Demand for hybrid vehicles grows as the choice of brands and vehicle widens. So when Porsche bring two hybrids to the market in a period of twelve months, the other manufacturers sit up and take notice.
This is going to be such an exciting car, Porsche are technically superb and they have not skimped on the new Panamera.
Porsche have said that they would like this car to be normal to use, with the owner not having to make any special effort to charge batteries or drive differently if they so choose.
If this new Porsche achieves anything like the overall mpg being quoted, it will save money on benefit in kind and save on fuel use, for business contract hire, the Panamera hybrid may just fall inside budgets that its sisters dont.
The main engine is a sweet 3.0 V6 that is supercharged and is combined with a 9.3 kwh motor, powered by a lithium-ion pack. Combined power is 415 hp and even though the batteries add over 200kg to the weight, the 0-60 mph is very close to 5 seconds. Unusually, Porsche has opted to use a Tiptronic auto, with 8 speeds, in the new car,they have been using a twin clutch system recently, but the Tiptronic is suited to the set up according to Porsche.
Recently tested, in electric only mode, the Panamera covered 25 miles and is capable of over 80 mph. It is in hybrid mode the car drives so that you would not ever know its different. It can run on engine, battery or hybrid, which is unusually controllable for a hybrid car. As an alternative to taking engine power, the batteries can be charged in less than 3 hours from a standard electric source.
Bundled as a package, Porsche produce an APP for monitoring your car. You can check charge status, range available or even time the charging sequence from your phone. When plugged in at the mains, you can also switch on either the climate control or the pre-heating. It is also GPS enable, in case you lose your car. The new Panamera hybrid expected next spring at about £65,000.