PANAMERA TURBO S E-HYBRID

Porsche_Panamera_front2Porsche has announced details of the hottest Panamera of them all. Only a matter of weeks after the introduction of the standard versions of the Panamera to Australia the German sportscar maker is to show the new Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid at the Geneva Motor Show.

Borrowing some engineering expertise from the petrol-electric Porsche 919 LMP1 Hybrid that took out the Le Mans 24-hour race last year, the road-going Panamera is a rocketship. The 4.0-litre V8 engine from the Panamera Turbo is combined with an electric motor, producing up to 500 kW of power.

Instantaneous torque is the smile-inducing feature of any car with an electric motor. Just above idle speed the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid offers 850 Nm of torque. So the big five-door sedan leaps from zero to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds on its way to a top speed of 310 km/h.

At the other end of the scale, the Porsche Panamera can be driven on nothing but electric power for up to 50 kilometres.

When measured on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) petrol consumption amounts to 2.9 L/100 km (66 g/km of CO2) and 16.2 kW/h/100 km for electric power.

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The new Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid combines an electric motor (100 kW/136 hp) with a V8 engine (404 kW/550 hp). The decoupler installed in the Porsche hybrid module is actuated electro-mechanically by an electric clutch actuator.

The electric motor is supplied with power via a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery with an energy capacity of 14.1 kWh. Within six hours, the high-voltage battery integrated in the rear is fully charged with 10 A via a 230-V connection.

If the Panamera uses the optional 7.2-kW on-board charger and a 230-V connection with 32 A instead of the standard 3.6-kW charger, the battery is fully charged in 2.4 hours.

The charging process can also be started using a timer via Porsche Communication Management (PCM) or the Porsche Connect app.

The Porsche Connect app is available for the first time in Australia, it also provides: MyCalendar, MyDestinations, Contacts, Picture Navigation, First Mile/Last Mile Navigation as well as the LTE telephone module with SIM card reader and Wi-Fi Hotspot.

A feature that will be much appreciated in Australia is that the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid is fitted with auxiliary air conditioning to cool the cabin even during charging.

A fast-shifting Porsche DoppelKupplung (PDK) eight-speed gearbox transmits the power to an adaptive all-wheel drive system utilising Porsche Traction Management (PTM).

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As part of its extensive standard equipment, the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid includes: Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB), Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control Sport (PDCC Sport) including Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus), Power Steering Plus and 21-inch alloy wheels in the 911 Turbo Design. The basic package also contains auxiliary air-conditioning, adaptive aerodynamic elements and three-chamber air suspension including Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM).

Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid has air suspension to neatly balance the comfort of a luxury saloon paired with sportscar performance. We’ve got our hands up to test this when the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid arrives in Australia in the third quarter of this year.

The Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid is on sale now at Porsche dealers and is priced from $460,100.

Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Executive is a limo-like LWB variant, but there are no plans for it to be sold in Australia.

COMMENT
Porsche Australia PR chief, Paul Ellis, comments: “The Australian Government provides very little incentive for purchase of leading-edge hybrid technology vehicles.

“Other mature markets around the world offer significant purchase or ownership incentives by way of more affordable registration fees and the like – that is, real hip-pocket benefits.

“The Australian Government’s token gesture of a slight adjustment to the LCT threshold has little or no effect on buying behaviour of premium hi-tech hybrid vehicles.

“It’s a real shame,” Ellis concluded.

About Ewan Kennedy

Ewan Kennedy, a long-time car enthusiast, was Technical Research Librarian with the NRMA from 1970 until 1985. He worked part-time as a freelance motoring journalist from 1977 until 1985, when he took a full-time position as Technical Editor with Modern Motor magazine. Late in 1987 he left to set up a full-time business as a freelance motoring journalist. Ewan is an associate member of the Society of Automotive Engineers - International. An economy driving expert, he set the Guinness World Record for the greatest distance travelled in a standard road vehicle on a single fuel fill. He lists his hobbies as stage acting, travelling, boating and reading.
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