Porsche Panamera Review 2026: Prices, specs & verdict

What is the Porsche Panamera?

The Panamera has long been Porsche’s range-topping model, a luxury saloon (or, briefly, estate) that sits above the Cayenne as its luxury offering.

Although Porsche can sell you much more expensive and hardcore versions of its 911 sports car, the Panamera’s flagship status means it has to offer 911-like performance with limo-like comfort, refinement and space for four burly adults.

That’s a tough ask, but Porsche has constantly refined the formula over the years. Far more than ‘just’ a four-door 911, the latest Panamera is packed with clever technology, offered with potent V8 or plug-in hybrid power and lots of luxury.

The current Panamera was first launched way back in 2016, but has recently been updated with design tweaks, new technology, more power and improved hybrid range. Is this now the big sports saloon to beat? Our in-depth review aims to find out.

Verdict: is the Porsche Panamera a good car?

We reckon the latest Porsche Panamera is a fabulous choice for those after a luxury car with sporting capability. There’s more than a hint of 911 in the driving experience, but with proper long-distance comfort, space and quality. The new suspension is impressive, too, but the biggest Porsche isn’t cheap and needs options to feel special.

Pricing, specs & rivals

Prices for the Porsche Panamera kick off from £91,100 at the time of writing. That entry-level model is simply badged ‘Panamera’, with rear-wheel drive and a 353hp petrol engine.

Upgrading to the Panamera 4 adds £3,100 to the price, giving you all-wheel drive with the same engine above. Next in the range is the £100,800 Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, a plug-in hybrid with 470hp.

Upgrading to the Panamera 4S E-Hybrid increases the price to £111,900 but also adds another 74hp. From there, the Panamera GTS ups the sporting ante further from £134,200.

Topping the range are the Turbo models, as is usually the case with Porsche. These are also plug-in hybrids, with the 680hp Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid starting from £154,400 and the 782hp Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid topping the range at £178,500.

Every Panamera comes with a basic kit level you’d expect of a luxury car at this price point. The cheapest version gets 19in alloys, matrix LED headlights, electrically adjustable front seats, a heated steering wheel, adaptive cruise control, a surround view camera system and a Bose sound system. There’s also adaptive air suspension across the range.

Higher trim levels add various performance and styling upgrades, but if you really want the epitome of luxury you’ll need to raid the Panamera’s vastly extensive options list. With everything from fancy ‘Paint to Sample’ colours to massaging rear seats and a passenger touchscreen, it’s easy to add tens of thousands to the price if you’re not careful.

Rivals

The Porsche Panamera blends sports saloon and luxury car attributes, so there’s a diverse range of rivals.

There are traditional limos like the BMW 7 Series, Bentley Flying Spur and Mercedes-Benz S-Class, but you’re more likely to look at sleeker four-door coupes like the 8 Series Gran Coupe and the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door.

It’s also worth considering large super saloons like the BMW M5 and Audi RS7, which offer similar qualities. Meanwhile, if an electric alternative floats your boat, Porsche’s own Taycan, along with the Lotus Emeya and forthcoming Lucid Air, should be on your shopping list.

Interior comfort, quality & technology

The cabin of the Porsche Panamera is perhaps not the most glitzy or lavish interior you’ll find in a large luxury saloon – a Flying Spur is better for that – but it is expertly laid out and extremely solid.

Everything you touch and operate feels expensive, although it’s worth shelling out to have extended leather on the dashboard for the full premium touch. Our only minor gripe is that the gloss black trim on the dash and door panels can scratch easily.

The dashboard layout is intuitive, with a few physical shortcut buttons to complement the easy-to-use touchscreen and well-thought-out steering wheel controls. The haptic feedback ventilation controls do require you to look away from the road more than if they had physical buttons. Similarly, the motorized air vents, controlled via the touchscreen, are a bit of a gimmick.

That’s where the complaints end, though. The driving position is wonderful (particularly with the upgraded seats) giving you a low-slung sports car feel but with good visibility and superb comfort. Only the rear view isn’t great by saloon standards due to the wide pillars, but the suite of cameras mostly deal with that.

Infotainment, sat-nav, stereo and connectivity

All versions of the Panamera feature a 12.3in touchscreen built into the dash, with a curved 12.6in driver’s display behind the steering wheel.

The touchscreen is impressive, with intuitive software, fast response times and large icons to hit – if a few convoluted menus. The digital driver’s display is very sharp and somewhat configurable, while a head-up display is also available. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are of course standard.

It’s possible to add a second 10.9in touchscreen ahead of the passenger. This lets them change some functions like the stereo or sat-nav destination, but it can also stream Netflix and other apps. It’s tinted and not visible from the driver’s seat – though we found that our passengers mainly stayed on their phones anyway.

There are two USB-C charging ports in the front and another two for rear passengers, while a wireless charging pad is tucked away behind a flap. As for audio, most would be happy with the standard 14-speaker Bose system, but a 21-speaker Burmester surround sound upgrade is available.

