It might take a keen eye to notice, but Porsche’s grandiose flagship, the Panamera, has received a mid-life makeover. And underneath its subtly restyled skin lie some freshly fettled powertrains including an all-new plug-in hybrid model.
Besides the usual bumper and headlight treatments, designers have made an attempt to give the big four-door saloon less of a hunch at the back. The rear hatch and its glass have been flattened ever-so-slightly, and the curvature of its haunches now look a little less like the 911 sportscar it was clearly intended to mimic in its original, and now four-year-old, design.
BITURBO V6
Still, the aesthetic changes are slight compared to what’s happened mechanically. The old Panamera 4S’s 4.8-litre V8 has been tossed aside for a more fuel efficient but also more powerful 3-litre biturbo V6. New outputs of 309kW and 520Nm (from 294 and 500 before) give the new 4S a 0-100km/h figure of 4.8 seconds, and while around two-tenths quicker than the outgoing version, a claimed petrol consumption figure of 8.9l/100km is significantly reduced from the old V8’s 10.8.
Good news is that buyers who have prioritised the sound and feel of a naturally-aspirated V8 over efficiency, can still get this motor in the Panamera GTS. Modest tweakings here have also upped power from 316kW to 320, but torque is unchanged at 520Nm. Likewise, the 3.8-litre V6 in the base Panamera 4 (the plain rear-wheel drive 3.8 Panamera is now discontinued in SA), gets an increase of 8kW to a new total of 228.
The flagship Turbo too gets an upgrade from 368 to 382kW, with an unchanged torque figure of 700Nm (770 with overboost). The most powerful Panamera, the Turbo S is no longer available but a replacement will probably be announced next year. The Panamera 3.0 Diesel is unchanged engine-wise.
PLUG IT IN
However, it’s the Panamera Hybrid that gets the big push in second-generation guise, and where the outgoing version was more of a Prius on steroids with a conventional petrol/electric system, the new E-Hybrid is more battery biased. Smaller nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries have been changed to much larger, but more efficient, lithium-ion (Li-ion) ones, and electric drive alone is up from 34 to 70kW.
It’s now a proper plug-in hybrid, meaning that you’ll need to recharge the batteries from a wall socket for full effectiveness. It should take around four hours to recharge from normal single phase power (or two hours from industrial-strength three phase), but when fully topped-up it’s possible to drive with zero emissions for just over 30km. It’s actually possible to never use fuel at all if your commuting distance is short enough and you keep on top of charge levels. Combined with its 3-litre supercharged V6 though, average fuel consumption is claimed to be as low as 3.1l/100km (we averaged 5.5 on our 150km German test drive last week) and combined power output is pegged at an athletic 306kW and 590Nm.
SUPER COMFY RIDE
Total weight sits at just over two tons, and while it’s nowhere near as willing to be flicked around like its GTS counterpart might, the extra heft does make for a super comfy ride. Besides its extra bulk, there’s almost no compromise from normal models, and other than the fact that it’s possible to creep around in silent EV mode until you press the throttle past 80 percent, this could very well be any Panamera from behind the wheel. Note the “Acid Green” brake callipers and badges that are specific to E-Hybrid models.
Porsche South Africa doesn’t expect to sell many E-Hybrid units locally (compared to traditionally-powered versions) but I reckon it’s an entirely viable option so long as Eskom keeps its load-shedding in check.
Pricing is only slightly up on the outgoing Panamera Hybrid, and at R1.2-million it fits into the middle of the range cost-wise. This I find somewhat surprising considering how expensive hybrids normally are in relation to “normal” models.
The second-generation Panamera will be launched locally around September with the E-Hybrid version scheduled for later in the year.
Pricing:
Panamera Diesel - R950 000
Panamera 4 - R1 004 000
Panamera 4S - R1 271 000
Panamera S Hybrid - R1 279 000
Panamera GTS - R1 419 000
Panamera Turbo - R1 996 000