The Porsche Panamera Diesel was never intended to exist — luckily, for those who want a diesel version of this luxury sports sedan, thanks to increased sales of Cayenne diesel and BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi oilers rivaling, Porsche made it happen. Did they make the right move? Well, Porsche thinks so, calling diesel is the “maximum efficiency“.
Among its features are its 3.0-litre V6 engine — familiar from the Audi — with 184kW and 550Nm. Instead of PDK dual clutch transmission, it has ZF’s eight-speed torque-converter auto. There are a few clear compromises in its parts: making the transmission to drive through the sump, traditional for Porsche’s petrol engines, would have been too costly, so the Panamera Diesel only has rear-wheel drive. There’s a sacrifice engine-wise, too: the mightier 230kW bi-turbo V6 diesel as seen in new Audis couldn’t fit in this Porsche. The compromises don’t seem to matter too much, when the Panamera Diesel is set to become the best-selling of the Panameras in Australia, where its fuel use falls under the luxury car tax concession.
It’s weighty; the 120kg more than the petrol V6, due to the iron engine block, torque-converter auto, and additional sound-deadening that place it at 1880kg. That 1880kg upsets the weight distribution at 56/46 against the petrol version’s 52/48. But that doesn’t keep it down; even though its zero-to-a hundred, at 6.8sec, is 0.5sec slower than its petrol V6 counterpart (and 0.8sec before the Hybrid), it has a faster step-off. It feels as fast, perhaps even faster once it hits its 550Nm between 1750rpm and 2750rpm, and it’s smoother at parking.
Uniquely — for a Porsche — the Panamera Diesel has linear power delivery, so it doesn’t matter if you time your changes perfectly through the gearshifts; it constant-throttle cruises. It takes you on an easy ride and demands little of you, keeping you in the loop about its inner workings. It’s has a low-slung, effective seat and smooth control, although it’s still a heavy sedan, almost not seeming like a Porsche at all with its comfortable interior and laidback attitude. It’s Porsche: economy, and it works.
A Car to Brag About: Panamera Turbo S
Thinking about hopping into a Panamera Turbo S? Get ready to claim bragging rights. At $440,200, showing off 405k and 800Nm from 4000rpm on overboost, Stuttgart’s four-seat dragster is outfitted with all the cosmetic touches — new side skirts, reversed engine bay styling, 5mm track-widening rear wheel spacers, 20in alloys and a dual-tone leather interior, not to mention it comes standard with the Sport Chrono Pack and a sports exhaust.
While its handling doesn’t match up to, say, the 911, it takes cross-country extremely well with the help of its three-mode chassis keeping its power in. It has almost zero body roll and a great ride with great traction, except on bumpy surfaces. There, the driver has no control — technology takes over in a manner that’s almost too unnatural. But it’s fast! Built on engineering and aesthetics, the Panamera Turbo S is definitely a look-at-me car above all.