How practical is the Porsche Panamera?

The Porsche Panamera’s dimensions of 5,054mm in length, 1,937mm in width (excluding mirrors)  and 1,432mm in height make it the brand’s largest model. It’s significantly smaller than a BMW 7 Series, and close in size to the 8 Series Gran Coupe.

There’s loads of space up front even for those well over six-foot. Despite the low roofline you sit low in the car, so headroom isn’t an issue, while there’s plenty of legroom and the cabin is exceptionally wide.

In the rear, it’s clear that this is more sports car than limousine. For starters there are only two seats, with a cocooning centre console and a roof that feels relatively close to your head. Still, six-plus footers can still fit comfortably enough back there, even if a traditional luxury car is much more palatial.

Electrically adjustable rear seats are optional, as is heating, ventilation and massaging. But even without these options, the back seats are very comfortable and supportive, while there are still two ISOFIX points for mounting child seats.

Storage and boot space

Storage in the front of the Panamera is okay, with a small under-armrest cubby, a couple of cupholders in front of that and a hidden tray for wirelessly charging your phone in front of those.

The glovebox is big, too, and lined in felt for a premium feel, while the door bins are big enough for a large water bottle.

In the rear, Porsche has made use of the lack of a middle seat with a posh divider that flips up, revealing adjustable cupholders and a storage space. There’s also an armrest that folds down with even more storage, plus through-loading into the boot.

On top of that, there are electrically operated sun blinds and some decent-sized cupholders, plus a small storage net on the front seatback.

The Panamera’s boot capacity varies depending on version. The standard models offer 494 litres, reducing to 478 litres for the GTS. The hybrid versions reduce that to 421 litres due to the battery pack.

Still, even the smaller figure is competitive with the BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe and well ahead of the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door. The load space is a decent shape, and the hatchback-style tailgate gives you a wide opening. The rear seats also fold to increase that space with levers on the side of each headrest.

 It’s just a shame that Porsche no longer offers a ‘Sport Turismo’ estate version of the Panamera to further boost the car’s load carrying capability.

Performance & drive: What is the Porsche Panamera like on the road?

No Panamera can ever be considered slow. But there’s extensive choice in the range, from the effortlessly brisk base model to the seriously potent Turbo E-Hybrids.

The entry-level Panamera uses the same 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 found in various Porsche and high-performance Audi models. Here, it delivers 353hp – just enough to make it feel a bit more sporty than your average executive car.

The Panamera 4 keeps the same power output but is quicker at launching off the line thanks to the addition of all-wheel drive traction. It’s probably the one you want if you’re after a luxury cruiser with a bit of all-weather poke.

Those looking for something a bit more serious in the performance department should look at the Panamera GTS. With 500hp from a thumping great 4.0 twin-turbo V8 – the same engine you’ll find in the Cayenne along with performance Audis and Bentleys – and four-wheel drive, it’s as fast as you’d ever need a big saloon such as this to be.

The E-Hybrid models use the same V6 or V8 engines, mated to an electric motor integrated into the car’s gearbox that further ups the performance level while also improving economy.

The base point is the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid. Not that it feels like an entry-level hybrid, with 470hp, four-wheel drive and instant electric torque giving you a 0-62mph time of 4.1 seconds. It’s not explosively fast in reality, but it is very satisfying and smooth. The 4S E-Hybrid ups power further to 544hp.

The Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid sits at another level altogether thanks to that V8 power boost up to 680hp. But that’s not even the range topper, with the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid putting out an astounding 782hp and taking the 0-62mph time below three seconds. That’s supercar pace in a luxury limo.

All engines are mated to Porsche’s eight-speed PDK automatic gearbox, which remains among the best in the business, shifting smoothly and rapidly between ratios.

All E-Hybrid models benefit from regenerative braking that’s so powerful it can recoup up to 88kW of power back into the battery. The only complaint is that Porsche doesn’t use steering wheel paddles to adjust the regen level, making you use the touchscreen to change it.

Power, 0-62mph times

Porsche Panamera: 353hp/ 5.1 secs

Porsche Panamera 4: 353hp/ 4.8 secs

Porsche Panamera GTS: 500hp/ 3.8 secs

Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid: 470hp/ 4.1 secs

Porsche Panamera 4S E-Hybrid: 544hp/ 3.7 secs

Porsche Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid: 680hp/ 3.2 secs

Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid: 782hp/ 2.9 secs

Ride and handling

Every Panamera gets air suspension that, while erring on the side of sportiness compared to some luxury cars, blends ride and handling extremely well.

The steering stands out by giving you just enough lightness for town driving, but plenty of confidence-inspiring weight and accuracy on twisty roads. The brakes also have serious bite, and the whole car feels impressively composed. This is especially true of the GTS model, which sits 10mm lower to the ground and brings some impressive agility for such a big car.

