2017 Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid & Panamera Executive Complete Overview – Video
Porsche is trying to change things with the upcoming plug-in-hybrid version of the new Panamera, the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, which is slated for a U.S. market launch in mid-2017. To drive home the point of the performance and driving pleasure this car allegedly will offer, Porsche mentions its 918 hybrid supercar no less than five times in the brief press release announcing the latest Panamera derivative. This hybrid, Porsche insists, is fun.
Fitted with an Audi-sourced, Porsche-adapted 330-hp twin-turbo V-6 and a 136-hp electric motor, the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid produces a maximum 462 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. The torque is channeled to all four wheels through a ZF-sourced eight-speed dual-clutch automatic, derived from the gearbox used in conventionally powered Panamera models (and, down the road, in Bentleys that also will use the Panamera’s MSB modular architecture).
The hybrid Panamera can sprint to 62 mph in a claimed 4.6 seconds, and it tops out at 173 mph. That’s impressive, but it is slower than the regular Panamera 4S and the Europe-market Panamera 4S diesel, both of which are nominally less powerful than the E-Hybrid. Porsche says the new model needs the electric boost to reach top speed and it needs to be in Sport Plus mode. The company doesn’t say how long the E-Hybrid can maintain Vmax.
Executive models stretch the Panamera’s wheelbase by 5.9 inches and significantly lengthen the car for improved rear legroom. In addition to the Panamera 4, the 4S, E-Hybrid, and Turbo can be had in Executive trim. These limo-like variants receive a large panoramic roof, heated front and rear comfort seats with multi-way adjustment, and an adaptive air suspension. Rear steering and soft-close doors come standard on 4S and Turbo Executive models. In addition, the Turbo Executive gets four-zone climate control, LED headlights, and ambient interior lighting as standard. A large rear center console and Porsche Rear Seat Entertainment system with enormous 10.1-inch screens are optional.