2018 Porsche Panamera Review

At the bottom of the ladder, there's the only rear-wheel-drive Panamera, the base trim. From there, everything else is all-wheel-drive: the Panamera 4, Panamera 4S, Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, Panamera Turbo and Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. Everything above the base trim is also offered in the Executive body style, which is a longer version of the Panamera that adds nearly 6 inches of rear legroom. The 4, 4S, 4 E-Hybrid and Turbo models are also available in a Sport Turismo body style, which has a bigger hatchback cargo area. All Panameras come with an eight-speed automatic transmission and four seats (a middle rear seat is optional).

The base Panamera comes with quite a bit of standard equipment, including a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 (330 hp, 331 lb-ft), 19-inch wheels, Porsche Active Suspension Management (also known as adaptive suspension or PASM), LED headlights, automatic wipers, a panoramic sunroof, a power hatchback trunklid, power-folding and auto-dimming side mirrors with heating, a two-way adaptive rear spoiler, front and rear parking sensors, a rearview camera, keyless ignition (without keyless entry), partial leather upholstery, eight-way power-adjustable front seats with heating, driver-seat memory settings, dual-zone automatic climate control, a manually adjustable steering wheel, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, 60/40-split folding rear seatbacks, Bluetooth, a wide-view 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system (including a navigation system, Apple CarPlay and a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot), and a 10-speaker audio system with satellite and HD radio and USB and auxiliary audio inputs.

The Panamera 4 keeps the same standard equipment utilizes the same single-turbo 3.0-liter V6 as the standard model but adds all-wheel drive. The Panamera 4S keeps the all-wheel-drive powertrain, but it swaps the engine to a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 (440 hp, 405 lb-ft) and adds a unique dual exhaust system. The Panamera 4 E-Hybrid gets the 2.9-liter engine along with an electric motor and a 14-kWh lithium-ion battery (for a combined 462 hp, 516 lb-ft) with approximately 30 miles of all-electric driving range. To support the extra weight of the battery pack, air suspension is standard on the hybrid models.

The more performance-oriented Panamera Turbo makes use of a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 (550 hp, 567 lb-ft), 20-inch wheels, adaptive headlights, an adaptive air suspension, a four-way adaptive rear spoiler, quad tailpipes, keyless entry and ignition, a power-adjustable steering wheel, dark walnut wood trim, synthetic suede roofliner and pillar trim, full leather upholstery, 14-way power front seats with memory settings, heated rear seats and a 14-speaker Bose audio system.

At the top of the ladder, there's the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, which adds the hybrid components to the 4.0-liter turbo V8 (for a combined 680 hp and 626 lb-ft). Essentially, standard equipment is the same as on the regular Turbo with the addition of 21-inch wheels; ceramic composite brakes; the optional Sport Chrono package (launch control, a dash-mounted stopwatch, an Individual driving mode for a custom feel, a dedicated Sport button and performance-oriented displays); and a second air-conditioning system to cool the car while it's parked.

There's a long list of stand-alone or bundled options for pretty much every trim level since Porsche believes that owners should be able to customize their cars to personal taste. You can have the 4 and the 4S with most of the Turbo's standard equipment. Additional highlights for the rest of the lineup include various wheel, paint, interior trim and leather specifications (with multiple two-tone interior treatments on offer), speed-sensitive steering assist, a sport exhaust, power-closing doors, a heated steering wheel, a 21-speaker Burmester audio system, 18-way adaptive sport seats, eight-way power rear seats with memory function, ventilated front and rear seats, massaging front and rear seats, four-zone climate control, a rear touchscreen interface, power rear sunshades and a dual-screen rear entertainment system.