Porsche’s tall and luxurious Panamera traditionally sat at the top of the German brand’s opulent sedan tree, but the introduction of the all-electric Taycan in 2020 not only brought state-of-the-art interior technology, but also threw the Panamera’s future into doubt.
But Porsche is staying true to its palatial ship, using many of the Taycan’s infotainment features to ensure this immensely comfortable and impressively agile ICE (internal combustion engine) machine still has a place alongside its EV sibling.
I got to tour the interior of the upcoming Panamera, which will be fully unveiled later this month, before taking a ride in a test mule around the Porsche factory in Leipzig.
Much is still unclear about the driving behavior, but here are the best parts about the interior of the new Panamera.
1. The screens are bigger
Much of the infotainment system is carried over from the current Taycan, meaning drivers are treated to a razor-sharp and highly customizable curved 12.6-inch display that provides driving information such as speed, navigation and vehicle settings.
There’s also a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment panel in the center, which also provides the Taycan’s basics so it’s faster and more responsive to use. Finally, front passengers can enjoy an optional 10.9-inch touchscreen that provides customized entertainment on the go.
This has a privacy screen, so the driver cannot see what the passengers are looking at (for safety reasons, of course). But the constantly connected nature of the infotainment package means occupants can enjoy apps like TikTok, Spotify and YouTube from the passenger seat via the VW Group’s upcoming app store.
Porsche is rumored to be moving away from the parent company’s app solution and focusing on its own app store, but whether or not Panamera will adopt a new operating system is up for debate.
2. The cockpit layout is now more driver-oriented
Once again, the new Panamera borrows the driver-focused Porsche Driver Experience control concept first introduced in the Taycan. This places all important driver controls within easy reach of the steering wheel.
For example, the selector lever has been moved from the central tunnel to a toggle switch next to the steering wheel, similar to how many modern VWs do this.
Porsche’s bespoke Drive Mode selector, which switches between Normal and Sport or Sport Plus, is also located on the steering wheel, along with scroll wheels and buttons for the digital clocks and infotainment system.
This keeps the central transmission free of clutter and allows for a solid amount of storage space to be incorporated. Plus, the knurled toggle switches handle climate control and look and feel great to use.
3. Customers get more out of CarPlay
During my introduction to the new Panamera, I was joined by Oliver Grandel, Director of Complete Vehicle for Panamera, who confirmed that the company’s extensive CarPlay functionality, which debuted on the 2024 Cayenne, will also be coming to Panamera.
This allows Apple iPhone users to do more within the CarPlay ecosystem, such as changing radio stations or delving into car settings. Porsche is one of the first manufacturers to develop CarPlay through Apple’s Automaker toolkit, which is great news for the vast majority of Porsche owners who are embedded in the Apple ecosystem.
4. The vents are completely “finless”
The general tidying up of the center console appears to have been done purely to make the climate control functionality a bit more theatrical. The piano black area combines touch surfaces with physical buttons for a premium feel.
Plus, the vents are electrically adjustable, so no more sliding plastic fins to blow cool air in the right direction. In fact, there are no fins and instead you can select heating or cooling zones via the climate control menu screens.
5. The top specs are impressive, but probably won’t come to the US or UK
During the presentation at the Porsche factory in Leipzig we were able to check out various equipment levels, including the longer and infinitely more opulent Executive version, designed mainly for the Asian markets.
A quick hop in the back revealed acres of legroom, very comfortable and reclining seats, as well as giant touchscreen displays mounted to the back of the front seat headrests.
A little poking around revealed that users could pair smartphones and Bluetooth headphones to these devices and stream movies, as well as go online to browse the web and use apps. In addition, the Executive model featured a premium Burmester sound system.
It’s shaping up to be a dreamy chauffeured experience, but even the European model we were in had a small touchscreen display in the back that allowed passengers to keep track of driving data (oddly, including G-Force), and adjust the stereo. and interact with the navigation.
Perfect for handing over the infotainment duties to those sitting in the back, but we imagine it could be a nightmare if you have meddling kids. Oliver Grandel pointed out that you could turn the screen off, but it would immediately come back on as soon as someone touched it.