Continuing its information slow drip ahead of its launch later this month, Porsche has now revealed the interior of the upcoming all-new Panamera, and… well, it looks exactly like what you’d expect from the sportscar maker – clean, minimalist, and very German.
The new Porsche Driver Experience, as the company calls it, will retain the brand’s new minimalist driver-focused layout first seen on the Taycan, characterised by three screens in total, including a curved 12.6-inch digital instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch central touchscreen, as well as a 10.9-inch passenger touchscreen.
Like the Cayenne and Taycan, the traditional gear lever on the centre console has been replaced by a small little toggle switch positioned just behind the steering wheel – a move that Porsche says is to help keep the drivers’ focus on driving, especially during dynamic driving”.
In the same vein, many of the vehicle’s control elements have also been moved nearer (or on) to the steering wheel for quicker access, including the driving mode switch on the steering wheel itself, as well as new toggle switches to switch between the display settings on the instrument cluster.
The new layout configuration has also freed up more space in the centre console for stowage areas, as well as a new climate control panel that the company says is more intuitive and ergonomic to use, thanks to its mixture of physical and touch-button control surfaces.
That said, it’d be remiss to not mention the fact that most of the other vehicle controls have all been relegated into the centre console screen itself, which is… questionable in terms of easy access from the driver. For example, you can only adjust the air-con vents through the centre screen now, and while there are shortcut buttons for presets, I can’t imagine it to be simpler than just reaching your hand up to the vents.
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As for the rest of the interior, the “high-quality and extremely sporty” ambience is emphasised by a new ambient lighting system along the entire dashboard panel, which apparently is a first-ever addition on a Porsche. There’s also an improved seat foam for better comfort, while the rear seats also get a new contoured shape for a more relaxing ride especially on longer journeys.
The seats and touchpoints are all wrapped in leather as per usual, and you now get a wider range of colour – and even material – options to choose from. For the first time ever, Porsche will also be offering a leather-free interior option for the all-new Panamera, using “sporty materials” such as Race-Tex and Pepita fabric.
On the outside, the upcoming all-new Porsche Panamera won’t look too different from its predecessor, as we’ve already seen in Porsche’s official “spy photos”. The German sportscar maker said in September that the all-new Panamera will be offered with four E-Hybrid powertrain options, including one for a new “high performance” variant.
The electric part of the powertrains has been improved across the board, thanks to a more powerful electric motor integrated within the new PDK dual-clutch gearbox. Battery capacity has also been increased up to 25.9 kWh (from 17.9 kWh), giving it up to 70% more range than before.
Underneath the skin, the Porsche Panamera will also be built on a newly developed semi-active chassis with new two-valve shock absorbers as standard, and it’ll also be offered with a “high-end chassis” for the first time, equipped with air suspension and active damper control.
The all-new Porsche Panamera will be revealed in full on November 24, so it’s only a couple more weeks before we get the full juicy details.
