First drive: Porsche Panamera in the UAE

First drive: Porsche Panamera in the UAE

Porsche Panamera 4S
Officially introduced in the UAE at a launch party in Abu Dhabi, Porsche held a media driving event for the all-new Porsche Panamera GT sedan. The road trip comprised of a drive from Dubai to Fujairah and back in cars shared with other journalists, and a free lunch somewhere in between.

Getting up close and personal with the highly-controversial Panamera, it does not illicit as much of an automatic hateful response as the first photos of the car did. Indeed, nobody I met at the event called the car ugly, because at the end of the day, it is very unique, and people were gawking at it throughout the trip.

The long Panamera intentionally falls between a mid-size and a full-size, while being lower and wider than cars in either category. The cabin is heavily trimmed up to compete in the luxury segment, although occupants sit low to create the illusion of more headroom. The hatchback shape also affords a fair bit of cabin space, comparable to a midsize car, although it starts to feel a lot like a compact in the rear seat when a large person sits up front and moves their seat back. With three of us stuffed into one car, I spent a lot of time back there.

The Panamera seats only four, and all the seats are of the sporty bucket variety with fixed headrests, power adjustability and individual a/c controls. The Panamera Turbo we drove additionally had “bucket” headrests and ventilating fans in the seats, although these could be options, but otherwise the Panamera 4S we drove later was identically outfitted, only with different customisable trim colours and materials. The rear opens up like a hatchback, revealing a useable luggage boot. The iPod-ready stereo is strong, and the a/c is decent.

Porsche Panamera Turbo

The Panamera Turbo is a fast car, with 500 hp on tap from a turbocharged 4.8-litre V8. The 7-speed “PDK” dual-clutch automanual gearbox is also impressive, as it feels just like any other regular automatic when left on its own, instead of jerking and clunking like the ones in the Nissan GT-R and the Maserati Quattroporte. In manual mode, shifts are near-instantaneous, although it would take a longer time to get used to the non-intuitive paddle shifters.

The Panamera 4S is powered by a 400 hp naturally-aspirated 4.8-litre V8, again mated to a 7-speed PDK automanual. It behaves much the same as the Turbo, with more than enough power for most occasions, although the lack of punch above 140 kph was all too obvious.

Both cars are plenty quick in ‘Normal’ mode, but more fun can be had in ‘Sport’ mode, as the air suspension supposedly firms up and, more noticeably, the revs are held longer between shifts. The ‘Sport Plus’ mode locks out the 7th overdrive gear and lowers the car for even sharper performance, but it is hard to notice the difference. Handling is always flat and neutral, while the all-wheel-drive chassis is thankfully tuned for understeer, as my driving partner turned off the stability control and was being too reckless on public roads for my taste. As he showed me, the car even beeps a warning when it thinks it is headed for an accident.

Both cars also offer up a fairly compliant ride in ‘Normal’ mode, feeling no firmer than something like a BMW 7-Series. There is even some feedback from the steering wheel, while the brakes are suitably powerful. The cabin is largely peaceful, but there is a fair bit of tyre noise on some road surfaces.

There aren’t too many ways to spot the difference between a Turbo and a 4S, beyond badging. They have different front bumpers, and while both feature a retractable rear spoiler, the one on the Turbo is a three-piece design that can extend to become wider.

The Panamera is the latest among the new breed of “coupe-like” four-door sedans that was started by the Mercedes-Benz CLS. Playing at a higher price point, it remains to be seen whether this new Porsche model will the same surprise hit as the Cayenne was. It certainly ups the game when it comes to performance in this segment.

For prices and detailed specs, visit the Porsche Panamera buyer guide.

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Comments

  1. The front 3/4th of the car is not bad! Its just the back! But im guessing people will start getting used to it!
    The cayenne and the new land cruiser were really ugly cars.. but look at how they are selling now!

  2. the pic in the tunnel makes the car look like a maz3. the car looks good overall.

  3. mash u are the best auto blogger in the middle east!

  4. Author

    Haha. That was out of the blue.

  5. Hi Mash,

    Had seen a couple of Panamera’s leave from Emirtaes Tower this week in the morning while I was on way to work..I think was the same venue from the photo’s above..the car looks awesome on road..hope to get a full review from you soon..

  6. Author

    Yeah, that was either us on the 13th, or the “professional” journos on the 12th. No full review though. Porsche only gives out cars for less than one working day, not worth my time.

  7. The key thing that I missed in this piece is whether or not the car feels like a porsche to drive and to ride on. Does it feel the same?

  8. I doubt it will sell well.. The car doesnt look bad but people usually go for 4 doors cuz they want practicality.. Love the low interior..

    This one has 4 seats & is kind of small for a luxury saloon… If u ask me if im looking for practicality @ the same price then id have a BMW or an Audi saloon instead which will suit daily use better & seat 5 passengers comfortably…

    Its a unique prestigious item so people will buy if they seek something unique.

  9. thats a very nice report…
    the interior looks very expensive…and the silver one looks F**ken hot…thanks for the pictures dude…
    i think there was 3 turbos ..the silver the blue and the black one…but the rims on the silver and the black are know for porsche cars..
    the xenon lights looks really stronge…hope will be able to test one in the future…

  10. very gr8 looking car.. love porcha..
    good work…

  11. Way overpriced and still the CLS looks alot more sexier than this car. The back looks abit like a hatchback they could have made it better. But the price is super expensive.

  12. Following the lead of Masserati & Mercedes CLS. Porsche had to come with a midsize Sporty saloon. Not a great job, i would say but not bad either. I guess Porsche grows over you in time. I reckon it would do well here in middle east compared to other places.

  13. hey mash!
    tell me honestly dude how much did u pay mack to write this comment ;o)

  14. Author

    I don’t even pay my employees, pal.

  15. of course you don’t pay them… you are a cheap ass…

  16. Seems like Porsche has finally come to terms that they are an everyday sportscar..

    But please..

    This is not the right way?..

    Really..

    Who’s going to buy one?..

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