Porsche 911 Carrera 4S review, test drive

The latest 911 adopts Porsche’s new cabin design theme that made its debut in the Panamera. However, given that it’s a sportscar, the 911’s cabin layout is more driver-focussed than the Panamera and the Cayenne, with a narrower centre console and less of a button overload. The ancillary buttons are positioned neatly behind the gearlever rather than to its side, an arrangement allowed by the adoption of an electrically operated parking brake and a novel new location for the cupholders on the passenger side of the dashboard.The fit and finish and perceived quality of materials are hard to fault. The 911’s cabin ambience now passes muster not just among anything else in its class, it can easily rival what you would see in a proper German luxury saloon.

Our test car came with loads of kit, but disappointingly, most of the stuff, like the Sports Chrono pack, powered sports seats, electric steering adjustment, navigation, Bose sound system, Bluetooth, auto dimming and folding mirrors, and the sunroof, are optional extras. The 911’s low roof necessitates some amount of bending on ingress, but once past the wide-opening pillarless doors, what you find is a very cosy cabin. There is decent space for front occupants, and the thin A pillars allow for a fantastic view out the front. The nicely crafted seats are snug and well bolstered, and keep you in place even when you drive hard. While the Carrera 4S can seat four, it is best to use it as two-seater. Accessing the back seat is not the most elegant of procedures, and once you get in, the seat is cramped and the knees-up seating position is not very comfy. The front boot, at 125 litres, is quite generous for a sportscar and there’s an additional 260 litres of storage area behind the rear seats.