Behind the wheel
We got a taste of what the Active Ride suspension is like, along with the other updates to the Panamera
THE FIRST THING I SCRIBBLED down in my notes after driving the new Panamera Turbo e-hybrid was “Fast as f**k”. Because it was. The V8 combines with the e-motor to give near-instant responses. Acceleration and traction is brutal. It sounds great too! That angry V8 revving out beautifully when you step on it. Plug-in hybrids really are the best of both worlds — giving you the instant responses of an e-motor, the mid- to top-end of a V8 and of course, the emotion that comes with the sound. The PDK is the big update here — now capable of dealing with even more torque and with the motor neatly integrated into it. It shifts fast and kickdowns are immediate. You’re never left wanting.
I drove the car with both the active suspension and passive one and it was mind blowing. Irons out bumps beautifully, small surface imperfections in the roads aren’t felt at all and it feels like you’re floating. At first, I thought it was just the brilliant roads in Germany but when I drove the non-active suspension (which is also incredibly comfy), I could tell the difference.
It also works incredibly well to keep the car properly flat, resisting pitch, dive and roll. The first time I accelerated, it was quite unnerving because it doesn’t feel like any weight transfer is happening. It just shoots forward without the usual squat. Same for the brakes. It just stays flat under braking and doesn’t dive forward. You can choose to have it tilt into corners in a very measured way — it almost makes it feel like the corner is perfectly cambered when there’s nothing of the sort going on. All this works only in the more comfort-oriented modes. Put it into Sport / Sport Plus and it gives you a much more natural feeling of what the weight is doing. Here it pitches and dives, roll is incredibly well controlled though and it feels sportscar-like flat.
I’m looking forward to driving it on Indian roads in familiar conditions, where I can get a much more well rounded understanding of what the car is doing. Until then, I can tell you there’s plenty to look forward to from Porsche! ⌧
PLUG IN HYBRIDS REALLY ARE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS