Panamera gets hybrid power
Porsche will show off the fourth and latest member of the new Panamera family at the Paris Motor Show next month, with the reveal of the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid including ‘‘controlled all-wheel drive’’ and an electric range of up to 50km.
The plug-in Panamera pumps out a combined total 340kW of power from its petrol/electric drivetrain and delivers a claimed fuel consumption of just 2.5 l/100km, with CO2 emissions of 56g/km.
Porsche says that the Panamera plug-in hybrid always starts in purely electric mode and continues as a zero-emission vehicle up to a range of 50km, at a maximum speed of 140kmh. It boasts a top speed of 278kmh and pumps out 700Nm of torque from stationary, breaking the 100kmh barrier in just 4.6 seconds.
Porsche claims the standard three-chamber air suspension ensures ‘‘an optimum balance between comfort and dynamism at all times’’.
The Panamera 4 E-Hybrid features a hybrid system based on the 918 Spyder, the fastest series-produced vehicle ever to lap the Nurburgring Nordschleife.
As with the 918 Spyder, the power of the electric motor – 100kW and 400Nm – is made available as soon as the driver touches the accelerator pedal, compared with the 80 per cent throttle opening the previous model required.
The new 2.9-litre V6 biturbo petrol engine produces 243kW and 450Nm on its own.
Prices start at $225,800, with NZ deliveries expected from mid-2017.