Porsche Panamera Hybrid 2017 Review

2017 Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid

International Launch Review
Cape Town, South Africa

Hybrids aren’t a big deal in Australia, but Porsche is hoping its second generation plug-in Panamera will generate more buyer interest than its predecessor. To do that it has dropped the price, bumped up the tech and incorporated some cool gadgetry. Powered by a turbocharged petrol V6 coupled with Porsche’s latest hybrid system, the 4 E-Hybrid promises better performance and lower fuel consumption than its predecessor and on its launch demonstrated a pure EV range of more than 40km. More than all of this, however, it points towards Porsche’s future electrification plans – expect plug-in Cayenne and Macan SUVs to follow in rapid order.

Porsche’s second generation Panamera is a very much changed vehicle and perhaps no model in the range receives a bigger overhaul than the plug-in hybrid.

For a start, the pricing in Australia has been cut substantially compared to its S E-Hybrid predecessor, prompting Porsche Cars Australia to hope for more buyers for its petrol-electric offering when it goes on-sale in the third quarter of 2017.

Drill way down beyond the retail offer and there’s the fundamental swap to a new architecture, dubbed MSB, which the hybrid shares with the rest of the Panamera range – as well as the next Bentley Continental and other Volkswagen Group badges.

That means it’s 34mm longer than its predecessor, growing to 5049mm in short wheelbase form. That helps provide a bigger boot, growing from 335 liters to 405 litres with all four seats in-place, or 1215 litres (versus 1153 litres) when the rear pews are folded.

But it’s the powertrain that is the star of this model, as it has been almost completely overhauled. For a start, as the ‘4’ in the name denotes, it’s gone from rear-wheel drive to Porsche Traction Management (PTM) all-wheel drive.

The old 245kW/440Nm 3.0-litre Audi-sourced supercharged V6 petrol engine has been dumped for a new Porsche-designed 243kW/450Nm 2.9-litre V6 twin turbo. The eight-speed automatic has been replaced by Porsche’s PDK dual clutch transmission, also with eight speeds. Auto stop/start is standard.

The output of the electric motor sandwiched between the engine and PDK rises from 70kW/310Nm to 100kW/400Nm, lifting total (engine and EV) system output from 306kW/590Nm to 340kW/700Nm. Porsche now claims a 4.6 sec 0-100km/h time, 278km/h top speed, 140km/h electric top speed and 2.5L/100km fuel consumption average. Obviously, all these things are not achievable at the same time! The old S E-Hybrid’s claims were 5.5 sec, 270km/h, 135km/h and 3.1L/100km.

The liquid-cooled Lithium-ion battery fitted under the rear floor of the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid lifts in capacity from 9.4kWh to 14.1kWh, but without being any heavier. The electric-only range is now claimed at a maximum 51km, versus 36km for the old car. A full recharge now takes 5.8 hours using the standard 3.6k# charger and 230 V 10 Amp power. Opt for the 7.2kW charger and 230 V 32 A power and that drops to 3.2 hours.

This is one area where the new Panamera hybrid loses out compared to its predecessor. A bigger battery requires more time to recharge, just like filling a bigger fuel tank from a petrol bowser.

The 4 E-Hybrid is also significantly heavier than its predecessor, weighing in at 2170kg versus 2095 kilograms. The switch to AWD and more standard equipment obviously adds more weight than the increased use of aluminium in the bodyshell and panels deducts.

Not only does the hybrid’s powertrain componentry change but so does the way it operates. In the older S E-Hybrid, electrical assistance wasn’t available until the throttle pedal was 80 per cent of the way down. But having adopted the hybrid strategy of the 918 Spyder supercar, the 4 E-Hybrid makes it available from launch. It’s the massive dump of torque from zero revs that has prompted Porsche to move to all-wheel drive.

As well as Sport and Sport Plus, there are four hybrid-specific modes in which this car can operate; E-Power, E-Hold, E-Charge and the new Hybrid Auto. The latter changes and combines the drive sources automatically, whereas the old car’s Hybrid mode meant it swapped to the petrol engine when the battery went flat.

Pure electric E-Power is the start-up mode, E-Hold makes the car run on petrol power alone, while in E-Charge the battery is charged by the V6, which does this by generating more power (and therefore fuel consumption) than is required for driving. In doing so, it tops up the EV range…

In Sport and Sport Plus (the 4 E-Hybrid is the only Panamera to get Sport Chrono standard) the petrol engine always operates. In Sport a minimum charge level is maintained, while Sport Plus allows the 278km/h top speed to be achieved and provides the quickest full battery recharging.

