Porsche has expanded the Panamera line-up with a new entry-level V6 petrol engine, which will go on sale in the UK in June. The new 3,6-litre engine receives direct fuel-injection, a stop-start system and produces 220 kW with 400 N.m of torque. The new engine will be available in the rear-wheel drive Panamera and four-wheel drive Panamera 4 models, which both use Porsche’s PDK double-clutch gearbox as standard.

Being the most economical engine in the range, the Panamera returns 9.3 l/100km, while the Panamera 4 averages 9.6 l/100km on the combined cycle. CO2 emissions are 218g/km and 225g/km respectively. Porsche claims the brand-new engine is approximately 30 kg lighter than the V8 units in the Panamera S and 4S.

Standard equipment includes steel suspension with xenon headlights, front and rear parking sensors, heated front seats, tyre pressure monitoring, automatic dimming rear view mirrors, Porsche Communication Management with touch-screen satellite navigation and audio controls and cruise control. Options include variable dampers and full adaptive air suspension with 19-inch alloy wheels.

Read our impressions on the new Porsche Panamera here.

Just over four years ago a concept team in Weissach, Germany, was given the task of creating the Panamera and, to a certain extent, the brief they received was filled with contradictory demands. They were asked to create a luxury four-seater saloon, with the design characteristics of a coupe, that could be driven like a sports car.

For us, the question of whether the Panamera would be a sales success is one easily answered by the proven success of the Cayenne, which at first may have appeared as the antithesis of a Porsche, in the form of the high-riding, four-door SUV. The Cayenne has sold remarkably well and started a paradigm shift in the perceptions of what a Porsche should or could be. Some may not be convinced by the Panamera’s claims, but as our time in the car proved, the Panamera is a thoroughbred Porsche through-and-through.

Admittedly, the styling remains unconvincing. With a wheelbase of 2.92 meters, short overhangs front and rear and despite being marginally shorter than its competitors at 4.97 meters, the Panamera looks decidedly awkward when viewed from the side, with the sleek front seemingly mismatched to the bulbous rear. The 20-inch alloy wheels are a recommended option and help to achieve improved visual proportions. Viewed from the front, the Panamera features typical Porsche design characteristics with its bonnet lower than the side fenders and air scoops rather than a centre mounted front grille. Visually, the rear is the most contentious aspect of the new Panamera and although it incorporates design cues such as the shoulders, tail-lights and sloping rear window, from the 911 and Cayman, it remains the most talked about and least admired aspect of the car. Having said that, however, we did find that when following the Panamera, the bulk of the car is out of sight and combined with the low roofline, wide tyres, quad-exhausts and muscular shoulders, the sports car enigma is replaced by a moment of clarity – the Porsche DNA surfaces.

Beneath the large rear hatch lies a spacious 445-litre boot, expandable to 1 250-litres with the rear seats folded down, to create a completely flat cargo area. The interior boasts extensive use of leather. The rear seats are electrically adjustable as an option and cosset rear passengers with their individually sculptured and bolstered design, reminiscent of individual bucket style seats, as they are separated by an extended centre console. Personal comfort is guaranteed for any and all passengers travelling in the Panamera, with generous personal space coupled with all the features and functions expected in a premium luxury saloon. An array of optional features and equipment is available for the Panamera, but one in particular, alludes to the quality standard Porsche has set for its new Panamera. Standard on all Panamera models is an already high quality sound system supplied by Bose. But, for those who’d like something special, the Panamera is also available with a 16-speaker Burmester sound system. Delivering more than 1 000 Watts of overall output, Burmester car audio systems are an entertainment luxury previously reserved for the exclusive group of Bugatti Veyron owners.

The driving seat is where the thrills originate from in the Panamera. Eight-way electrically adjustable front seats, along with a harmonious blend of comfort and support, ensure a perfect driving position under all conditions. Upon first impression, the multitude of buttons tastefully aligned around the centre console and gear selector, seem a little dazzling. It soon becomes apparent, however, that Porsche have managed to grant access to an assortment of electronic wizardry in a user-friendly and appealing manner. Through this re-arrangement of the control buttons and switches, all operation processes are quick and intuitive, without requiring the driver to search for central control elements or scroll in a complicated process through the sub-menu of the on-board computer. A 4.8-inch touch sensitive LCD screen mounted in the center console provides access to the entertainment systems, as well as navigation and car setup options. An additional LCD display is also incorporated into the right side of the drivers instrument cluster for convenience. One element, which was apparent is that of the various buttons for the PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) being positioned on the left of the gear selector as opposed to the right, where ideally it should be closer to the driver.

