The Porsche Panamera was unveiled to the world in 2010 and it was instantly met with controversy. For starters, the fact that Porsche introduced a front-engine four-door sedan was blatant blasphemy according to the die-hard Porsche fanatics while secondly, the car didn’t look all that good according to everyone else.
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Now though, ten years later the Panamera is one of the brands most popular offerings. It has been accepted by purists and its looks have drastically improved and indeed engine options too. Not too long ago you could order your Panamera with a diesel motor, however, now the Stuttgart based automaker only offer petrol and hybrid variants.
Panamera GTS
The Porsche Panamera GTS aims to combine everyday usability with track-focused performance. The GTS derivative achieves this by making use of an impressive petrol engine. The engine in question is a 4.0-litre, turbocharged, V8 which develops 353 kW and 620 Nm of torque and will see the car reach 100km/h in just 3.9 seconds. The German automaker claims an average fuel consumption figure of 10.9 L / 100 km.
Porsche has engineered the power delivery in such a way that it is reminiscent of sports cars on offer. The power output continuously increases up to close to the engine speed limit. As for the sound, Porsche has worked its engineering magic and the traditional V8 sound characteristics are even more prominent than before thanks to the new standard sports exhaust system featuring asymmetrically positioned rear silencers.
If the Panamera GTS is a little too violent for your liking then perhaps the standard Porsche Panamera and Panamera 4 will suit your needs. Both are equipped with a 2.9-litre, V6, bi-turbo motor which develops 243 kW and 450 Nm.
Panamera 4S E-Hybrid
For those who are in the market for a premium sports hybrid sedan then the Porsche Panamera 4S E-Hybrid should be on your list. The performance-oriented plug-in hybrid makes use of an intelligent combination of a 100 kW electric motor which has been integrated into the eight-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission and 2.9-litre V6 bi-turbo petrol engine.
The combination of engine and electric motor results in 412 kW and a maximum system torque of 750 Nm. The result is a 0 - 100 km/h sprint time of just 3.7 seconds. The gross battery capacity has been increased from 14.1 to 17.9kWh compared with the previous hybrid variants, hence the increase in performance. The Porsche Panamera 4S E-Hybrid has an all-electric range of up to 54 km and according to Porsche, it will only sip 2.2 L / 100 km.
Which is better?
While the Panamera 4S E-Hybrid does offer more in terms of performance one need to take into account that those performance figures are only achievable when the battery is fully charged. It also costs R2 529 000, a premium of R140 000 over the GTS model. While the hybrid model offers superior power and torque figures, this is only achievable for as long as the batteries carry a charge.
The GTS will give you 353 kW and 620 Nm, which is less than in the hybrid offering but will be available for as long as there is fuel in the tank. While Hybrid technology has improved in a very short amount of time, it is the GTS that wins this battle. We expect this result to change for future models. Browse Porsche Panamera models here.
*The pricing listed above was correct at the time of writing this article and can change at any time, without notice.
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