Porsche Panamera Goes Green For More Power — Hybrid Hypercar Tech Leaks Into Sedans

Updated: Friday, September 30, 2016, 17:08 [IST]

German carmaker Porsche has unveiled the plug-in hybrid variant of the speedy Panamera sedan. Called the Panamera 4E, the new hybrid variant of Porsche's four-door sedan will make its global debut at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, later this month.

Porsche Panamera 4E Plug-In Hybrid Unveiled

The Panamera 4E plug-in hybrid uses a 2.9-litre twin turbo V6 engine that produces 325bhp and 449Nm of torque.

In addition to the internal combustion engine, the Panamera 4E uses an electric motor that pushes out an additional 134bhp and 400Nm of torque.

However, the final output of the hybrid system is limited 456bhp and 700Nm of torque.

The combined power and torque is sent to all four wheels by an 8-speed dual clutch gearbox.

The Panamera 4E will sprint from 0–60m/h (0–96.5km/h) in just 4.4 seconds and will keep on accelerating till it hits its top speed of 278km/h.

The Panamera 4E's motor gets its power from a liquid cooled14.1-kWhlithium-ion battery which is located under the floor of the cargo area.

The battery pack takes 5.8 hours to charge on using the standard 3.6kW charger on a common 120 V, 10 amp connection.

However, if owners use theoptional 7.2 kW charger, the charging time comes down to just 3.6 hours.

The new Panamera 4E can travel 50 kilometres on a single charge of its battery pack.

The new Panamera hybrid always starts in pure electric mode and only engages its engine when it goes past 138km/h. This means that most owners will only ever be in electric mode, unless they hit an Autobahn somewhere.

Inside,the dual 7-inch displays that flank the analog rev counter form the interactive cockpit, and like the displays on the 918 hybrid hypercar, the power meter provides data such as the amount of electrical energy currently being used as well as the amount recovered through recuperation.

The 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment display also shows various items of hybrid-specific information and provides driving tips to increase efficiency.