STUTTGART: Porsche is preparing a facelift for its Panamera. Coming this autumn, the Gran Turismo will have a retouched design, improvements to the steering and chassis, and new engines.
However, if you want to see the visual changes in the standard version, the executive version or the Sport Turismo, you'll have to look closely. That's because apart from the paintwork and wheels, the only change on the outside is the lights and the side skirts. Inside, the only visible testimony to the facelift is a new steering wheel.
The differences will be more noticeable when driving, promises Porsche's Thomas Friemuth, who heads the Panamera line. The balancing act between sportiness and comfort has been further improved, he says, and there are numerous innovations under the hood.
The top engine is the four-litre V8 petrol unit, which now delivers 630hp instead of the previous 550hp, and it's therefore been promoted from Turbo to Turbo S.
At the same time, the Cayenne GTS engine has increased by 20hp to 480hp. Only the base petrol unit remains unchanged at 330hp.
The plug-in hybrids have also been changed. The 4S E-Hybrid with 560hp is closing the gap between the S E-Hybrid and the Turbo S E-Hybrid.
Porsche has optimised the battery performance and installed a larger battery that, the carmaker says, brings about 30% more range.
