Porsche Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid 2024 Review – International

The new third-generation 2024 Porsche Panamera is now available for order ahead of its arrival in Australia late in the first quarter of next year.

Porsche Cars Australia has confirmed that the new flagship sedan will kick off from $227,000 plus on-road costs for the entry-level, rear-drive V6 twin-turbo model.

The only other model available at launch is the range-topping electrified twin-turbocharged V8 Porsche Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid we’ve driven here in near-production prototype form, starting from $402,300 plus ORCs.

For comparison, the current Panamera RWD is priced at $205,500 plus ORCs, while the Turbo S E-Hybrid tops the range at $432,200 plus ORCs. That makes the new Turbo E-Hybrid an attractive proposition given its 500kW/930Nm output – similar power but more grunt than the current Turbo S hybrid (515kW/870Nm) – as well as all the other new improvements on-board. (A new Turbo S E-Hybrid is expected later.)

The new Turbo E-Hybrid’s closest competitor is the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance, which is similar money at $399,900 plus ORCs but produces a massive 620kW/1400Nm-plus.

Perhaps the saddest news we have to break concerning the new-generation 2024 Porsche Panamera is that it will only be available in one body style – sedan. The Sport Turismo wagon has been dropped for the third generation, having only ever accounted for 10 per cent of global Panamera sales.

Like before, there will be a standard Panamera and the longer-wheelbase Panamera Executive that has more legroom in the rear.

The third-generation Panamera will once again come loaded with kit, taking the sting out of its considerable asking price.

From launch, the entry-level Australian-spec Panamera will be fitted standard with HD-Matrix LED headlights, a panoramic roof, privacy glass, soft-close doors, 14-way Comfort front seats including memory package and ventilation, a Bose surround-sound system and four-zone climate-control air-conditioning.

The Turbo E-Hybrid comes with 21-inch wheels, rear-wheel steer, Porsche’s Torque Vectoring tech and an air filtration system.

The newest addition to the Panamera line-up also gets electric roll-up sun blinds for the rear windows.

All versions come with the striking full-width tail-light treatment, plus new illuminated Porsche logos.

The long-wheelbase Executive models will also include the option of new Comfort seats.

The current series hasn’t been independently crash-tested by NCAP during its lifecycle, so it’s unclear whether the 2024 Porsche Panamera now on sale in Europe will follow suit.

That’s not a red flag that should put you off buying one, however, more a reflection of budgetary constraints and NCAP’s focus on more affordable models.

To ensure occupants remain safe, the Panamera comes with a full suite of airbags (including rear side airbags), autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane change assist with rear assist, adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist, multi-collision braking, Porsche Hill Control, an electric parking brake and Porsche Stability Management (PSM).

There’s also auto parking and a 3D surround-view camera view.

The Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid comes with the Porsche Traction Management (PTM) all-wheel drive system that gets an electronically controlled multi-plate centre clutch as standard.

All models also come with a set of powerful brakes that can be upgraded for mightier-still carbon-ceramic rotors that cut braking distances further and deliver fade-free performance, even on track.

Standard tech on the third-generation 2024 Porsche Panamera includes a new 12.3-inch infotainment system that runs the car-maker’s latest operating system and works with wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto connectivity.

Porsche says it has worked with Apple to integrate various vehicle functions into CarPlay. That means things like the climate control, seat massage and ambient lighting can all be operated via Apple CarPlay or, even more usefully, by using the Siri voice assistant.

For the first time, the front passenger also gets their own 10.9-inch touch-screen that can be used for everything from emails to streaming movies. The driver is unable to view the content when on the move.

Other new tech includes a cooled wireless phone charger and a fine-particle filter for the climate control that uses a GPS automotive air-recirculation function designed to be especially effective in long tunnels or areas of high pollution.

All models get a head-up display, along with digital radio.

Porsche has revealed that it has developed four electrified E-Hybrid versions of the new 2024 Porsche Panamera, all of them boasting greater performance, a longer all-electric range and better efficiency.

Beyond the new Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid driven here, these are still to be confirmed, although a range-topping new Turbo S E-Hybrid is set to be introduced down the track.

At the entry level to the range, the standard Panamera comes equipped with the familiar twin-turbocharged 2.9-litre V6 used in the current model, though uprated to produce 260kW and 500Nm – a healthy increase of 17kW and 50Nm.

That’s enough for a decent 0-100km/h dash of just 5.1 seconds and a top speed of 272km/h.

The new Turbo E-Hybrid PHEV is powered by essentially the same twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 as the current flagship Turbo S E-Hybrid, but the combustion engine is combined with an all-new 140kW e-motor packaged within a heavily revised eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Also new for the Turbo E-Hybrid is a larger 25.9kWh lithium-ion battery that replaces the current 17.9kWh pack and is said to provide for an all-electric range of around 90km.

As well as producing loads of power, the new e-motor manages to churn out a punchy 450Nm of torque, which has in turn prompted a rethink of the combustion power.

In comes a pair of bigger single-scroll turbos and out goes the more sophisticated twin-scroll blowers. The result is lower emissions and reduced fuel use, while modified crankshafts, pistons and an uprated fuel-injection system sees significant gains in both power and efficiency.

Overall, the new Panamera plug-in hybrid musters 500kW and 930Nm of torque, enough for it to shrug off a kerb weight thought to be around 2300kg and launch from 0-100km/h in just 3.2sec. Top speed is 315km/h.

Thanks to a new onboard 11kW AC charger, the fast Panamera PHEV is also quicker to top-up, with a full charge from empty now taking 2h39min.

