Porsche introduces Panamera sedan

”This year commemorates the 100th birthday of Ferry Porsche and his vision continues today with a new icon carrying the Porsche crest and DNA,” said Rod Wallace,the Managing Director of Precision Cars India – the importer of Porsche vehicles in the country – at the launch.

“In developing this four-seater Gran Turismo,our engineers and designers invested all the accumulated know-how and passion of the past sixty years. The result is the Panamera,an exclusive vehicle with an array of unique propositions.”

Wallace said,”The Indian market is going through a revolution for desire of high-end products. We are launching the Panamera as we do not want to miss this opportunity. We are expecting a good growth in India despite an anticipated dip in global sales in 2009.”

The company had sold 168 units in 2008 in India and is expecting to sell 200 units this year with the launch of Panamera. Precision Cars India has placed an order of 50 units of Panamera for the next 12 months.

“Already 13 units were booked before the launch in Mumbai. We have also received 6 potential enquiries for the car.” Wallace said.

Porsche is also expected to introduce the new Boxster,which was showcased in the Geneva Motor Show,in India before the end of this year.

Porsche,which at present has only dealerships in New Delhi and Mumbai,is expanding its network to include Hyderabad,Kochi and Chennai. The company is also holding negotiations to open exclusive outlets in Ludhiana,Ahmedabad and Bangalore.

The Panamera combines the looks of a coupé,the opulence of a luxury car,four-seater space and Porsche’s distinctive driving dynamics.

Through its proportions alone,measuring 1,931 mm in width and 1,418 mm in height,the Panamera is lower and wider than other models in its segment. The car’s overall length of 4,970 mm gives it an unmistakable GT silhouette,especially with the short,sporting overhangs front and rear.

Panamera S

The 4.8-litre Panamera S generates 400 hp through a strong,fuel-efficient,eight-cylinder motor that drives the rear wheels via a the Porsche-doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) dual-clutch transmission with seven gears,which improves the fuel consumption to a 12.5 l/100 km. With its 500 Nm of torque from between 3,500 and 5,000 rpm,and an excellent 83.2 hp output per litre,the Panamera S can accelerate to 100 km/h in just 5.6 seconds,and continue to a top speed of 285 km/hr.

Panamera 4S

PDK also comes as standard on the 4.8-litre,400-hp Panamera 4S,which also features Porsche traction management (PTM) and an all-wheel drive system. Like the S,it is capable of producing 500 Nm of torque between 3,500 and 5,000 rpm,but the 4S can hit 100 km/h in just 5.0 seconds and is capable of a top speed of 282 km/hr. Its fuel consumption is 11.1 l/100 km.

Panamera Turbo

With a 500-hp,eight-cylinder engine and bi-turbo technology,the top of the range Panamera Turbo,comes with PDK as standard alongside all-wheel drive. It generates 700 Nm of torque from 2,250 to 4,500 rpm – 779 Nm with Overboost in conjunction with optional Sports Chrono Package Turbo in the Sports Plus Mode – and boasts a power output per litre of 104.1 hp. The Turbo produces a top speed of 303 km/hr and a staggering time of only 4.2 seconds form 0 to100 km/h. It registers fuel consumption of 12.2 l/100 km.

The highlight of the Panamera’s interior is the seven-inch,colour touch screen fitted with both the CDR-31 audio system and Porsche Communication Management,including a navigation module. The car offers a large number of individual functions ranging from voice control through to Bluetooth mobile phone connections. As an option,rear passengers can enjoy their very own personal entertainment with two consoles integrated in the headrests of the front seats with swivelling 7-inch,TFT colour displays that integrate cordless infrared headsets.

A premium Burmester High-End Surround Sound System is available as an option,while the BOSE Surround Sound System comes as standard in the Panamera Turbo and is optional on all other models.