Porsche gave its Cayenne SUV a major refresh earlier this year and now it’s time for the Panamera sedan to get the same treatment, but with an even greater focus on PHEV options. There will be four in the new lineup that Porsche will reveal at the Icons of Porsche Festival in Dubai on November 24 – that’s up from three in the current car because the plug-in powertrains are so popular that in some countries they account for 100 percent of Panamera sales.
The current PHEV offerings are the 2.9-liter 455 hp (462 PS) E-Hybrid and 552 hp (560 PS) S E-Hybrid, and the 4.0-liter V8-powered Turbo S E-Hybrid with a combined 690 hp (700 PS), though all are likely to receive power boosts for their next season. And while Porsche while hasn’t revealed where the new fourth model will fit, it’s rumored that the additional PHEV could be a Turbo E-Hybrid with at least 650 hp (659 PS).
Like the Cayenne, the PHEV sedan gets a bigger battery that now measures 25.9 kWh rather than 17.9 kWh, which should dramatically improve the electric driving range potential. Porsche isn’t giving out figures just yet but says that in testing the new car has covered 70 percent more miles on electric power than the old one would in the same conditions. It needs to be at least good because the 2023 models’ 30-mile (50 km) range is around half of what the best PHEVs offer these days.
Related: Redesigned Porsche Panamera To Get Upgraded V6 And New Turbo PHEV Variant
Despite packing a bigger battery, the new hybrids will be quicker to charge, Porsche says, due to a new 11 kW onboard charger. Existing six-cylinder PHEV models only come with a 3.6 kW charger, though that can be upgraded to 7.4 kW as an option. There will, of course, be regular combustion models for drivers who don’t want the complication (or added heft) of a hybrid setup, and intel suggests that the base 2.9 V6 will be upgraded from 325 hp (330 PS) to 353 hp (358 PS).
Other upgrades confirmed for the 2024 car include a new, lighter PDK dual-clutch transmission with the e-motor built inside, and an optional active chassis setup that Porsche says manages to deliver both great handling and cushy ride comfort. Base cars will get new two-valve shocks that can regulate the compression and rebound movements independently.
The 2024 Panamera is really an enhanced version of the existing second-generation car that was introduced in 2016, but the automaker refers to it as the third iteration due to the number of changes that will also include the option of Porsche’s new high-performance LED headlights. Expect the new car to be available in both liftback sedan and Sport Turismo wagon variants, just like today’s car, when it goes on sale next year, probably priced at a hair under $100k / €100k (£75k).
