Overall rating:

Plug-in recharge ability gives the Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid a dual personality. A 5.5-second 0-62mph time is combined with 91.1mpg economy and 71g/km CO₂ emissions.

Key Facts

Model tested: Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid
Pricing: £88,967
Engine: 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol with parallel hybrid electric motor
Transmission: rear-wheel drive, eight-speed automatic
Body style: five-door hatchback
Rivals: BMW 7 Series ActiveHybrid, Lexus LS 600h Premier, Tesla S
CO₂ emissions: 71g/km
Combined economy: 91.1mpg
Top speed: 167mph
0-62mph: 5.5 seconds
Power: 416hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 590Nm at 1,250rpm

In the Metal:

Quash any ideas you have that Porsche's revised Panamera is going to look radically different from the car it introduced in 2009. Porsche doesn't do radical design changes, so the Panamera follows the company's proven subtle development strategy, which means the Panamera presents much the same face, flanks and backside to other road users, while inside you'd be hard pushed to spot any differences at all.

Look a bit closer and there's a few new feature lines, while the headlamps are revised in both shape and technology, as are the rear lights, which frame a backside that's made slightly less bulbous by repositioning the number plate housing. The front air intakes are re-profiled too (differing between models) though the boldest change on this plug-in S E-Hybrid model is the day-glo paint on the brake callipers. The same colour is used on the badges on the boot and front wings. Not radical then, but the Panamera looks a bit more comfortable in its new skin, yet remains a car that's not conventionally beautiful. Striking, perhaps...

Driving it:

The previous Panamera Hybrid impressed with its power juggling plus the integration of the hybrid system and the supercharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine - and the new S E-Hybrid builds on that. Now featuring lithium ion batteries, with plug-in recharge ability, the S E-Hybrid's default mode is to run on electricity alone, something it'll do for between 11- and 22 miles, and at speeds of up to 84mph. When the engine does kick in it does so smoothly and quickly, the system working with real polish, regardless of the setting you're in. There are four choices: Sport, which maximises performance with both systems in unison; Hybrid, which juggles everything to maximise economy; E-Power which is battery power alone - with the engine kicking in if it's necessary; and E-Charge, which scavenges as much power as possible to recharge the depleted battery to allow electric-only use again further down the road.

The result is figures that the Panamera S E-Hybrid returns 91.1mpg on the official combined economy cycle and emits just 71g/km of CO₂. That's even more impressive when you consider the S E-Hybrid will reach 62mph in just 5.5 seconds, though you'll not match that economy figure when doing so. What is remarkable in everyday driving is that those figures aren't the usual pie-in-the-sky numbers; it's actually quite easy to better them with sensible management of the hybrid drivetrain, something that's made relatively easy thanks to the useful instrumentation and easy to select drive modes.

The eight-speed automatic gearbox does sometimes get a bit flustered, but otherwise it's all remarkably civilised, the coasting function allowing it to run eerily quiet at motorway speeds and above, the E-Charge mode very quickly recharging the battery if you've emptied it in E-Power guise. Indeed, the compromises are few; there's more weight, which does very marginally dent the S E-Hybrid's outright agility, but it's still a sports saloon of commensurate poise and sporting ability. If there's one area where it's poor it's the brakes, which, thanks to the regeneration function, both lack bite and feel, the pedal feeling not dissimilar to one that's been hard used on a track - it's long under foot and not hugely reassuring. It, like the various drive modes, do take a little bit of adjusting to, but it's not so outlandishly different that after a few miles it all doesn't feel entirely normal.

What you get for your Money:

Aside from the new hybrid technology the Panamera S E-Hybrid comes with a comprehensive equipment list as standard. There's climate control, leather upholstery, bi-Xenon headlamps, automatic tailgate opening, Porsche Communication Management with satnav, powered, heated front seats and front and rear parking sensors. Obviously there's a lengthy options list too, if you want to spend more.

Worth Noting

As you might expect with the future-looking tech it's possible to interact with your S E-Hybrid through your smartphone via an app. It allows you to monitor the energy available, charge times (about four hours on a conventional three-pin domestic plug socket) and range, pre-heating and suchlike.

Summary

The diesel might be the big seller in the UK but Porsche's second generation hybrid model based on the Panamera demonstrates that the technology is progressing at a rapid pace. Significantly, the compromises are few; Porsche's integration of the parallel hybrid delivers a genuinely sporting car, yet one that can return some quite incredible economy figures.