Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid first drive review

?The moment you take off in Porsche's Panamera 4 E-Hybrid you can tell it's a very different device to the model it will replace later this year.

Sure, the name is almost the same - although the new one picks up a "4", denoting its four-wheel drive system - but the melding of petrol and electric power is very different.

The new 4 E-Hybrid - housed within the longer and wider body of the second generation Panamera - gets a new 2.9-litre V6 turbo engine mated to a 100kW electric motor.

But whereas previously the electric motor added more meat to the outright power of the Panamera's punch, it's now used to boost take-off performance, too, even in gentle driving.

Most of the time, then, the Panamera is content to rely wholly on that 100kW of electricity, which is backed up by a hearty 400Nm.

It's that torque that gives it more than respectable performance, albeit in a keep-up-with-the-traffic kinda way rather than set any lap records.

You can choose electric silence, although the default setting involves synthesised sound, which is like a very quiet petrol engine shifting up through the slick-shifting eight-speed twin-clutch PDK automatic transmission.

But the electric eagerness fizzles out the faster you go, in part because there's almost 2.2 tonnes to bring up to speed. The closer to 100km/h the less impressive it is, although it'll still maintain pace up hills and whisk along neatly enough.

But push through the artificial stop half way through the accelerator's travel and the twin turbo V6 fires to life, adding more bark and a lot more go to the equation.

The execution isn't always perfect, particularly on gentle throttle applications, such as slowing for an intersection then taking off as the car is still rolling. There can be the occasional hesitation or jerkiness as the two power sources sort out their game.

But the addition of the engine - which combines with the motor to produce 340kW and 700Nm - makes for ample performance.

Unleash the lot with the launch control system and after a jolting start and some enthusiastic up-shifts it touches 100km/h after 4.6 seconds.

That's similar to the acceleration of Porsche's entry-level 911s.

If you want the full fruit from the start it's easy to dial up via the mode selector on the steering wheel.

A Hybrid mode is perfect for everyday driving, allowing the complex electronics (and software controlling it) to figure out when it's best to use the electric motor on its own or add the V6 engine to the equation. You can even program it to charge the car as it's going - something that uses more engine and, therefore, more fuel - although that mode is superfluous in Australia, where there are no government incentives to drive on electricity in certain situations (such as in congested cities).

Otherwise you can choose the Sport or Sport+ modes, each keeping the V6 running constantly and bringing extra response to throttle inputs and, in Sport+, more electric boost in some situations, leading to superior acceleration and a top speed that jumps from 258km/h to 278km/h. Due to the capacity of the battery - something that's grown by 50 percent with this latest Panamera, to 14kWh in total - there are limits on how long that boost will last.

On the road, the Panamera will never be mistaken for a 911, despite adopting more design cues from the brand's hero (the design of the tail, in particular, is very 911-esque).

At more than five metres long and almost two metres wide it's a big car. Heavy, too.

So even though the 21-inch Pirelli tyres of our car delivered on cornering grip you're acutely aware that changing direction sharply with that much weight on board requires some effort.

Kudos to the way it sits in bends, though. The big body is well behaved, the front wheels gently running out of traction only when the pace is well beyond most people's comfort levels.

And firing out of corners is done with grace courtesy of an intelligent four-wheel drive system that ably directs power to where there's grip.

Given the grand tourer nature of the Panamera, the air suspension arguably works best in its softest setting, still picking up some sharper edges but dealing with other imperfections more convincingly.

There's a hint of the floating that took the gloss off the original Panamera in its softest setting, but it's far better controlled, to the point where it's the setting of choice in many situations.

The middle "sport" setting adds some firmness and control at higher speeds and for spirited cornering, albeit to the detriment of comfort. And comfort cops a big hit in the stiffest setting, which is best left to a smooth race track rather than regular roads.

Sizeable cross-drilled brakes - complete with calipers finished in lurid green, the colour of choice for hybrid Porsches - do an admirable task of stopping the big hatchback swiftly, too.

However, those brakes don't have the natural pedal feel of other Porsches, making it difficult to perform smooth stops. It's something engineers say will be tweaked in software upgrades prior to the car arriving in dealerships around July, 2017, although it's difficult to imagine it being as good as regular Porsche brakes.

Elsewhere the 4 E-Hybrid is identical to others in the Panamera range, which arrives in Australia in February, 2017.

A low seating position add to an already sporty cockpit, although the width of the cabin reinforces the Panamera is a sizeable machine.

Leg room in the rear is OK although nowhere near as sprawling as it in some of the cars the Panamera will naturally compete with; think Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7-Series.

Head room in the rear will have taller folk grazing their heads, whereas up front there's loads of space.

But the big question is whether the 4 E-Hybrid is worth choosing over other Panameras.

At $242,600 it's a heck of a lot of money, but you get a lot of (big) car in return. And if you're sold on a Panamera the Hybrid makes more sense than ever, sliding in $62K under the lesser-powered (but faster) 4S and $72K less than the V8 diesel.

While for some people that outlay may be better served with a Porsche sports car and a luxury sedan for similar money, those wanting a comfortable and fast cruiser that doubles as a zero fuel car around town will appreciate the big improvements to Porsche's petrol-electric.

2017 Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid pricing and specifications

On sale: July 2017

Price: $242,600, plus on-road costs

Engine: 2.9-litre twin turbo V6 with 100kW/400Nm electric motor

Power: 243kW (engine), 100kW (motor), 340kW (combined)

Torque: 450Nm (engine), 400Nm (motor), 700Nm (combined)

Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic, all-wheel drive

Fuel use: 2.5L/100km

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