Now we could go on about the anti-misting sensor that monitors the temperature of the windows and the relative humidity around them in order to monitor the dew point and automatically prevent misting. We could also mention the 3D solar sensor that monitors the angle and intensity of the sun to automatically adjust the climate control for each passenger on an individual basis if necessary. But really, it’s the driving experience delivered by the Panamera that stands out above all else.

Endowed with a 4,8-litre V8 engine the Panamera S and 4S, both offer 294 kW and 500 N.m of torque between 3 500 rpm and 5 000 rpm. Despite weighing 1 800 kg when equipped with the PDK gearbox (1 860 kg’s for the Panamera 4S), the Panamera S still manages a sprint to 100 km/h from a standing start in just 5.6 seconds, while the 4S achieves the same in 5.0 seconds flat when fitted with the Sports Chrono Package.

On the move, steering response is direct and allows one to place the car with pin-point accuracy. In ‘Comfort’ mode the Panamera offers tempered throttle response in and around town, while the 7-speed PDK (Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe) gearbox is simply the smoothest and most refined 7-speed we’ve experienced. As a clear stretch of road opens up before you, changing the PASM into ‘Sport’ mode immediately causes the adaptive air suspension (a world first) to increase the spring rate and make the damping more progressive. In addition, the throttle response is sharpened and the PDK transmission hold onto gears for longer periods before selecting the successive gear at near lightening speed. In ‘Sport’ mode, coupled with the powerful V8 engine and 360 mm, 6-piston brake combination, the Panamera simply devours the road ahead, almost regardless the road conditions. High speed sweeps with bumps that would otherwise prove disconcerting in similarly sized sedans, are of little concern and the Panamera simply astonished us with the sheer pace it is able to maintain in this regard.

Mountain passes might force you to adopt a more sedate pace when travelling in other sedans, but with the Panamera it’s a chance to revel in the sheer brilliance of Porsche engineering. Press the ‘Sport Plus’ button – fitted with the Sports Chrono Package on PDK equipped models – and the adjustable air suspension releases pressure to lower the car by 25 mm, while increasing the spring rate. The additional reduction in the car’s centre of gravity and more aggressive suspension setting give the Panamera agility that, for a near 2-tonne sedan, seemingly defies logic. Threading the Panamera Turbo over the very twisty Franschhoek Pass in the Western Cape was an exciting driving experience and one in which the Panamera excelled, transforming from luxury limousine into luxury sports car, the size of which was forgotten until the Turbo’s optional PCCB (Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes) worked to scrub off speed before each successive turn.

With its twin-turbo 4,8-litre V8 producing 368 kW and 700 N.m of torque (770 Nm with the overboost function in Sport Plus mode) the Panamera Turbo offers fierce acceleration when reaching straight roads. From 0 to 100 km/h takes just 4.2 seconds and top speed is 303 km/h. The four-way spoiler on the Turbo – located at the base of the rear window – folds out at speeds over 90 km/h and remains in position up to 205 km/h, whereafter it adjusts by 13° to provide added downforce on the rear axle at high speeds.

Although phenomenally quick and thrilling to exploit whenever the opportunity arises, the power of the Panamera Turbo is excessive. The Panamera S and 4S, fitted with PDK were equally as engaging to drive and despite being 74 kW more modest, proved equally proficient in all tasks asked of them.

The only element of the Panamera we didn’t enjoy are the two steering wheel mounted paddles used to control the PDK transmission. Unlike the traditional pull action to change up on the right or down on the left, Porsche allow you to achieve the same on either paddle, but most confusingly, the driver is required to press the paddle to change up and pull it to change down. A configuration which does not come as second nature when barreling through a mountain pass in the obscenely quick super saloon.

Porsche have achieved a milestone with the Panamera, not just as a complete package but also in the individual technologies and engineering that combine to make the car more than just the sum of its parts. A benchmark super saloon that will expand preconceived ideas of what a true Porsche is all about.