2014 Porsche Panamera gets new hybrid

The Porsche Panamera has been restyled and the lineup gains a plug-in hybrid model, along with a new twin-turbo V6 for the Panamera S and 4S models that is more powerful than the former base V8. Also, Porsche is adding a stretched version of the Panamera with 5.9 inches added to the wheelbase for additional rear-seat legroom.

The restyled Panamera goes on sale in the United States late this year as a 2014 model. It debuts later this month at the Shanghai auto show.

The Panamera's new styling and the plug-in hybrid powertrain were previewed last fall at the Paris motor show on the Panamera Sport Turismo concept.

The plug-in Panamera S E-Hybrid will replace the current Panamera hybrid. Porsche says it will have a base price of $99,975, including shipping chargers. The current Panamera hybrid has a base price of $97,125 with shipping charges, a difference of $2,859. The hybrid accounts for between 5 and 10 percent of the Panamera's monthly U.S. sales, a Porsche spokesman said.

A new electric motor is rated at 95 hp, double the 47-hp output of the current hybrid's electric motor. The supercharged 3.0-liter V6 remains as the internal-combustion engine. Porsche says the new hybrid powertrain has combined output of 416 hp and uses the automaker's eight-speed Tiptronic S automatic transmission.

Porsche expects the new Panamera hybrid to get better fuel economy than the current car, but did not provide an estimate or EPA rating. The current Panamera hybrid is rated at 22 mpg city, 30 highway and 25 overall.

The Panamera S E-Hybrid switches to a lithium-ion battery rated at 9.4 kilowatt-hours, compared with the current 1.7-kilowat-hour nickel metal-hydride battery pack. Porsche says the new hybrid has a range of more than 20 miles and a top speed of 84 mph on electric power. The battery pack can be fully recharged in about 2.5 hours on a 240-volt power source.

The new Panamera hybrid will run from 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds, Porsche says. That's about 0.5 second faster than the current hybrid. Top speed is 167 mph. The electric provides boost under hard acceleration, and powers the car during coasting when the V6 shuts down.

An application for smartphones lets the owner remotely monitor the Panamera hybrid's state of charge range, and command pre-heating or cooling of the car.

New twin-turbo V6 for S models

The new twin-turbo V6 becomes the base engine for the Panamera S, 4S and long-wheelbase Executive S. Designed by Porsche, the engine is rated at 420 hp and 384 lb-ft of torque. That's an increase of 20 hp and 15 lb-ft over the current 4.8-liter V8.

The base Panamera and Panamera 4 continue to use the base 3.6-liter V6, currently rated at 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque.

All Panameras except the plug-in hybrid are equipped with the PDK seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The powertrain's programming has been changed so that the engine shuts down earlier when coasting to a stop, and drops to idle when coasting on the road (except the GTS model) to boost fuel economy.

Executive stretch

Long-wheelbase versions of the 2014 Porsche Panamera wear the Executive name. It will be offered in 4S and Turbo trims. Executive models arrive in the United States in 2014.

The Panamera Executive gets an additional 5.9 inches in the wheelbase, stretching it to 120.9 inches. That extra room is going to back-seat passengers. All Panamera Executive models get Porsche's air suspension and the brand's Active Suspension Management system.

Styling changes to all Panameras include a new front fascia with larger air intakes. The restyled rear looks wider with larger rear glass, restyled fascia and larger automatically deploying spoiler.

LED headlights are an option. The adaptive cruise control is reprogrammed to add braking pressure in an emergency stop. The lane-departure monitor uses a camera to track vehicle position.

Porsche also announced base prices for its 2014 Panamera models. Prices include shipping charges of $975 and note the change from 2013 base prices:

-- Panamera, $79,075, + $2,250

-- Panamera 4, $83,775, + $2,350

-- Panamera S, $94,175, + $1,850

-- Panamera 4S, $99,275, + $1,950

-- Panamera S E-Hybrid, $99,975, new model

-- Panamera GTS, $114,375, + $2,400

-- Panamera 4S Executive, $126,575, new model

-- Panamera Turbo, $142,275, + $2,650

-- Panamera Turbo Executive, $162,075, new model

By Dale Jewett