Beyond the engine bay
The Panamera plug-in’s chassis includes double-wishbone front and multi-link rear-end, complemented by three-mode air springs. Porsche’s new integrated 4D chassis control system – which constantly analyses pitch, roll and yaw – is standard. Braking is via six piston Monobloc calipers up-front working on 390mm composite discs. At the rear stopping power comes via four-piston Monobloc calipers and 365mm discs.

In standard form, the 4 E-Hybrid rolls on 19-inch wheels and tyres, although our test car came fitted with optional 21-inch wheels shod with 275/35 ZR21 Pirelli PZero tyres up-front and huge 315/30 ZR21s at the rear.

Standard 4 E-Hybrid safety equipment includes 10 airbags, an active bonnet, front and rear park assist, surround view and tyre pressure monitoring. Autonomous emergency braking is standard but there is little else in the way of high-tech driver assistance, with Lane Change Assist, Lane Keep Assist and Night Vision all optional.

Other standard equipment includes the trick new ‘Porsche Advanced Cockpit’ digitally-driven instrument panel and dashboard highlighted by a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen. Yep, the five dials that were traditions for Porsche in the IP have gone and so, less controversially, have the cascading waterfall of buttons in the centre stack and console. Figuring out how all this works and what you can adjust and personalise takes time, but the centre stack screen is undoubtedly a massive step forward for Panamera controls.

There’s also Apple CarPlay connection (but no Android Auto), BOSE surround sound, a digital radio, LED headlights, four-zone climate control, panoramic roof glass, 14-way power adjustable front seats with heating, adaptive cruise control, part-leather seats, an electric park brake and auto rear hatch.

For lots more on the second generation Panamera range’s interior and equipment features, check out our global launch review of the Turbo and 4S Diesel.

On the road
So, having waded through all that detail, how does the 4 E-Hybrid drive? Well, on the roads in and around Cape Town (South Africa) at the global launch we found it to be a bit of a chameleon.

It can be a true luxury cruiser. Indeed if the suspension is set to its softest mode, you are letting Hybrid Auto handle the powertrain chores and the PDK is set as an automatic, then the 4 E-Hybrid feels effortless and a bit floaty. It’s not quite an S-Class in that way. The PDK just can’t engage with the same smoothness in stop-start traffic and you always feel less isolated from the road.

But rotate the steering wheel-mounted dial to Sport or Sport Plus and the V6 becomes your constant, snarling (if still a bit muted) and tad vibey companion. Accelerate from standstill and the 4 E-Hybrid slams you back into your seat. It is remarkably tractable leaving the line and then just simply flings itself forward, belying its significant weight.

But that weight is never quite forgotten. On a winding road it feels huge, something exacerbated for the driver by the sheer width and length of the bonnet. In town that feeling is even more pronounced. Narrow roads, tight car parking spaces and high gutters are to be avoided. Just the thought of graunching those beautiful, big alloys is horrifying.

Yet it is in town, in traffic, where the hybrid system does its best work. Left in E-Power in Cape Town rush-hour stop-start traffic, the Panamera drove for 27km on electricity alone and still had 15km to tap into when we reached our destination.

By the way, you can activate a fake engine note that is discernible in the background when running on battery alone. In some countries this is a mandatory feature.

Leave it in E-Power beyond the slow speed stuff and the 4 E-Hybrid loses its zing as revs rise and electric urge peters out. That’s what makes Hybrid Auto a sensible step forward as it is smart enough to understand when and where energy should be tapped from.

But if you want to play master of your own destiny, then you can choose the mode you want manually – even if the Porsche engineers reckon the car is smarter than we are…

Mind you, there’s still work to be done as the pre-production Panamera we sampled had a real issue with smooth brake pedal modulation. Those same Porsche engineers acknowledged that more calibration work needed to be done.

Beyond the drivers’ seat the 4 E-Hybrid offers a luxurious experience, although rear passengers aren’t particularly well looked after when it comes to headroom. That’s a compromise forced by the swooping roofline. Speaking of styling, there’s no doubt this is a better-looking car than its ugly duckling predecessor.

That’s not the only way the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid impresses. It’s a much better technology package than the car it replaces while also being substantially cheaper.

However, it is still mighty expensive, it is still overweight and therefore it is still going to appeal to only a handful of buyers each year.

Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid
Price: $242,600
Engine: 2.9-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol/electric
Outputs: 340kW/700Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual clutch
Fuel: 2.5L/100km
CO2: 56g/km
Safety Rating: N/A

Also consider:
Audi A8 (from $198,855)
BMW 7 Series (from $217,455)
Mercedes-Benz S-Class (from $199,455)