The AWD Porsche Panamera 4 is powered by a BS6 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine making 325bhp and 450Nm
With the launch of the 2003MY Cayenne mid-size SUV, German automaker Porsche proved that it can make premium or luxury products other than sportscars and supercars. About 10 years ago, the company introduced its first series-production four-door saloon in the form of the 2010MY Porsche Panamera. With a silhouette in line with the iconic Porsche 911 range, the full-size luxury saloon instantly became a compelling and sportier alternative to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series and Audi A8 models of the time.
The Porsche Panamera is currently in its second-generation 971.2 avatar and is available in a four-door ‘Sport Turismo’ shooting brake or wagon format too. For the BS6 era, Porsche India (under Skoda Auto Volkswagen India) introduced select variants of its five model lines: Macan (standard and S), Cayenne (standard, E-Hybrid, Turbo, Coupe and Turbo Coupe), Panamera (4), 718 (Boxster and Cayman) and 911 (C2, C2 Cabrio, C2S and C2S Cabrio).
Now, Porsche India has launched the Panamera 4 10 Years Edition at a starting price of Rs 1,60,046,000 ex-showroom. As the name suggests, it is based on the standard ‘4’ AWD variant of the coupe-ish luxury saloon and marks the model line’s 10th anniversary. The new Porsche Panamera 4 10 Years Edition ticks some extra boxes as part of its standard package, alongside exclusive visual touches.
Cosmetic highlights include 21-inch White Gold Metallic ‘Panamera Sport Design’ wheels, ‘Panamera10‘ decals, Porsche crest embroidery on headrests and black leather interiors with gold accents. Other standard equipment extends to Bose surround sound system, full-LED PDLS Plus (Porsche Dynamic Light System Plus) headlamps, Lane Change Assist, Power Steering Plus, panoramic sunroof, Park Assist, 14-way powered seats, soft-close doors and adaptive air suspension with PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management).
Ever since its introduction, over 250,000 Porsche Panamera units have been sold across the globe. Pavan Shetty, Director of Porsche India, states that the Panamera is the only “prestige saloon” sold in the country with an equal focus towards its driver and passengers. It is an excellent performer for office runs as well as track days though this character may not be the most fitting requirement in India. For the same reason, the Porsche Panamera has created a niche of its own in our market.
The new Porsche Panamera 4 10 Years Edition is powered by a BS6-compliant 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol motor. It churns out roughly 325bhp @ 5,400rpm and 450Nm @ 1,750-4,900rpm while mated to an improved 8-speed PDK automatic. The saloon can touch 100km/h from a standstill in 5.3 seconds before topping out at 262km/h.