Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid

Face lifted luxury saloon gets a sophisticated new petrol-electric powertrain with plug-in charging

This new Panamera S E-Hybrid is the first in a run of face lifted models from Porsche. The petrol-electric hybrid also holds the honor of being the first car in the luxury ranks to offer plug-in capability, which means that it can be connected to standard 240-volt mains or a 400-volt electric supply, rather than rely on its own kinetic energy, to charge the battery used to power its electric motor.

The S E-Hybrid replaces the earlier pre-facelift Panamera S Hybrid. Its features some subtle exterior styling changes, including a new front bumper with reshaped ducts and repositioned daytime driving lights, more angular headlights, reworked sills, a wider rear window, revised tail-lights and a new rear bumper that sites the registration plate lower. Underneath, larger chassis mounts are fitted up front for added rigidity, the flow of oil within the adaptive dampers and the software for the air springs has been recalibrated.

Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid front

More significant are the modifications to the petrol-electric driveline, including a new on-board charger and the adoption of a liquid-cooled lithium ion battery in place of the air-cooled nickel-metal hydride unit. The results are a significant improvement in efficiency and solid gains in performance. However, the driveline changes add an additional 115kg over the old Panamera Hybrid, bumping it up to a hefty 2095kg.

The headline figures are a claimed combined fuel economy of 91.1mog and CO₂ emissions of just 71g/km. According to Porsche, it can also hit 62mph from a standstill in 5.5sec and reach a top speed of 168mph. Top speed in electric mode is 84mph.

A further draw is its ability to run on electric power alone for distances well in excess of its predecessor’s. this is thanks to the new battery, whose 9.4kWh capacity has increased more than five-fold over the previous model’s. Official claims put the battery range at 22.4 miles (the old Panamera Hybrid offered only a claimed 1.2-mile range) although Porsche suggests that the range is actually between 11.2 and 22.4 miles. The recharging time for the battery, meanwhile, is put at four hours on a 240-vlt supply and two hours via a 400-volt fast charger.

Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid side

Power is provided, in part, by an Audi-sourced supercharged 3.0-liter V6 that delivers 328bhp and 324lb ft. It is mated to a brushless electric motor that produces 94bhp and 228lb ft. Combined, the two power sources offer 410bhp at 5500rpm and 435lb ft between 1250 and 4000rpm. Drive is sent through an eight-speed automatic gearbox to the rear wheels.

As complex as the Panamera S E-Hybrid’s driveline may appear, it is remarkably straightforward to drive. The E-Hybrid offers four driving modes: E-Power, Hybrid, E-Charge and Sport. Each is manually selectable, but the system is so intuitive that it is better to leave the car to its own devices for the best possible fuel savings.

In default E-Power mode, as long as there is sufficient charge in the battery, the E-Hybrid will always use its electric motor to set off. Refinement levels in E-Power mode are spectacular, with only some tire noise to spoil the silence. Just how long it continues like this depends on how much charge is in the battery and how much throttle you use. In press-on driving, or when the battery runs low, it automatically switches out of E-Power and into Hybrid mode.

Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid inside

In E-Charge, the battery charges on the run, but it involves firing the petrol engine, which acts in part like to the battery on top of the kinetic energy recovered under braking and during periods of trailing throttle.

On a 32-mile route, we managed to get the Panamera S E-Hybrid to remain in E-Power mode for almost 31 miles at an average of almost 30mph, including city driving, leaving us with an indicated fuel consumption of 1413mpg. On the return leg, with the battery depleted and less favorable topography, we achieved nearly 86mpg at roughly the same speed. They’re impressive figures, but in real-world driving it’s a rather different story. Expect consumption close to that of the Panamera Diesel, which now returns a combined 45mpg.

The big advantage over the old Panamera Hybrid is its ability to top up the battery using mains power, say overnight or during working hours. This makes the car well suited to everyday commuting and Porsche predicts that many owners will be able to complete their daily commute in E-Power mode alone.

Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid interior

Fortunately, there’s more to this latest model than pure electric driving. Switching into Sport mode unleashes the full potential of the driveline, in which the petrol engine and electric motor combine to provide more than adequate levels of performance.

Despite that 2095kg kerb weight, there’s a good turn of speed out of the blocks. Part-throttle cruising, meanwhile, is hard to fault, with subdued engine noise, low levels of wind buffeting and excellent stability. The additional weight is only really noticeable on more challenging roads, here you find yourself backing off in corners in which you’d still be pressing on in the Panamera S. The brakes, however, are superb, with excellent feel and massive stopping power. The modifications to the suspension also help to improve low-speed ride without any detriment to the way that it absorbs irregularities at higher speeds.

Until now, the s Hybrid has accounted for about five per cent of global Panamera sales. With the introduction of the new S E-Hybrid, Porsche expects that number to at least double. The new plug-in technology brings a much-improve electric range and provides clear scope for added fuel savings in real-world driving. The appeal of this new car surely spread beyond early adopters to those who see the second-generation hybrid systems as more than a mere gimmick. They won’t be disappointed.

Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid back

All-new electric set-up

The Panamera S E-Hybrid retains the supercharged 3.0-liter V6 from the old Panamera S Hybrid with few changes, but the electric components have all been replaced. The electric motor is more than twice as powerful as before, going from 46bhp to 94bhp. The battery, which switches from a nickel-metal hydride to lithium ion, now weighs 48kg more, at 129kg. its capacity has also risen, from 1.7kWh to 9.4kWh, and the adoption of an on-board charger provides plug-in capability. The new petrol-electric hybrid system is already earmarked for a face lifted Cayenne S E-Hybrid, which is due this time next year.