The biggest innovation for this updated Panamera is Active Ride Control. It’s only available with the E-Hybrids as an option (standard on the Turbo S), and uses hydraulic pumps on each wheel to compress or rebound the damper – in other words, push each wheel up or pull it down as needed. It also removes the need for mechanical anti-roll bars that tend to harm ride quality.

Monitoring the road surface 13 times a second, the system can lean the car into the corner to eliminate roll and push the car forwards and back to remove pitch under braking and acceleration. It can literally lift up a wheel over bumps or push it into a pothole. Oh, and it’ll rapidly raise and lower the car to help you get in and out.

It’s the cleverest suspension on the market, then, but it feels a bit weird at first and takes getting used to. Once you’re dialled in, the way the body is kept absolutely level is like nothing else. And although the low-speed ride is still a touch jiggly over very poor surfaces, on faster roads it’s amazingly controlled.

Noise and refinement

The only noises that the Panamera’s engines make are appealing ones – they’re quiet when you want them to be, but give off a stirring soundtrack when pushed. This applies most to the E-Hybrid models, which are near-silent most of the time.

Porsche has always struggled with road and tyre noise in its models thanks to huge wheels and tyres, combined with the need for sharp, engaging handling. The updated Panamera aims to address this with additional insulation in the cabin. There’s still more noise than in an S-Class or 7 Series, but it’s far from wearisome and wind rustle is well insulated.

Euro NCAP: is the Porsche Panamera a safe car?

The Porsche Panamera is yet to be put through its crash testing paces by Euro NCAP. That’s despite other models, like the Taycan, Macan and Cayenne, all having been assessed.

Still, we’d be surprised if it didn’t achieve the same five-star rating that those cars achieved. There’s certainly an extensive array of standard safety aids including the mandatory automatic emergency braking, lane assistance, driver monitoring and speed limit alert.

On top of that, all Panameras come with blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and a safe exit warning to prevent ‘dooring’ of other cars and vulnerable road users.

There’s also a self-parking function, along with a suite of cameras and sensors to aid manual parking. You can option remote parking (where you can park the car using a smartphone app from outside) and Porsche’s ‘InnoDrive’ semi-autonomous driving tech.

Running costs and fuel economy

If you’re buying the purely petrol-powered Panameras, fuel efficiency is probably not your main concern. Even the most efficient entry-level 353hp version only manages up to 29.2mpg combined – remember, even these versions are getting on for two tonnes.

You lose a touch of efficiency due to the Panamera 4’s all-wheel drive, dropping down to 27.8mpg combined in WLTP testing. The GTS’s official 24.4mpg combined may sting if you’re planning to make use of its performance.

On paper at least, the E-Hybrid models make a lot more sense if running costs are even a mild concern. The 4 E-Hybrid promises up to 92.5mpg combined, with the 4S dropping that to 86.8.

Even the seriously fast Turbo E-Hybrid claims up to 79.5mpg combined, while the bonkers Turbo S E-Hybrid drops that to 69mpg.

Sounds great, right? Well, achieving those figures is entirely down to how much of your journeys are completed with charge in the battery. On longer runs with the battery depleted you’ll be getting much less than that. Having said that, we found that even with an empty battery the 4 E-Hybrid used its regen braking to add a bit of range and give you some engine-off driving.

Panamera E-Hybrid: Electric range and charging

The biggest problem with the old Panamera E-Hybrid models was the relative lack of range compared to newer plug-in hybrid rivals. The outgoing models could manage, at best, 30 miles or so on a charge.

For the updated models, a new 22kWh usable capacity battery significantly increases the distance you can travel in EV mode. The longest-range is the 4 E-Hybrid, promising up to 60 miles on a charge in ideal conditions and gentle driving.

That doesn’t dramatically decrease for the 4S or even the Turbo E-Hybrid models. Only the Turbo S E-Hybrid sees that maximum figure drop to 53 miles.

All three models have different modes that let you select EV only mode (where it’ll avoid waking the engine until it absolutely has to) as well as a ‘Hold’ mode to maintain battery level and a ‘Charge’ mode that’ll use the petrol engine to top up the battery (albeit inefficiently).

Another issue with the old Panamera was charging speeds, with it being limited to just 3.6kW. The new versions have an 11kW on board charger, taking AC charging time with a three-phase supply down to well under three hours. A typical 7kW home wallbox takes closer to four hours.

It’s a pity that no E-Hybrids take DC fast charging like much cheaper Volkswagen hybrids, but that’s not essential for owners plugging in at home.

How much does the Porsche Panamera cost to insure?

Most Panameras sit in the maximum insurance group 50, meaning insurance costs are likely to be high. Only the cheapest Panamera and Panamera 4 sit in respective groups 46 and 47.

That’s no different from most rivals, however, with the Taycan, along with rivals from BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi, occupying the same high insurance groups.