Porsche Panamera to debut at Shanghai

Porsche Panamera will debut in Shanghai in April

The Porsche Panamera has been coming for so long now that it almost seems like Porsche are announcing the debut of a new version. But no, this is the first ever Panamera and Porsche has today announced that it will debut at the Shangahi Motor Show in April.

It’s a sign of the growing importance of the Chinese market that Porsche has chosen to launch the car officially in China.

Even the Chinese car market is suffering at the moment, but the simple fact is that with such a huge population, and a Chinese DNA that seems to predispose them to commerce now they are allowed to ‘Trade’ once again, there will probably be more potential Porsche buyers in China in the next 10 years than in the rest of the world combined. So suck-up now seems a good motto.

The Panamera will get a good leap on the Aston Martin Rapide by launching in April, which is probably a good thing for Porsche, as the Panamera is not the best looking car in the world, and the Rapide is close to being exactly that.

But with a pretty fine choice of models, including the 3.6 V6, the 4.8 S and the 4.8 Turbo (and probably, not far behind, a diesel and a hybrid), the price range of the Panamera is going to be much wider than the Rapide. In reality, the Panamera is only going head to head at the top of its range with the Rapide. Its target lower down will be high-end CLS buyers and those looking at the forthcoming A7 (a sister car).

If it looked better I’d be really looking forward to the Panamera. But actually, that’s unfair. I felt exactly the same about the Cayenne and, although it’s not exactly the best looking 4×4, it is the most all-round competent one made.

I should reserve judgement until we’ve driven the Panamera.