Could Porsche Be Testing Yet Another Panamera Update Already?

Porsche has been busy lately and, curiously, its latest project appears to be another update to the Panamera. Or at least that’s what it looks like.

Our spy photographers caught this Panamera testing in Europe sporting some pretty effective camouflage. It appears to be hiding the front and rear bumpers, as well as an extra air intake above the number plate and some updates to the front grille and lights.

That would suggest that the model will get its biggest visual update since the second generation launched in 2017. Between the bigger grille, the changed bumpers, and the headlights, this should make for a much more pronounced change than the Panamera’s most recent update.

That update is what makes this test car a little unusual, though. Porsche revamped the Panamera just last summer. Although the visual updates were subtle, some models got as much as a 20 hp bump and a new plug-in hybrid joined the lineup.

Porsche will also thought to cease production of the current-gen Panamera in 2024. The company has said though that it is considering a third generation of the car, despite having added the all-electric Taycan to its portfolio.

“I think it could work because they are playing in different segments,” CEO Oliver Blume said. He admitted, though, that the Panamera will have to find a niche for itself.

“That is the challenge for these products, to achieve differentiation between them as much as possible, and also to differentiate from the competition,” he said. “For Porsche, we are counting on five topics for differentiation: high quality, Porsche-typical design, Porsche-typical performance, fast charging, and the driving experience. These five pillars are very important for future differentiation.”

As the company moves further into electrification, the Panamera could get an electric variant or even become fully electric, according to Blume. That would probably make the challenge of finding a niche for it even greater, though.