Porsche is heading into Mercedes-Benz and Audi heartland with the Panamera Diesel, which is on sale in the UK from August.

The Panamera Diesel will cost from £62,134 and be able to cover 745 miles between fills according to Porsche's combined economy figure of 43.5mpg. Carbon dioxide emissions are 172g/km, but this can be lowered to 167g/km by opting for low rolling resistance tyres, which also help improve average fuel economy to 44.8mpg.

A 250bhp 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel engine is used in the Panamera, which is shared with the Porsche Cayenne SUV. In the Panamera, it provides 0-62mph in 6.8 seconds and a 150mph top speed, helped by 406lb.ft of torque.

The Porsche Panamera Diesel is only available with rear-wheel drive and uses an eight-speed automatic gearbox with Tiptronic paddle shifters. Trim and specification levels are the same as for the petrol-powered Panamera and all cars come with the Porsche Vehicle Tracking System to deter thieves.

Alisdair Suttie - 3 May 2011