Porsche Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid 2024 review | Goodwood Test

The Porsche Panamera has helped to pave the way to a new era for the Stuttgart brand over its 15-year life to date. Now in its third generation, this sports-luxury saloon has climbed to the very top of the performance car market with a sublime mix of quality, comfort and speed.

And in every regard, it would seem that Porsche has continued to develop what was already a winning formula into what you could argue is its best all-round package. It’s just a shame that it sits in a dwindling saloon sector that means sales numbers are never likely to be huge, but Porsche clearly still sees value in its highbrow executive car.

Now in its third generation, we’re sad to say our preferred Sport Turismo body style has been canned, but looks better now than it ever has with a handful of subtle design tweaks. But as ever with a Porsche, it’s in the driving that this car will truly be defined, and any disappointment about the lack of Shooting Brake is quickly cancelled out by how good the Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid is on the road.

Over the Panamera’s 15-year life the designers at Porsche have been busy with their chisels to sharpen up the physique of what was a strange looking car back in 2009. The proportions have been sorted out, the bulbous features better defined, and the results are worthy of note because the Panamera has become a stylish machine.

It’s taken on a front-end design akin to that of the Cayenne. A bolder grille is topped by an additional cooling vent above the number plate and the headlights feature the new LED signature. It’s a more aggressive leading edge that looks as though it’s going to cut through the air better than the previous generation.

The rear end has also received some attention, with the implementation of Porsche’s new rear light bar that incorporates the brand lettering. A couple of extra lines on the rear bumper provide some additional interest and help to break up the slightly bulbous shape. The four exhaust tips accentuate this car’s innate sporting pedigree.

The crux of any Porsche will always be its performance on the road, and at this juncture it seems as though the team in Stuttgart can do very little wrong when it comes to engineering. We’ll start with the hybrid powertrain, which in the Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid is Porsche’s twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 combined with an electric motor. It generates a combined 680PS (500kW) and 930Nm (686lb ft) of torque with the optional Sport Chrono package, which translates to a 0-62mph time of 3.2 seconds.

That’s only half a second slower than the vastly more powerful electric Taycan we tested the week before, but the V8 feels decidedly lazy on the uptake, especially at low revs. Even with the additional injection of electric power to help the engine along it never quite delivers the intensity of acceleration you feel like it ought to.

Power delivery is silky smooth, though. This V8 is one of the more satisfying engines that we’ve come across in recent times. It revs to 6,800rpm but it’s subtle in its delivery as it emits your standard V8 roar. The noise is contained, though, so as not to overwhelm the luxury factor that ultimately shapes what the Panamera is all about. Power is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission that is slick and responsive in either auto or manual mode. We rarely felt the need to bother with the shift paddles, other than when we fancied a verse of that V8 chorus.

The electric motor is worthy of note for its impact on the car’s efficiency. While it does supplement the power of the V8 with 190PS (140kW), the power it takes from the 21.8kWh battery serves to deliver up to 49 miles of range, while the hybrid E-Charge mode does an impressive job of maintaining the battery on longer trips – that range figure is about as achievable as any other published number you’ll come across.

It’s becoming a pattern for Porsche at this point, but it’s the chassis that’s the most impressive factor of this car. The Turbo E-Hybrid sits on adaptive air suspension which delivers a composed and balanced ride virtually at all times. It irons out all but the very worst surface imperfections and renders harsh undulations barely noticeable. It doesn’t quite have the softness of the Taycan, but it is fundamentally excellent in its execution, especially when you opt to sharpen things up in the Sport and Sport Plus modes.

When matched with Porshe’s Active Ride system available on E-Hybrid models, the results are extraordinary. Hydraulic two-valve dampers counteract body roll through corners and under braking in real time, adjusting in milliseconds to keep the car flat and balanced. The result is performance that encourages you to push harder into corners and make the most of the Panamera’s incredibly impressive handling.

You get a sense when you’re driving this car at speed that you can get away with an awful lot before it will start to punish you. The suspension systems give an inspiring sense of control and poise, particularly under braking where you can draw immense confidence as the car remains settled as you turn in.

The steering is also sublime, there’s a nuance to the weighting that adjusts naturally according to your drive mode and speed. It can get heavy if you try to park in Sport or Sport Plus mode, but it lightens up a treat once you’re out on the road. There’s very little to complain about with the Panamera, it has all bases covered to an extent little else can match, it’s only by driving this car that you begin to understand that overwhelming price tag.

Second on the list of most impressive aspects of the Porsche Panamera is the interior. Much like the Taycan, it is an exhibition of quality and style, swathed almost entirely in leather. The cabin itself is well thought out, you can tell attention has been paid to every touchpoint. Even considerations for things like the positioning of the climate control switches, which are far more conveniently placed than practically any other car we’ve come across in the past year or so, make such a difference to the overall experience of driving this car.

The heated front seats can be upgraded with ventilation and massage options for an additional £1,818. The rear seats are heated, too, and fold individually in a 40:20:40 configuration. Space in the back is good, with plenty of head and leg room even with the optional panoramic sunroof included. Rear seated passengers will be forever grateful if you opt for the four-zone climate control, which gives them control of their own temperature settings via a screen set into the rear of the centre console.

Above all else, the Panamera is striking for its comfort. This is a car you expect to deliver exhilarating handling, but for it to do so with such serenity makes this a genuine rival for the Bentley Continental GT. It is a little loud inside, a surprising amount of road noise does manage to penetrate the cabin, at any speed seemingly, which may prove tiresome if you’re particularly susceptible to that kind of thing.

The technology weaved into the Panamera is the cherry on top for this machine. The new array of screens is headlined by the large new digital instrument cluster that sadly replaces the old analogue rev counter. It can still be configured to display a traditional instrument setup, and it’s a perfectly smooth and clear layout that’s not at all offensive. It’s flanked by a second infotainment display set flush into a dashboard that’s great to use and perfectly responsive. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are both present.

Beneath that is the biggest change compared to the previous Panamera. The gear selector has been repositioned to a switch to the left of the steering wheel, and in its place is a streamlined bank of physical switches for climate control and seat settings. The entire gloss black panel is one big button that clicks when you press it, but it somehow manages to know which part of it you’ve pressed to respond with the right function. It’s a bit odd, and it means you generally need to look where you’re pressing because there’s no way of feeling which button is which, or indeed where they’re located. You can also opt for Porsche’s passenger display for an additional £1,289, which serves as a second infotainment hub.

One option we’d be tempted not to bother with is the Burmester surround sound system. It’s a £4,601 option and it really doesn’t deliver the kind of sound you’d expect from a system this pricey. The 14-speaker BOSE system included as standard is perfectly serviceable.

Now in its third generation, the Panamera is an established feature in the Porsche range. It’s a phenomenal blend of comfort and performance that can switch seamlessly between the two, but still leans more towards the sportscar spectrum than a luxury limousine. It’s not quite comfortable or quiet enough to be a genuine Bentley beater, but it’s certainly not a disgrace to the Porsche name.

The suspension is the Panamera’s greatest asset, the ride quality combined with the performance enhancing body control instantly turns this car into one of the best in its class. The Active Ride system is one you should consider if a Panamera is on your shopping list, as is that V8, which remains the unsung hero of Porsche’s engine range. We like it a lot, and it suits the Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid down to the ground.