In talks with Deesch Papke – CEO Porsche Middle East & Africa
Posted by Zaran Tarapore on Feb 16, 2017
Having started his career in management roles for Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Land Rover, and Volvo, Deesch Papke is a man whose international and multi-brand automotive experience has seen him soar up the corporate ladder. Now as CEO of Porsche Middle East & Africa, Deesch shares his thoughts about the region and the all-new Panamera.
Q. How would you rank Porsche’s performance in 2016?
Short of just 238,000 cars and with a growth of six-percent over the previous year, it’s safe to say that 2016 had been a fantastically successful year for Porsche.
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Q. Would you consider the Panamera to be a key player in the Middle East region?
The Panamera is a fundamental part of the region’s product and market strategy for Porsche. It is an ideal fit to an extremely competitive segment of the market and is well respected by its ever-growing customer base. Following in the footsteps of its predecessor, we have no doubt that the all-new model is going to be just as successful, if not more, than the model we launched in 2009.
Q. How have all the magnificent new additions affected the pricing of the Panamera?
Although the all-new Panamera is a significant improvement over the previous model, the spec-adjusted pricing matches that of the older model. Essentially, there isn’t much of a variation.
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Q. What’s your take on the all-new Panamera?
The 2017 Porsche Panamera is more powerful, more efficient, lighter, and performs better than the model it replaces. Internally, the all-new model features a suite of connectivity and driver aids that propel it to the leading edge. It is simply, the best in its segment.
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