The 2011 porsche panamera diesel :
Just a few months after launching the Panamera petrol hybrid, Porsche is serving up an alternative maximum efficiency GT: the Panamera Diesel. It can, says Porsche, cover 745 miles on its 80-litre tank. If you’ve got a capacious bladder, an optional 100-litre tank is set to be an option too.
The Panamera Diesel goes on sale from August 2011, and, like the hybrid, is available only in rear-wheel drive with an eight-speed Tiptronic torque converter auto, not the PDK dual-clutch transmission that’s offered on all other Panameras.
ENGINE:
Porsche Panamera diesel will have a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6, 250 hp, which has 550 nm of torque at 1,750 rpm, combined with the eight-speed automatic transmission Tiptronic S. According to the German automaker, the car which is available only with rear-wheel drive, can get 100 km/h from a standing start in 6.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 242 km per hour. As on other 5-door of this GT the adaptive air suspension are optional extra.
FUEL EFFICIENCY: Porsche said that Panamera diesel consumes an average of 6.5 L/100 km and 172 g/km of CO2. The standard automatic start/stop if combined with low rolling resistance tires, allows better values as 6.3 L/100 km and 167 g/km. The Porsche Panamera diesel can get more than 1200 km as range. The German price is set at € 82,000 and deliveries will begin in August.
Competition :
The list of competitors for a diesel variant of the Panamera will mirror that of the standard version with the bmw 7-series and the audi a8.
BMW is rumored to be bringing a diesel 7-Series to the US market, but Europeans already benefit from the performance of models like the 740d xDrive. This model is powered by a straight six-cylinder engine that features TwinPower Turbo technology and Common Rail direct injection and delivers a total of 306 HP at 4,400 rpm and maximum torque of 442 lbs-ft is available between 1,500 and 2,500 rpm. The only area the new Panamera trumps the BMW is in fuel efficiency: the BMW only gets 33 mpg.
The story follows a similar plotline with the Audi A8. There isn’t a diesel version available for the US market, but in Europe, customers can choose between a 3.0 TDI or a 4.2 TDI. The closest in performance to the Panamera Diesel is the 3.0 V6 TDI that delivers 250 HP and 405 lbs-ft. Fuel economy in the Audi pushes the envelope a bit further than the Panamera with 38 mpg compared to the Porsche’s 37mpg.
Verdict
The Panamera Diesel is, by and large, a success. The engine is smooth and willing, the economy figures appealing, and the interior is a lovely place to be. However, the general flaws of the Panamera are still present: it’s not the easiest thing to see out of (either to judge the kerb, or to reverse), the rear accommodation and boot is easily shaded by a Mercedes S-class, and in the case of the Diesel, the handling isn’t as satisfying as, say, the V8 manual.
