Porsche Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid

Step on the brake. The starter is on the LEFT side of the steering column (Porsche heritage from Le Mans). Twist the cylinder forward — or on PCM-only cars, push the rotary knob.

Stubby PDK lever on the console — push forward for R, pull back for D. Some 911 trims still use a column-mounted miniature lever (~the size of a thumb).

Drive modes are accessed via the steering-wheel mode dial (Sport Chrono package). Available modes typically include Normal, Sport, Sport Plus, Wet, Individual. Each mode reshuffles throttle mapping, steering weight, adaptive dampers (if equipped), exhaust valves, and stability-control thresholds. On performance trims, an 'Individual' or 'Custom' slot lets you save your favorite combination so you can recall it with one click instead of nesting through menus.

The driver display is a Five-pod digital cluster (central tach). Use the steering-wheel left thumb-pad to cycle layouts (Classic, Sport, Navigation, Minimal). When in Sport / Track mode the cluster automatically swaps to a wide tach with gear indicator and tire-temperature readout. The head-up display brightness, height, and content are configured from Settings → Displays → HUD.

Infotainment runs on Porsche Communication Management (PCM 6.0). Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard; pair from Settings → Connections the first time, then it auto-connects whenever your phone is in range. "Hey Porsche" wakes the in-car assistant for nav, climate, calls, and messaging without touching the screen. The main display also hosts vehicle-specific apps: tire pressures, performance data recorder (where fitted), drive-mode customizer, and the camera views.

Standard driver aids include adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Toggle each system individually from the driver-assist menu (steering-wheel left-pad → Assistance). Highway-driving assist (hands-off in marked lanes on supported roads), automatic lane-change on indicator tap, traffic-jam assist for stop-and-go, and a 360° surround camera with transparent-hood mode are all available and worth enabling for the first time before driving in heavy traffic.

Plug-in hybrid: charge nightly from a standard 240V Level-2 outlet (about 2–3 hours for full battery). The car will default to electric-only until the pack is depleted, then operate as a hybrid. Use 'Hold' mode on the energy screen to save battery for city driving later, or 'Charge' mode to use the engine to top up the pack on the highway.

Beyond the physical key, this car supports Porsche Digital Key. Set up phone-as-key from the My Porsche app: it provisions a secure credential to your phone's wallet so a tap on the door handle unlocks the car and placing the phone on the wireless charging pad authorizes ignition. You can also share temporary keys to family members (with optional speed and area limits on performance trims) directly from the app.

A few things every new owner tells us they wish they'd known on day one:

• Set up the head-up display brightness and content (speed + nav arrows + assist status) the first day — once it's tuned to you it's the most useful screen in the car.
• Download the brand app (My Porsche) and pair it with your VIN before your first long trip — remote climate, charging/fuel-level checks, and remote lock-status save you walking back to the garage in winter.