Porsche Panamera 4S Diesel: Spotted

Porsche's diesel free future is having no impact on the desirability of its used oil burning models

So it’s official, the diesel Porsche is dead. Less than 10 years after a V6 diesel engine was introduced to the Mk1 Cayenne to create the first Porsche fed by the devil’s pump, CEO Oliver Blume has confirmed his company will go totally “diesel free”. WLTP tests and Porsche’s electric ambitions probably play a part in his decision, but Blume unashamedly pointed his finger to diesel’s bad image following the Volkswagen scandal.

That’s not to say that used diesel Porsches should be dismissed, however. For starters, there’s bloody loads of ‘em so it should, in theory, be easier to find one to your taste. The vast majority of Cayennes (55%) listed on the PH Classifieds are of the derv kind, for example, while 27% of Panameras drink the fuel that turns station forecourts into oily ice rinks. If you’re after a diesel Porsche, it’s highly likely that one of these should fit the bill – and at decent value, too.

Take the Panamera 4S Diesel we’ve spotted here. It’s a 2016 Mk2 car, which means its design is far less cumbersome, with a more confident four-door shape than the original Panamera. Plus, it uses the desirable twin blower 4.0-litre V8 diesel with 422hp and a mammoth 627lb ft of torque on offer. The engine is essentially the same as the 4.0-litre you get in a new Audi SQ7 and, fittingly, the Porsche it’s featured in is – give or take a couple of grand – about the same price as a new one of those SUVs.

The comparisons end about there though because the Panamea 4S Diesel is, even with 12,000 miles of use under its belt, going to be the far better steer. It’s quicker, with that peak torque figure slapping you in the forehead from just 1,000rpm and charging this diesel liftback from 0-62mph in 0-62mph in 4.3 seconds, 100mph in 10.4 seconds and, if you keep it pinned, all the way to 178mph. Yet the official stats attached to the 4S Diesel include 42.2mpg and 176g/km. Few combustion engine cars can claim to be so fast and frugal.

The second-gen Panamera steers as well as it goes, with four-wheel steer and a rear bias to that powertrain helping the confident, composed chassis remain pointy and Porsche-like despite the inclusion of four proper seats, same number of doors and a decent boot. You could go for a new SQ7 and have even more room, but the Panamera is the sleeker option and, as far as driving is concerned, in another world for entertainment. So you shouldn’t.

Find yourself a Panamera 4S Diesel with Porsche’s Active Suspension Management (PASM) hardware – all but essential on Britain’s roads – and you’ll be onto a winner… Oh look, the car we’ve found has PASM. And it comes in a smart, discreet grey. Buy this and you can slip along as the engine sips diesel and thrust yourself on all that torque from A to B and, if you want, C, with an almost unrivalled cross-country pace thanks to the fewer fuel stops you’ll have to make than a rival in a less fuel efficient alternative.

So yeah, Porsche might be closing the curtain on diesel but, as far as we’re concerned, its best oil-burning model of the recent past is still very much relevant.

SPECIFICATION - PORSCHE PANAMERA 4S DIESEL

Engine: 3,956cc, twin-turbocharged V8, diesel

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, four-wheel drive

Power (hp): 422@5,000rpm

Torque (lb ft): 627@1,000-3,250rpm

MPG: 42.2

CO2: 176g/km

First registered: 2016

Recorded mileage: 12,000 miles

Price new: £91,788

Yours for: £72,534

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