The interior design is inspired by Porsche’s iconic
911 sports car. At the front, things are set up for a sporty feel, with a suitably low seating position. The steering wheel also has a racy feel, with a selector dial mounted on it to switch between different driving modes, as well as controls for the infotainment screen and digital gauges. A stylish touch-sensitive centre console panel replaces a number of traditional buttons. It looks like a plain piano black surface when the ignition is off, but pressable areas reveal themselves on start-up. It certainly looks cool, but is a haven for fingerprints and isn’t quite as easy to use as a more three-dimensional interface, although it becomes more intuitive with a bit of practice. In the back, a second screen lets rear passengers have their say on the entertainment. Both material and build quality are excellent and easily on a par with what you'll find in any competitors.
Despite the sportscar-like appearance, it’s remarkably roomy inside the Panamera, in both the front and the back. Rear space verges on limousine-like, with plenty of head and legroom, and even more of the latter if you opt for a long-wheelbase model. The two sculpted seats are very supportive, but are obviously not as practical as a more traditional three-person bench. Luggage space is also reasonable, although less generous than in the
BMW 7 Series and
Mercedes-Benz S-Class due to the shallowness of the load area. While the hybrid model gives up some room in the boot to house the battery under the floor, it still has more than enough space for shopping or even a golf bag.
So far, we’ve only driven cars on adaptive air suspension, which is standard on the E-Hybrid models, Turbo and Executive models, and optional on most of the rest. It’s incredibly effective, too. It’ll soak up most of the bumps when you want to cruise huge distances – admittedly, it’s nowhere near as wafty and cosseting as an S-Class or 7 Series, but it’s still effortlessly comfortable – but if you want to get enthusiastic on a twisty bit of Tarmac, it’ll stiffen up to keep things stable, secure and controlled. Some versions (the ones with 4 in the name) also get four-wheel drive for even more cornering stability. The fact that a car of this size can change direction so sharply is truly impressive, and the nicely weighted steering helps enhance the level of engagement; it’s a little short on feel by the very high standards set by Porsche’s sportscars, but it’s plenty for a car like this. The extra weight of the hybrid versions over the more conventional variants does have some impact on how well it handles, but it’s still very nimble. Only the car’s high level of road noise – inevitable on a car with such wide tyres – damages its cruising ability, because engine- and wind noise are very well contained at high speed.