Official figures for the new 2024 Porsche Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid have yet to be released, but the bigger e-motor and heavily revised twin-turbo should mean it will improve on the 3.2L/100km claimed for the current Turbo S E-Hybrid.

That figure compares favourably against the 2023 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance, which is claimed to average 7.7L/100km on the same WLTP test cycle.

It’s also worth noting that the AMG four-door can only cover 12km on all-electric power, some way off the 90km-plus expected for the Porsche.

So on the weekly commute, city-based Panamera hybrid owners should have less reason to visit the servo compared to those driving the quicker Mercedes.

The jewel in the crown of the new-generation 2024 Porsche Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid is not the revised plug-in hybrid powertrain, but its pioneering new suspension technology.

Developed specifically for the Panamera, the Porsche Active Ride tech is like no other, its creators claim.

Speaking of which, one of the chief engineers on our international first drive said his entire career – more than two decades – had been devoted to developing and then finessing the tech.

The system is currently only available on the Turbo E-Hybrid – as an option – as it needs its 400-volt electrical architecture to power it.

Porsche Active Ride consists of four two-valve dampers on each corner that are each individually powered by a hydraulic pump.

Effectively mimicking what an American low-rider does, the system works in conjunction with a single-chamber air spring to manage forces in a lightning-quick and highly precise manner to counteract or compensate for the forces.

It also weighs the same as the current Panamera with active anti-roll tech, as it does away with heavy anti-roll bars and the 48-volt electrical tech needed to run it.

The system also announces itself with a perfect piece of street theatre. Approach the Porsche and pull the door handle and the entire cars leaps to attention, raising the body instantly by 55mm to allow easier access to its welcoming cabin.

Select drive, and on the move the system works in two ways. It either ‘leans’ into corners, like similar tech introduced on the previous-gen S 63 Coupe, or it completely eliminates roll altogether.

On cold, dark, poorly surfaced narrow country roads where a large, wide Panamera would normally be out of its comfort zone, the system proved nothing short of a revelation.

We preferred the driving mode where the system ‘leaned’, because without body roll hard cornering felt a little unnerving.

But in whatever setting you choose, the suspension not only provides confidence, but the steering feels more precise and accurate – making it easier to place the car.

Just as impressive is the complete lack of squat under even the hardest of acceleration, and incredible traction-enhancing abilities of the all-wheel drive means you accelerate harder and faster out of even the slowest corners than you would ever dare.

Then there’s the ride. It’s important to note that Porsche didn’t attempt to match the magic carpet ride of a Rolls-Royce or introduce the suppleness of the S-Class.

In fact, the overall spring rate of the new single-chamber air spring replicates the current Panamera. What happens is the system aims for ultimate composure – and it scores.

We couldn’t find a single bump, crease or crevice on the roads we travelled that could throw the new Panamera off its course.

Better yet is the actual lack of disturbance through the cabin, adding to the refinement. The breadth of Comfort mode to Sport and Sport Plus is wider than ever – and that was crucial in the helping the full active suspension get the green light from the Porsche bean counters.

Buyer feedback, particularly from China, asked the German car-maker to up the Panamera’s sportiness and comfort – an impossible task, you’d think, but the tech manages to do both.

Is it perfect? Not quite. Under hard braking, the system struggles to contain the nose-diving forward motion. In most cases, that’s the driver’s fault. It’s hard not to smash the pedal harder than you should, particular on roads you’re not familiar with, and then bleed off the pressure.

The problem is that the system overcompensates, which makes it feel odd.

The way the system feels is another issue we need to re-evaluate with a much longer drive of the finished item.

We’re not sure if all the tech truly telegraphs what’s actually happened beneath, but from our first brief encounter the Active Ride feels like the future and makes the big, heavy Panamera appear lighter and more agile than it is – and devastatingly quick cross-country.

The new-generation 2024 Porsche Panamera remains a five-door fastback and is all the better for it, as it’s surprisingly practical for a limo-sized four-door.

It has a fractionally longer wheelbase than before, and Porsche’s designers and engineers have managed to carve out larger rear door apertures for improved ingress and egress.

In the second row there’s also a pair of completely redesigned individual seats that ramp up comfort and offer pillow-padded head restraints for the first time.

Even the boot has been revised to offer more space, with a set of golf clubs apparently able to sit lengthways now.

Other enhancements include adopting the simple-to-use Taycan dash and relocating the gear lever to the dash to help simplify and free-up space in the centre console.

The addition of an extra 5kg of sound-deadening insulation material, plus filling cavities and steel structural elements, is also said to have boosted the stiffness of the Panamera’s structure while reducing road and tyre noise levels inside the cabin.

We’ll reserve ultimate judgement on the third-generation 2024 Porsche Panamera until we’ve driven the finished article, but from first acquaintance it’s hard not to be won over by its dazzling new chassis tech that will also find its way into other models – including EVs.

Factor in its smart looks, well-thought-out cabin and high levels of attention to detail throughout, and the new Panamera deserves to attract more sales in Australia than it has in the past.

Our main disappointment is that the Porsche Active Ride tech doesn’t come standard on the new Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid, and considering its complexity, we don’t think it will come cheap, either.

That could deter buyers from ticking the box, yet from our first drive it’s a defining element of the car.

2024 Porsche Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid at a glance:
Price: $402,300 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now (first deliveries Q1, 2024)
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo petrol-electric
Output: 500kW/930Nm (electric motor: 140kW)
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic
Battery: 25.9kWh lithium-ion
Range: 90km (est)
Fuel: 3.0L/100km (est)
CO2: 70g/km (est)
Safety rating: Not tested