Porsche says fully electric Panamera won't clash with Taycan

Monday, 7 September 2020

Porsche is reportedly considering an all-electric Panamera but, despite the similarities, it won’t butt heads with the Taycan.

Talking to GoAuto Australia after the global premiere of the facelifted 2021 Panamera, Porsche product line vice-president Thomas Friemuth said the fully electric Panamera under consideration will exist alongside the Taycan as the former is a bigger car with lots of interior space as compared to the Taycan.

“Panamera is luxury sedan… and a big car with a lot of roominess and interior space to drive long-distance comfortably with four adults.

A fully electric Panamera would be a noticably larger car than the Taycan, meaning the two can co-exist.

“When you see the Taycan, you will see that this is a different car – we don’t see much overlap from the customer perspective between Panamera and Taycan.”

**READ MORE:

The e-Panamera is still a while away, so Porsche has given the current Panamera an update to tide us over.

* Porsche ladles more power on Panamera

* Lowest to highest: every new EV you can buy in NZ in 2020

More power, more range (for the hybrids) and more kit are the headline changes.

* The Porsche Traykan is all the ute you need

* The Porsche Panamera is our Top Luxury Car of 2019

Giving the Panamera an electric model isn’t entirely surprising. Porsche has confirmed the next-gen Macan will only be sold in electric form (though the current generation will continue for those not wanting an EV). There are electric replacements for the Boxster, Cayman and Cayenne coming too, as well as the Taycan Cross Turismo, a station wagon.

In the meantime, Porsche has updated the Panamera range.

Buyers desiring the apex of internal combustion Porsche muscle will find the biggest serving yet with the new Panamera Turbo S. Others seeking pace with efficiency will discover a significant boost in plug-in hybrid performance and EV driving range from the new Panamera 4S E-Hybrid.

The mighty Turbo S is a full-fat 4.0-litre V8 turbocharged saloon now boasting 463kW output (up by 59kW) and 820Nm of torque (up by 50Nm) over the previous flagship model. It propels the Turbo S from 0-100kmh in 3.1secs with a top speed of 315km/h.

The first shipment will land in New Zealand in the first quarter of 2021 with a $367,900 price-tag.

Priced from $262,300, the Panamera 4S E-Hybrid is an almost as powerful - but contrasting - solution using a new 2.9-litre V6 turbo petrol developing 342kW and a 100kW electric motor integrated into the eight-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission.

Combined system output is rated at 412kW along with maximum torque of 750Nm. With the standard Sport Chrono Package, the Panamera 4S E-Hybrid can sprint from 0–100 kmh in 3.7 seconds and has a top speed of 298km/h.

There will be seven models in the 2021 Panamera line-up for New Zealand with the entry point Panamera and Panamera 4 (with all-wheel-drive) offering a 2.9-litre V6 biturbo engine delivering an unchanged 243kW and 450Nm priced from $189,900 and $198,200 respectively. The Panamera 4 is also available in the Sport Turismo body style priced from $204,500.

Panamera GTS and Panamera GTS Sport Turismo - priced at $274,300 and $280,600 respectively - also boast increased V8 biturbo power with a 15kW increase over its predecessor to 353kW and 620Nm. Porsche has tuned this engine to deliver the power delivery of a naturally aspirated engine with V8 engine note is enhanced by the new standard sports exhaust system.

The previous king of the Panamera hill, the Turbo S E-Hybrid, is noticably missing from the line-up. Porsche New Zealand told Stuff that it is “anticipated” to become part of the local offerings again, with more news expected later this year.