Porsche buyers love the Panamera’s available hybrid engines so much that sales of the sedan in some markets are 100 percent electrified. That’s why Porsche’s third-generation Panamera line will eventually contain no less than four hybrid models. We met the 671 hp Turbo E-Hybrid last November alongside the 348 hp non-hybrid Panamera and Panamera 4 when Porsche unveiled the revised sedan, and now its fleshing out the lineup with the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid and Panamera 4S E-Hybrid. And the fourth plug-in option? That’s the Turbo S E-Hybrid still to come.
Both of the new PHEVs are powered by the
same basic 2.9-liter V6, but while the ICE package contributes 300 hp to the base E-Hybrid’s 463 hp total system output and 650
Nm of torque, the 4S E-Hybrid’s V6 chips in 348 hp for a total of 536
hp and 750 Nm. Comparing
those stats with the ones for the previous year’s equivalent models reveals
that the E-Hybrid has gained 8 hp, but the S E-Hybrid’s power output has
fallen by 16 hp. Performance? The 280 kmh E-Hybrid gets to 97 kmh in 3.9 seconds, an improvement of 0.3 seconds, and the 290 kmh S E-Hybrid needs 3.5 seconds, which is unchanged.
Not bad, but the Turbo E-Hybrid will get
you there in around 3.0 seconds flat and we can expect the Turbo S E-Hybrid to
get into the twos when it arrives, probably later this year, packing the 729 hp assisted V8 from the new Cayenne. The electric motor stashed inside
the Panamera‘s PDK transmission pumps out 187 hp this time around,
compared with 134 hp for the old PHEVs’ motor. And each of the new
hybrids gets the same 25.9 kWh (gross) battery, which is 45 percent larger than
the 17.9 kWh unit fitted to the old car. Porsche hasn’t quoted any range
figures, but with that kind of battery up-size program the numbers are going to
be way better than before. Which wouldn’t be hard: the old E-Hybrid and S
E-Hybrid both had an EPA range estimate of just 31 km. Bigger
batteries should, of course, take longer to charge, but Porsche has fitted an
11 kW onboard charger (up from 7 kW) to help speed things along. Speed, though,
is relative. It still takes 2.5 hours to fill the battery. As you’d hope from
cars costing over US$ 115k, the equipment list is fairly full, and includes
several items not featured in the previous models’ menu of standard goodies,
including soft-close doors, 14-way seats, steering wheel heating and Lane
Change Assist.
The 4 E-Hybrid does get Porsche’s Matrix
LED lights, but slums it with black brake calipers and puny 19-inch wheels
unless you visit the options list. S E-Hybrid models stand out in this regard
with 20-inch AeroDesign rims and red-colored 10-piston brake calipers that can
be swapped for acid green if you prefer. Or you could go nuts and order the
full PCCB carbon brake package, though that requires an upgrade to 21-inch
wheels. Two-chamber air springs and PASM adaptive dampers come standard on both
models, but buyers also get the chance to upgrade to Porsche’s Active Ride
setup which uses an electrically powered hydraulic pump to operate the
compression and rebound behavior. It’s claimed to reduce body movements during cornering
but also has a few other tricks, like allowing the car to be raised or lowered
to make getting in and out easier, or you could just use it to perform a little
dance to generate a few social media views. The new Panamera 4 E-Hybrid has a
starting MSRP of US$ 115,500, while its more powerful counterpart, the Panamera
4S E-Hybrid, commands a price of US$ 126,800. Keep in mind, both prices exclude
a US$ 1,995 delivery, processing, and handling fee. Both models are set to open
for orders by the end of March and are anticipated to hit U.S. dealerships come
fall 2024.
