We say For all its controversy, the Panamera is a fantastic car that we find hard to faultPerformance The V6 and V8 engines are nothing short of fantastic. They all leave little to be desired as far as pace is concerned, but they’re surprisingly unassuming in traffic and around town too. The petrol 3.6 V6 may be the best all-round unit on the Panamera. A hybrid model has noticeably less power than the rest of the petrols but will not disappoint.Emissions You’ll be lucky to get 25mpg out of the V8s and 30mpg with the petrol V6. However the Panamera 3.0 diesel can manage 43mpg and the petrol-electric hybrid just sneaks under the 160g/km CO2, which appeal to business drivers.Driving The Panamera is a typical Porsche, believe it or not, so it’s much more comfortable at high speeds. Around town, the firm suspension makes for an uncomfortable ride; even in Comfort mode.Feel Wind and road noise are barely audible, and neither are the engines – until you push them; then they sound great, especially the V8s. Diesel and hybrid models are more hushed. The Panamera makes an excellent motorway machine.Space Thanks to the small and oddly-shaped 445-litre boot, the Panamera isn’t the most practical four-door coupe on the market. The cabin is of a generous size, and four adults will ride in supreme comfort.Equipment As standard the Panamera gets 18-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, full leather interior, sat-nav; basically all the gadgets and gizmos you’d expect for a car of this pricePrice It carries that price you’d expect from Porsche, and running costs are very high on petrol models, though the diesel and the hybrid should claw back some of the outlay. Resale values should be strong.Quality Porsche build quality is superb, mechanics shouldn’t go wrong, and the materials are top notch.Safety Eight airbags - 10 on the Turbo models – and stability control come as standard.Pros Great engines, superb handling, top build quality.Cons Love it or hate it looks, awkward boot.Alternatives Maserati Quattroporte, Jaguar XJ, Aston Martin Rapide, Bentley Continental
