Porsche has revealed the newly face-lifted 2020 Panamera, and there are no fewer than 12 variants, including numerous power outputs, hybrids, wagons and a new Executive model with longer wheelbase and extra rear legroom.
But the one I’d like to draw your attention to is the Turbo S, whose name appears on the back of a Panamera for the very first time. Replacing the regular Turbo, the new Turbo S introduces supercar-baiting performance to the four-door sedan.
Maximum power from the four-liter, twin-turbo V8 is a stonking 630 PS (or 621bhp in old money), while torque peaks at 820Nm (605 lb ft). This results in a 0-60mph time of 2.9 seconds – in a luxury saloon car, remember – and 100mph is dispatched in 7.3 seconds. The top speed is 195mph.
What’s just as impressive is the step up these stats represent from the Panamera Turbo the face-lifted Turbo S replaces. Power is up from 542bhp and the 0-60 sprint has been reduced by half a second. Porsche also claims to have set a new Nurburgring lap record in the Panamera Turbo S, topping the leaderboard for executive cars with a 7.29:81.
Porsche also earns points for giving the Panamera a subtle new look. Criticized for its appearance when it launched a decade ago, the previous generation improved its aesthetics markedly – especially with the handsomely extended rear of the Sport Turismo model – and now the 2020 car takes things even further in the right direction.
The front of the new Panamera (featuring the once-optional Sport Design bumper) now shares even more DNA with the 911 in its current 992 guise, but otherwise it’s a case of not changing what isn’t broken. The Turbo S model gets treated to a new nose all of its own, with larger side air intakes and newly-designed elements finished in body color.
The sports saloon body is still the default choice, and once again sits alongside the Sport Turismo estate. New to the range is the Executive model, with extended wheelbase and increased space for rear seat passengers; Executive spec is available by special order-only through your local Porsche Centre.
At the other end of the Panamera scale is the entry level car, simply called the Panamera, which has a 2.9-liter, twin-turbo V6 good for 330PS, 450Nm of torque, and a 0-60mph time of 5.2 seconds. So none of the range is exactly what you’d call slow.
Somewhere in-between you will find the Panamera 4S E-Hybrid models, of which there are three. These employ a 136PS electric motor integrated into the eight-speed gearbox to help out the engine. The battery capacity of the Panamera hybrid has been increased for the 2020 model from 14.1 to 17.9kWh, producing an all-electric driving range of up to 34 miles using the WLTP standard.
The 2020 Panamera range starts at €91,345 in Europe and £69,860 in the UK, and extends to €179,737 (£137,610) for the flagship Turbo S model. The order books are open now.
