What's all this about?
Ahead of the Paris Motor Show, Porsche has confirmed it will be doing a plug-in hybrid version of the second-gen Panamera. We had to wait a long time for the electrified version of the original Panamera, but the company has brought this model into play just a few months after the launch of the '971'-era five-door flagship. This Panamera 4 E-Hybrid is the fourth model in the line-up.
I bet it's costly, though, right?
Wrong. The 4 E-Hybrid enters the UK prices lists as the cheapest Panamera of the lot, at £79,715. That compares to the 440hp 4S at £88,700, the £91,788 4S Diesel (422hp) and the almighty, 550hp Turbo model that'll set you back £113,075.
What's the E-Hybrid packing?
Its 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged petrol V6 delivers 330hp and 450Nm, while a 100kW (136hp) electric motor has another 400Nm to offer. Peak system outputs are pegged at 462hp and 700Nm, but something has changed in the way they're delivered, if you compare the new hybrid to the old S E-Hybrid.
In what way?
In the previous part-electric Panamera, you had to mash the throttle to 80 per cent and more to get the drivetrain to give up maximum power. In the newcomer, the 700Nm is available the instant you touch the accelerator. This makes it much more like the monster 918 Spyder in terms of its hybrid strategy, which makes for epic performance.
How epic?
Bank on 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 174mph. As the '4' in its title suggests, the E-Hybrid has drive sent to all four corners via a new eight-speed PDK dual-clutch gearbox (the old model used a torque-converter auto) so the grip levels should be high, while it comes on three-chamber air suspension as standard.
What are the eco-stats like?
Thanks to a lithium-ion battery that's now rated at 14.1kWh instead of 9.4kWh, the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid can do 31 miles on electric power alone (11-22 miles previously) and it has a limited top speed of 88mph (84mph on the old one) during zero-emissions running. Porsche quotes fuel economy of 113mpg and CO2 as minimal as 56g/km, while the battery takes anything between 3.5 and six hours to be fully re-juiced.
And how about the looks/interior?
Little to report here. It looks largely identical to its conventionally powered siblings both inside and out, with only a few extra hybrid displays in its Porsche Advanced Cockpit to note and green brake callipers. So that means it is much easier on the eye than the old car, like all new Panameras. The 4 E-Hybrid goes on sale later this year, with first deliveries due in spring 2017.
Matt Robinson - 9 Sep 2016