Porsche Panamera review

The cockpit is snug, in the fashion of a proper low-slung coupe. You're held, plugged in to the machine.

The new interface is nearly all glass, with a 12.6-inch oval instrument screen that can be set for multiple layouts. The 12.3-inch centre touchscreen is loaded up with menus and icons for the vast library of car settings, but the logic makes sense after an hour or two of fiddling about to get familiar.

Below that screen is another black panel that lights up when the ignition is on, displaying touch buttons for climate. It gives a little haptic click to confirm your finger. We'd prefer proper buttons, but at least the climate operations haven't been dumped in the main infotainment screen. Some physical toggles remain too. 

Most of the cabin is impeccably made and solid. Only the lid above the phone charging mat is a bit flimsy, which is a shame as that'll be the one you open most often.

If you want more screen action you can spec a 10.9-inch passenger touchscreen for £1,289, or two 10.1-inch rear-seat screens for £1,643. Your passengers will use them once, then get bored/car sick and turn them off for good. Money not-so-well spent. We would advise splashing out on either the Bose (£1,223) or Burmester (£5,822) sound systems though.

The back seats are low and snug. Adults do fit, but with zero lounging space. Vents and sockets make life better. Kids might well love the secure seats and the fact the centre tunnel in the four-seat version deters territorial incursions from their sibling. You can opt for a 4+1 seat but as the name implies it's little more than a perch. The backrest splits 40:20:40 for skis and the like.

Oh, and as ever with Porsche you can spend a great deal of cash upgrading to Comfort or Sport seats (makes you wonder what's standard) and on the colour of the leather, the stitching, the seatbelts and so on and so on...