PHEV Review: 2021 Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid

Photo Credits: Porsche, Inside EVs, Car and Driver

Porsche Performance Electrified

Overview

Performance: Electric motor, 2.9-liter, V6, 455 horsepower

Mileage estimate: 48-51 mpge

Price estimate: From $103,800 to $198,100

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Warranty: 4 years / 50,000 miles

Drivetrain Warranty: 4 years / 50,000 miles

Roadside Assistance: 4 years / 50,000 miles

Corrosion Warranty: 12 years / unlimited

2021 Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Review

Intro and Range

Not that anyone was complaining about its appearance, but the luxury 2021 Porsche Panamera looks a little different than the original model that first entered the electric vehicle scene three years ago.

The Panamera is certainly diverse. Porsche gave the Panamera multiple powertrain options that includes one with a whopping 677 horsepower (with the Turbo S E-Hybrid). This story will focus on the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) which reaches up to 457 maximum combined horsepower.

One primary difference between the current Panamera 4 and the previous model is the electric-only range has increased from 14 to 20 miles. That’s due to a larger battery – 17.9 kwh versus 14.1 kwh (27-percent boost in capacity).

Operating with Volkswagen as its parent company since 2012, Porsche hasn’t rested on its considerable laurels as the automobile industry has turned its attention to producing electric vehicles. Porsche engineers have been trying to stay current, and the results have been impressive.

Those at Porsche believe the Panamera rivals some of the highly-acclaimed Tesla models for innovation and productivity. Although the Panamera 4 falls a bit short in overall comparison with several Tesla vehicles, it remains a truly impressive green luxury sedan.

Exterior Style

Porsche designers have been busy, giving the stylish Panamera a slightly different exterior look, making some interior changes, and doing some minor chassis work.

The styling refresh includes making the previous optional SportDesign front fascia a standard look throughout the Panamera lineup. Changes were also made at the tail end, where an LED strip that goes across the entire width of the vehicle was added. There’s also a new diffuser between the Panamera’s dual exhaust outlets that enhances its sporty reputation.

Interior Space and Features

The Panamera 4 E-Hybrid seats four passengers and the interior matches up quite well to Tesla. The interior design is refined, yet also simplistic, and is bolstered visually by hints of an acid green color throughout. Leather is used extensively and dark wood is a pleasing feature as well. It has a cargo area of 14.3 cubic feet and that space more than triples (44 cubes) with the back seat folded down.

Interior changes are minor – integrated shift paddles and updated steering wheel design. Additional changes in other areas include new wheel designs, adding traffic-sign recognition and lane-keeping assist to the standard safety package, and improving the handling and ride quality with some tweaks to the chassis.

The huge 12.3-inch touchscreen display has quick response times and delivers crisp graphics. The separate hybrid screen gives lots of feedback information regarding different drive modes, power flow and energy usage.

Performance

When discussing the Panamera – or really any Porsche vehicle – the discussion quickly turns to performance. The standard all-wheel drive Panamera E-Hybrid utilizes an electric motor combined with a 2.9-liter, V6 that generates a combined 457 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. It will dash to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds and tops out on the racetrack at 172 miles per hour.

Performance and driving capability are highly regarded aspects of the Panamera E-Hybrid. One can easily feel the tremendous grip to the road, an experience that leads to tremendous confidence behind the wheel.

For a large sedan, the Panamera 4 offers terrific road manners that make it super fun to drive. A drawback is the inconsistent nature of the regenerative braking – it isn’t as refined as other E-Hybrid competitors like Tesla.

Conclusion

The 2021 Panamera 4 E-Hybrid has lots of fine qualities – a mixture of sportiness, terrific performance, and offers quiet luxury. If one’s budget can handle the price tag, it’s a worthy purchase.

—  J.W.

User Video Review: Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid