X

2010 Porsche Panamera 4S (photos)

Porsche's new sedan is unlike other luxury sedans, sharing driving dynamics with sports cars and having a hatchback. At the same time, the Panamera proves practical with decent fuel economy and spacious luggage room.

Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Wayne Cunningham
34117508_SS01.jpg
1 of 18 Josh Miller/CNET
There was a time, in the mid-1990s, when Porsche was down to just two models in its lineup. This decade the company is showing new energy, coming out with an SUV, a new sports car, and now a hatchback sedan. The Panamera represents a new and potentially lucrative direction for Porsche as it competes with big luxury sedans from BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz.
34117508_SS02.jpg
2 of 18 Josh Miller/CNET
The Panamera is uniquely styled, and some would say ugly. But after spending a week with the car, it grew on us. The front end is unmistakably Porsche design, whereas the rear hatch shows graceful curves. The only part that seems out of proportion is the stretched roofline over the cabin.
34117508_SS03.jpg
3 of 18 Josh Miller/CNET
Porsche's direct-injection 4.8-liter V-8 is a tremendous powerplant, cranking out 400 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, getting the Panamera 4S to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds.
34117508_SS04.jpg
4 of 18 Josh Miller/CNET
We found the front and rear seating areas spacious enough, although the Panamera does not have the cabin proportions for a chauffeur-driven car. Access to the rear seat is slightly compromised by the door sill's shape.
34117508_SS05.jpg
5 of 18 Josh Miller/CNET
The Panamera comes standard with Porsche Active Suspension Management, an adjustable system that changes the shock absorber response to counteract body roll and improve handling.
34117508_SS06.jpg
6 of 18 Josh Miller/CNET
Even with the suspension set in Comfort mode, the Panamera's ride is sports car hard. As the 4S model, this Panamera also has all-wheel drive.
34117508_SS07.jpg
7 of 18 Josh Miller/CNET
This spoiler automatically deploys at speed, increasing downforce to the rear wheels.
34117508_SS08.jpg
8 of 18 Josh Miller/CNET
The cabin is luxuriously appointed, but the Panamera is still a hatchback. The rear seats fold down to maximize luggage space.
34117508_SS09.jpg
9 of 18 Josh Miller/CNET
Our car came with a special leather package that lined just about every available surface in the cabin with animal hide.
34117508_SS10.jpg
10 of 18 Josh Miller/CNET
Instead of paddle shifters, the Panamera uses shift buttons. They are very poorly placed; you have to move your hand on the wheel to push them.
34117508_SS11.jpg
11 of 18 Josh Miller/CNET
The tachometer sits front and center in Porsche's classic five-ring instrument cluster. The middle gauge on the right is actually an LCD showing a variety of useful information.
34117508_SS12.jpg
12 of 18 Josh Miller/CNET
The Panamera comes with Porsche's Doppelkupplungsgetriebe, a seven-speed automated manual dual-clutch gearbox. We found its programming and response superb.
34117508_SS14.jpg
13 of 18 Wayne Cunningham/CNET
The hard-drive-based navigation system uses detailed maps for some downtown areas, showing 3D-rendered buildings.
34117508_SS15.jpg
14 of 18 Josh Miller/CNET
The maps show in 3D or 2D, and have a traffic overlay for incidents and flow.
34117508_SS17.jpg
15 of 18 Josh Miller/CNET
When the Panamera gets data about a traffic jam ahead on a programmed route, it pops up a warning screen, and offers to detour around the problem.
34117508_SS18.jpg
16 of 18 Wayne Cunningham/CNET
We found the iPod integration very easy to use, with full access to albums, artists, genres, and individual songs.
34117508_SS20.jpg
17 of 18 Josh Miller/CNET
The Bluetooth phone system downloads contact lists, making them available on the car's LCD. But there is no voice command system for dialing by voice.
34117508_SS21.jpg
18 of 18 Josh Miller/CNET
This distance sensor system is standard, and a rearview camera is optional.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos