Porsche Panamera Review 2024

Porsche Panamera At A Glance

4/5
Honest John Overall Rating
Part luxury saloon, part sports car, and all seductively put together by Porsche, the Panamera does a lot of things very well. There's a range engine options, from rapid to stupendously fast, and there's hybrid choices as well. Couple that to faultless build quality, attractive interiors, and solid residual values, and the Panamera is tough to beat in its elevated corner of the market.

+Superb blend of fun driving dynamics, comfort and refinement. High-tech interior. Fantastic performance.

-Four seats, not five. Expensive to buy. Optional extras ramp up the price further.

New prices start from £84,610
Insurance Groups are between 49–50
On average it achieves 92% of the official MPG figure

It isn’t cheap, but the Porsche Panamera combines all the precise handling prowess of a sports car with the luxury, comfort and practicality of a high-end saloon. It isn’t quite as family-friendly as a Cayenne nor is it as luxurious as a limo like the Audi A8, but it’s much easier to live with than a 911 - just as the previous Panamera was. Read on for our full review of the Porsche Panamera. 

It’s seriously impressive just how well the Porsche Panamera blends typically paradoxical qualities. If you want to simply drive to the local restaurant or pick up some shopping it's quiet and cosseting, with excellent ride quality and an almost silent cabin. Similarly, it will cope with long motorway drives.

But take it to your favourite road and it really comes alive, with surprising poise, fantastic steering and lots of lovely noise, even if you go for a hybrid version. The engine range consists of all petrol engines now.

You can also get two plug-in hybrid versions, which combine a battery pack and electric motor with either the 2.9-litre V6 or 4.0-litre V8 . Both versions are capable of covering a short commute on electric power alone, provided the batteries are charged up.

Inside, the Panamera is exquisite. The fit and finish is impeccable and there’s a high-tech layout, with touch-sensitive controls for more or less everything in the centre console and stack. There’s also a large, clear, responsive touchscreen system and sensibly-placed steering wheel-mounted controls.

The Panamera is a four-seater, so there is no middle seat, but the rear row provides a good amount of leg and headroom, while the hatchback makes access to the sizeable boot very straightforward compared to a saloon. The rear seats can be folded down for bulky items too.

Compared to the Audi A7 Sportback or BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe, or even the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door, the Porsche Panamera looks, feels and drives like a more special car. It’s a superb piece of engineering that does everything any enthusiastic driver could hope for. But there is a very high price to pay, and full-size executive saloons like the Audi A8 are more comfortable if you're more interested in sitting in the back.

What does a Porsche Panamera cost?