Thursday, March 28, 2024
ADVT 
Auto

2021 Porsche Panamera GTS

BY Benjamin Yong, 29 Sep, 2021
  • 2021 Porsche Panamera GTS

Fast five-door fun for the whole family

 

 

 

Just two short years after the launch of the second generation Porsche Panamera GTS, the speedy premium five door receives a light refresh and is now even more of a four-passenger straight line bruiser.

The mid-grade version of the hatchback retains special exterior differentiators like a sportier grill, blacked out side mirror caps and Porsche script across the trunk lid, and exclusive contrasting 20-inch alloy wheels. Special GTS badging can be found on the bottom part of the doors and on the trunk lid. The rear of the car receives the most notable changes including a new LED light strip connecting the pair of tinted taillights, and freshened diffuser fins below.

A sport-meets-luxury theme is echoed inside the cabin — brushed aluminum is sprinkled throughout, as is the suede-like Race-Tex material found on the redesigned heated multifunction steering wheel with integrated paddle shifters. The top-of-the-line 18-way adjustable adaptive front seats are standard offering lots of support and endless adjustability.

Still anchoring the interior is the 12.3-centre touchscreen infotainment system, eliminating many of the physical knobs and buttons once littering the centre console. I personally would prefer some analog control to make a comeback, particularly since the unit in our test vehicle was malfunctioning and I had to rely on the navigation knob to maneuver through the menus. Not so easy a task when currently even settings for things like the dynamic spoiler are digitized.

Whoever said Porsche cars don’t have much luggage capacity have never driven a Panamera. Even when the split second row is upright, the 495 litres of space behind swallowed up two full size suitcases, a carry-on and a couple of duffle bags fairly effortlessly, the only thing stopping even more being the sloping rear window. Need more space? Move on up to the Sport Turismo wagon featuring more room, shorter cargo loading edge and an additional seat in the back.

Under the hood, Porsche has managed to shoehorn in a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine pushing 473 horsepower and 457 lb-ft of torque, an additional 20 horses compared to before. The mill sounds sublime, especially after opening up the electric valves of the Sport exhaust system. Helping transfer power to the ground is the brand’s signature six-speed manual transmission (or optional PDK) and an all-wheel drive system aided by Porsche Traction Management.

 

Straight line performance is all well and good, but the real fun is had when the road bends. Luckily, the GTS utilizes adaptive three-chamber air suspension allowing continuous and precise adjustments for dynamic handling as well as offering a high degree of ride comfort. Don’t, however, expect quite the same level of agility as say, a 911. Even something as simple as a U-turn on a narrow street becomes a three-point affair in the larger model.

The vehicle also sits 10 millimetres lower than its regular stablemates for an athletic stance. Stopping the car are big brakes, 390-millimetres in the front and 365 at the back.

Regardless of trim level, all variants receive the new digital Porsche Advanced Cockpit eschewing traditional analogue gauges for virtual ones, InnoDrive adaptive cruise control with semi-autonomous driving capabilities, and available rear axle steering (+$1,880).

The 2021 Porsche Panamera GTS retails for $147,400 MSRP and is in dealerships now.

 

HIGHLIGHTS

MSRP: $174,860

Motor: 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged eight cylinder

Horsepower: 473 @ 6,500 rpm

Torque (lb-ft): 457 @ 1,800 rpm

Gearbox: Six-speed manual    

Layout: Front engine, all-wheel drive   

Fuel economy: 16.4 L/100 km mixed city/highway (observed)

MORE Auto ARTICLES

2021 Porsche 718 SPYDER

2021 Porsche 718 SPYDER

There’s no better telltale sign of summer than the proliferation of convertibles back on the road across the GVRD.

2021 BMW X5 M Competition

2021 BMW X5 M Competition

It is even more beastly than the outgoing version, yet at the same time also upping the level of refinement.

2021 Mercedes AMG A 35 4MATIC

2021 Mercedes AMG A 35 4MATIC

“Ever since we announced the introduction of the A-Class to the Canadian product portfolio, many have been anxiously awaiting news of an AMG variant,” say Brian Fulton, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Canada

2021 Mazda CX-30 TURBO

2021 Mazda CX-30 TURBO

Delivering up to 250 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque when filled with premium 93 octane fuel (227 horsepower/310 lb-ft regular), a six-speed automatic transmission takes care of the shifting duties.

2021 KIA K5

2021 KIA K5

"K5 is the breath of fresh air that the mid-size sedan segment never knew it needed,” says Kia Canada COO Elias El-Achhab in a news release.

2021 Cadillac Escalade

2021 Cadillac Escalade

The fifth-gen vehicle not only wows by offering more interior space than ever before, but showcases some segment-leading electronic innovations befitting brand’s flagship.

PrevNext