2017 Porsche Panamera: Technological Marvel

DRESDEN, Germany – Porsche is seeking automotive perfection with the totally redesigned 2017 Panamera. And to show just how serious they are at achieving this goal, they invited The Car Guide to Germany in order to catch a better glimpse at the luxury sports sedan.

The new Panamera is, plain and simple, new from the ground up. Not a screw was kept from the outgoing car, even as a souvenir. We’ll try not to get too technical, but here are some of the car’s highlights, which will go on sale in Canada in early 2017.

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Chassis and body

The 2017 Porsche Panamera’s body will be built using a hybrid construction of high-strength aluminum and steel, while the chassis, code-named MSB, has also been developed by Porsche with weight savings in mind. It can accommodate two wheelbase lengths, which means a stretched Panamera will once again be offered, a must for the Chinese luxury-vehicle market. In addition, it was designed to carry various powertrain options, including a plug-in hybrid system that will eventually be introduced.

While the previous sedan’s doors, hood, tailgate and front fenders were already stamped from aluminum, the new generation’s whole side sections and roof are made from the material as well. A technique called roller hemming, which consists of form-locking components together without welding, will be used for the bonding process.

The car’s mass is largely unchanged—the Panamera Turbo checks in at just below 2000 kg—yet it’s a bigger vehicle inside and out.

Wheelbase has been stretched from 2920 to 2950 millimetres, while the car is 34 mm longer, 6 mm wider and 5 mm taller. Above the rear-seat area, the roofline drops by 20 mm compared to the current-generation Panamera, but headroom hasn’t been sacrificed, confirmed by my hair not even coming close to scraping the Alcantara roofliner.

Overall, the 2017 Panamera’s proportions are better balanced, especially at the rear, an area where the first-generation sedan drew the most criticism. Every body panel is new, yet it’s still unmistakably a Panamera. The articulated rear wing, which rises at 205 km/h for increased high-speed stability, is more smoothly integrated in the hatchback. The car’s drag coefficient now stands at 0.29 for the 4S versions or 0.30 for the Turbo.

Powertrain, suspension, steering

Here’s the more interesting stuff. The 2017 Porsche Panamera will initially be offered with two gasoline and one diesel engine—although the latter won’t make the trip across the Atlantic. Each one benefits from all-wheel drive and a new eight-speed PDK automatic transmission—also developed for future PHEV capability.

The Panamera 4S will be equipped with a twin-turbo, 2.9-litre V6 that develops 440 horsepower as well as 406 lb.-ft. of torque from 1750 to 5500 rpm. In Sport Plus mode, the 4S can dash from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds, while top speed is pegged at 289 km/h. It can consume as little as 8.1 L/100 km on the (very optimistic) European combined fuel economy rating scale.

The Panamera 4S Diesel, which we won’t get in Canada, boasts a twin-turbo, 4.0-litre V8 that belts out 422 hp as well as a massive 627 lb.-ft. of torque spread out from 1000 to 3250 rpm. The oil-burning Panamera hits 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds at tops out at 285 km/h, while its combined fuel economy is rated at 6.7 L/100 km. With the optional 90-litre tank and an extra-urban rating of 5.8 L/100 km, the 4S Diesel has a potential range of 1550 km.

The crown jewel of the lineup—for now—is the Panamera Turbo, which is blessed with a twin-turbo, 4.0-litre V8 that dishes out 550 hp as well as 568 lb.-ft. between 1960 and 4500 rpm. The 0 to 100 km/h sprint is cleared in 3.6 seconds, and top speed is rated at 306 km/h. Its combined fuel economy average on the European scale is 9.3 L/100 km.

A rear-wheel steering system is optional. At low speeds, the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction of the front ones at an angle of up to 2.8 degrees, which helps reduce the car’s turning radius and makes parking manoeuvres easier. From about 50 km/h and up, the rear wheels pivot in the same direction as the front ones, which Porsche says increases stability and reduces steering wheel angle.

Seven wheel choices are offered on the 2017 Porsche Panamera, ranging from 19 inches on the 4S versions to 21 on the Turbo. The Panamera 4S and 4S Diesel are equipped with a steel suspension setup and the Porsche Active Suspension Management system (PASM), while the Turbo gets an adaptive air suspension with three-chamber air springs. A newly developed system called 4D-Chassis Control centralises the real-time information gathered from the PASM, the Turbo’s adaptive dampers, the rear-axle steering as well as the PTV Plus and PDCC Sport systems (torque vectoring and dynamic chassis control). All these components work together instead of independently, which optimizes agility and stability.

Cockpit and electronics

The Panamera’s dashboard has evolved, although it keeps some of the brand’s trademark design elements. The superimposed, five-gauge instrument panel still houses an analog tachometer front and centre, but the two seven-inch screens digitally reproduce the other readouts, including speedometer, trip computer and navigation info.

The slanted centre console, where previously laid an endless row of buttons, has been shortened and streamlined. Only a few essential buttons remain for audio, climate control and drive mode functions, on a glossy black, touch-sensitive surface. The rest have been moved to the Porsche Communication Management 4.1 system and its bigger 12.3-inch touchscreen. The PCM offers a tile-like button menu layout that can be configured to the owner’s preference, while multitouch gesture control is included like on a smartphone or tablet.

A bunch of apps can be loaded into the PCM, such a parking place search and availability, fuel prices, SMS via voice control, Twitter feed, weather and news. The system integrates Apple CarPlay, but not Android Auto; not a problem, says Porsche, as about 90% of customers use Apple devices.

A Bose stereo is standard, but a 1455-watt, 21-speaker Burmester surround sound system is optional. This powerful system offers exceptional sound quality, and includes multiple settings such as reproducing a concert-hall ambience, among other things. Thanks to a software algorithm, it can also enhance the sound quality of compressed MP3 files or streamed music.

Every 2017 Porsche Panamera will be equipped with LED headlights and the brand’s signature four-point daytime running light pattern, while adaptive headlights are optional in the 4S, standard in the Turbo. New LED Matrix headlights will be available, using 109 LEDs and which can cut off a portion of the high beam as to not blind oncoming traffic. Sadly, regulation constraints prevent the LED Matrix clusters from being offered in Canada.

There’s a new night vision system that uses a thermal camera to detect pedestrians and large animals on the road. In addition, the InnoDrive system includes adaptive cruise control and retrieves the next three kilometres of road ahead from the navigation system in order to calculate optimal acceleration and braking for the semi-autonomous drive system as well as maximise fuel economy. Both these features will be on the options list.

In Canada, the 2017 Porsche Panamera 4S will be listed at $114,300 before freight and delivery charges, while the Panamera Turbo will be offered from $167,700. As usual, expect a base trim level, a plug-in hybrid, a GTS and the Turbo S to be added later down the road. Look for our first drive of the new Panamera in a few weeks.