The word ‘practical’ conjures up visions of a big, bulky, family car. But the Panamera 4S is here to dispel all your assumptions. Yes, it’s a four-seater. And yes, it’s fit for your family and all their kit. But it’s also athletic, dynamic, and streamlined with a heavily sculpted, sportscar-inspired side profile. For an even sleeker finish, the Platinum Edition package adds black exterior trim, 21” wheels with a satin platinum finish, smoked headlamp lenses, and Platinum Edition badging. The driver-focused, luxurious interior is beautifully finished with quality materials, and includes a new steering wheel with heated front seats. 14-way power seats with memory function are also available, as well as 18-way adaptive sports seats, for even better support. The rear is surprisingly roomy, with the Sport Turismo providing space for a fifth person. Alongside 495 litres of luggage space, the rear seat backrests also fold forward, freeing up even more room.
PERFORMANCE
The Panamera has often been called a ‘family-friendly Porsche 911’, and it has the performance figures to match. An upgraded 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 engine produces 440hp, which is passed through to all four wheels via an 8-speed PDK gearbox, and 550Nm of torque. This translates to a 0 – 62mph time of just 4.3 seconds and a top speed of 183mph. Very quick for a luxury family car. A newly tuned chassis enhances handling and dynamics, featuring systems like Porsche Traction Management and Porsche Active Suspension Management for the adaptive air suspension. Optional rear-axle steering further improves agility, making it easier to turn tight corners around town. Porsche’s Sport Chrono package offers an even sportier tuning of the chassis, engine, and transmission, and adds Launch Control making it even quicker off the mark.
TECHNOLOGY
As expected with all Porsche models, the Panamera 4S has an impressive roster of tech to enhance comfort and driver engagement. A pair of 7” digital screens sit next to a central analogue rev counter to make up the instrument cluster and an optional head-up display projects all key driver information directly in your field of vision. A 12.3” touchscreen sits on the dashboard for access to the Porsche Communication Management infotainment system, which offers smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Panamera 4S also comes equipped with dual-zone climate control and a Bose Surround Sound System, whilst the My Porsche App allows you to check the car’s status from your phone.
SAFETY
Porsche’s reputation for safety means you can have complete confidence that each model comes equipped with a range of features. Six-piston aluminium monobloc fixed brake calipers are fitted at the front, with four-piston aluminium fixed brake calipers at the rear, as well as 360mm and 330mm brake discs respectively. Porsche gives you the option to add the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake system to your Panamera 4S, too. Alongside stability control and ABS, a variety of driver assistance systems are also on-hand; ParkAssist, cruise control, and Lane Keeping Assist come as standard, whilst many tech-based aids like Porsche InnoDrive and adaptive cruise control, are optional.
