2017 Porsche Panamera is a Hit with Motor Trend
Iconic publication tests two Panamera models — the 4S and the Turbo — and finds that the automaker hit the nail on the head.
The last iteration of the Porsche Panamera was a flawed vehicle. While it was exceptionally quick, it wasn’t the best-looking vehicle on the road, which made it hard to love. With the new model, Porsche looked to improve on everything that the German automaker did right and redo the things it got wrong. According to a review of the 2017 Panamera by Motor Trend, the automaker hit the nail on the head. This rave review comes fresh on the heels of Business Insider awarding the Panamera the 2017 Car of the Year.
The outlet tested two Panamera models: the 4S and the Turbo. The Panamera 4S, which is powered by a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6, as Motor Trend put it, “is plenty machine for most every American horsepower hound.” While the V6 engine is good enough to get the 4S to 60 miles per hour in just 3.8 seconds, the V8-powered Turbo model is an absolute beast.
“The super sweet turbocharged V-6 ensures a smooth power delivery and a smooth soundtrack to go with it,” says Motor Trend. “When the 4S performs this well, it makes you wonder whether you need the twin-turbo V8. Then you get into the V-8 and are blown away by the power at your disposal.”
The Panamera, obviously, is a Porsche. So, everyone knows that it will be able to perform like a true sports car. But the most surprising thing about the new Panamera is its ability to perform like a luxury vehicle. “Indeed, as I cruised the Hyundai Kia proviing ground’s high-speed oval at a placid 120 mph and introduced the gas pedal to the firewall, the speedometer needle arcing rapidly in response, I felt as though I could have assembled a club sandwich in the passenger seat,” says the outlet. “That, friends, is composure.”
One of the largest issues Porsche had with the last version of the Panamera was the vehicle’s weight. The large luxury sedan couldn’t hide its obese stature when the mood to drive spiritedly struck. But that’s been fixed for 2017. “This big ol’ car really shrinks around your hips on the winding road,” says Motor Trend. “This doesn’t drive like a big car. It drives like a small one – amazing considering its limolike dimensions.”
The interior, a high-tech haven for enthusiasts and tech-lovers alike houses special features that everyone can appreciate. “Then there are the little details that remind you why you paid all this money,” says Motor Trend. “Take the oscillating HVAC vent in the center stack. Some of you might say, “Big deal, the Mazda 626 had those,’ but no one else has since. And Porsche has indeed found a cool way to improve air circulation in the roomy cabin.”
Consumers wanting to get Porsche 911-like performance with the usability of four seats have found their vehicle. “It might not be as outright opulent as the S-Class, but the Porsche manages to balance luxury with true sports car performance in a way no other automaker can,” says Motor Trend.