Porsche is expanding its sports saloon line-up with the introduction of the entry-level Panamera (RWD) and Panamera 4 (AWD) models that are both powered by a 3.6-liter V6 gasoline engine with direct fuel injection of VW Group origin that is about 30kg or 66 lb lighter than the V8 on the Panamera S/4S models.
The V6 churns out a maximum output of 300 horsepower and 400Nm or 295 lb-ft of peak torque, and is linked to a PDK double-clutch gearbox, which like the Start & Stop system, comes as standard on the Panamera.
We don't know if this tells you something about the entry-level Panamera, but Porsche's release omits performance figures mentioning only fuel consumption and CO2 emissions numbers.
According to the Germans, the rear-wheel drive Panamera makes do with 9.3 lt/100km (equal to 30.4mpg UK or 25.3mpg US), while the all-wheel drive model averages 9.6 lt/100km (29.4mpg UK or 24.5mpg US).
As an option, Porsche offers 19-inch alloy wheels with optimized roll resistance tires that reduce these consumption figures by another 0.2 lt/100 km (+0.5mpg US), giving the Panamera a CO2 rating of 213 g/km and the Panamera 4, 220 g/km.
The Panamera V6 models will have their world premiere at the 2010 Beijing Motor Show in April and go on sale in Europe in May, and other markets including the UK and the U.SA. in June.
In Germany, the Panamera V6 starts at €75,899 (about US$103,275) rising to €84,110 (around US$114,500) for the Panamera 4 V6. UK pricing has been set at £61,461 for the Panamera, and £66,929 for the Panamera 4, while in the US. $74,400 will get you in a RWD model and $78,900 in the AWD version.
