and better economy for barely more than half that price.
This might just be the most sensible, practical Porsche ever made. Whether that's a good thing or not is for you to decide.


Dom Holtam. Photography by Max Earey. - 10 Nov 2011



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2011 Porsche Panamera Diesel. Image by Max Earey.2011 Porsche Panamera Diesel. Image by Max Earey.2011 Porsche Panamera Diesel. Image by Max Earey.2011 Porsche Panamera Diesel. Image by Max Earey.2011 Porsche Panamera Diesel. Image by Max Earey.



2011 Porsche Panamera Diesel. Image by Max Earey.
 

2011 Porsche Panamera Diesel. Image by Max Earey.
 

2011 Porsche Panamera Diesel. Image by Max Earey.
 

2011 Porsche Panamera Diesel. Image by Max Earey.
 

2011 Porsche Panamera Diesel. Image by Max Earey.
 

2011 Porsche Panamera Diesel. Image by Max Earey.
 

2011 Porsche Panamera Diesel. Image by Max Earey.
 






 

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