Porsche has unveiled its fourth model in the Panamera line, the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid which is controlled all-wheel drive and an electric range of 50 kilometres. The vehicle generates about 462 hp of system power and is claimed to deliver fuel consumption figures of 2.5 l/100 km in the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) for plug-in hybrid models. Porsche says that the term “hybrid” is synonymous with not only sustainable mobility, but performance too. This philosophy is now also defining the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid.
The new Porsche plug-in hybrid always starts in purely electric mode and drives without generating any local emissions within a range of 50 kilometres and a maximum speed of 140 km/h. Yet, this Panamera too is a sports car among the luxury saloons. The all-wheel Porsche achieves a top speed of 278 km/h and delivers a system torque of 700 Nm from stationary. The four-door hybrid sports car breaks the 100 km/h barrier in just 4.6 seconds. The torque is transferred to all four wheels and the standard three-chamber air suspension ensures an optimum balance between comfort and dynamism at all times.
The new Panamera 4 E-Hybrid features a hybrid strategy never before seen in this segment – a strategy based on the 918 Spyder. The 887 hp 918 Spyder is the fastest series-produced vehicle ever to circumnavigate the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Its record lap time of 6:57 minutes can in part be attributed to the additional power provided by two electric motors.
As with the 918 Spyder, the power of the Panamera electric motor – 136 hp and 400 Nm torque – is made available as soon as the driver touches the accelerator pedal. This, together with the performance characteristics of the new 2.9-litre V6 biturbo engine delivering 330 hp of power and 450 Nm of torque, generates an impressive boost scenario based on electric motor and turbochargers.
The decoupler on the new Panamera is actuated electro-mechanically by an electric clutch actuator (ECA), resulting in even shorter response times. As on the other second-generation Panamera models, a new Porsche eight-speed Doppelkupplung (PDK) transmission is used to transmit the power to the all-wheel drive. This transmission replaces the eight-speed automatic torque converter transmission on the predecessor model.
The electric motor is supplied with power via a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery. The energy content of the battery has been increased from 9.4 to 14.1 kWh without adding any weight. The battery takes 5.8 hours to fully charge via a 230-V, 10-A connection. If the driver chooses to use the optional 7.2 kW on-board charger and a 230-V, 32-A connection instead of the standard 3.6-kW charger on the Panamera, the battery fully charges in just 3.6 hours.
The second-generation Panamera gets the newly designed display and control concept in the form of the standard Porsche Advanced Cockpit with touch-sensitive panels and individually configurable displays. Two seven-inch screens either side of the analogue rev counter form the interactive cockpit, and, in contrast to the other versions in the model line, the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid features a power meter tailored to hybrid operation. A 12.3-inch touchscreen functions as a central PCM control and display unit. The driver can access various items of hybrid-specific information both here on the dash and in the instrument cluster.
The Sport Chrono Package including the mode switch integrated into the steering wheel forms part of the standard equipment on the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid. The mode switch and Porsche Communication Management are used to activate the various driving modes. These modes include the familiar “Sport” and “Sport Plus” modes from the other Panamera models equipped with the Sport Chrono Package. The hybrid-specific modes are “E-Power”, “Hybrid Auto”, “E-Hold” and “E-Charge”.
When the “Hybrid Auto” mode is selected, the Panamera changes and combines the drive sources automatically for ultimate efficiency. The “E-Hold” mode allows drivers to consciously conserve the current state of charge to enable them to switch to electric and therefore zero-emissions mode in an environmental zone at their destination, for example. In “E-Charge” mode, the battery is charged by the V6 engine; to achieve this, the petrol engine generates a higher level of power than is actually needed for driving.
The highest level of drive performance is made available in the “Sport” and “Sport Plus” modes. The V6 biturbo engine is active continuously in these modes. In “Sport” mode, the battery charge is always maintained at a minimum level to ensure there are sufficient e-boost reserve capacities when needed. “Sport Plus” mode is all about maximum performance and allows the Panamera to reach its top speed of 278 km/h. This mode also recharges the battery as quickly as possible with the help of the V6 biturbo engine.
Check out the official promotional video of the new Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid below. Do share your view through the comments section.
Here are some more images of the new Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid:
