We’ve been hearing about a hybrid version of the Porsche Panamera sedan for quite some time, and now the Stuttgart firm has announced that it will officially unveil the car on March 1 at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. According to Porsche, the new 380-bhp Panamera S Hybrid, without sacrificing sportiness or elegance, is said to be the most economical Porsche of all time.
That’s a heady claim. Porsche says the Panamera S Hybrid—when fitted with optional low-rolling-resistance tires developed by Michelin specifically for the car—gets 34.6 mpg U.S. in the NEDC, the European test cycle that’s a bit more city-oriented than our EPA Combined. With standard tires, the mileage of the Panamera S Hybrid still remains very good, pegged by Porsche at 33.1 mpg. Naturally, with low fuel consumption, the CO2 levels—what Europeans stress—are impressively low.
The Hardware
The Panamera S Hybrid has the same powertrain found in the Cayenne S Hybrid. That means a supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 with 333 bhp does most of the work, aided at times by a 47 hp (34 kW) electric motor. The gasoline engine and the electric motor are able to power the Panamera S Hybrid individually, or in a combined fashion.
The electric motor, which also serves as a generator and a starter, is powered by a nickel metal hydride battery that stores electrical energy recovered from braking and driving. A decoupler—which allows the Panamera S Hybrid to be pure electric, pure gas or any combination thereof—is located between the engine and transmission. As in the Cayenne Hybrid, that gearbox is an 8-speed Tiptronic with a wide spread of ratios.
According to Porsche, the 2012 Panamera S Hybrid is fast (especially by hybrid standards), able to hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in only 6.0 seconds. Top speed is an impressive 168 mph, which will allow for high-speed blasts down the Autobahn. Of note, the pure-electric range of the Panamera Hybrid is approximately two kilometers, or 1.24 miles. And depending on conditions, pure electric driving is possible up to 53 mph.
Porsche also says its hybrid system is the only one in the world that exploits additional consumption reserves by allowing "sailing" on motorways and main roads. At speeds of up to 103 mph (97 mph in the Cayenne Hybrid), the economy of the Panamera S Hybrid is enhanced when the internal-combustion engine automatically disengages and switches off, which occurs whenever no power is being delivered by the combustion engine.
As you might expect, the Panamera S Hybrid is very well equipped. Adaptive air suspension is standard, as is PASM stability control, Servotronic steering and a rear window wiper. What’s more, the car features the Cayenne S Hybrid’s special display, which provides the driver with all relevant information regarding the specific hybrid driving status. Other standard features include navigation and a universal audio interface that allows the driver to use an iPod or a USB stick.
The new 2012 S Hybrid represents the sixth version of the Porsche Panamera sedan, which has been a success for Porsche. The 4-door has been on sale for 15 months now, and nearly 30,000 have been sold worldwide. And if the spy photos are to be believed, it looks like we will soon be seeing a new stretched version of the Panamera, likely for the U.S. and Chinese markets.
In the meantime, look for the new 2012 Porsche Panamera S Hybrid to hit the European market in June, with U.S. cars arriving perhaps a month later, priced at $95,000.