As we noted in our first look of the 2021 Porsche Panamera, Zuffenhausen is worsening the “paradox of choice” customers face when trying to select their ideal powertrain, by dropping two engine offerings but adding three new ones. We’ve just driven the middle of these new engines—the plug-in electric-boosted twin-turbo V-6 Panamera 4S E-Hybrid that makes 552 hp and 553 lb-ft. That output rating has Porsche casting this new model as a greener proxy for the departed 550-hp/567-lb-ft twin-turbo-V-8-powered Panamera Turbo. Is it?

We haven’t mounted our Vbox gear yet, but Porsche says trading two cylinders for an electric motor and battery only blunts the 4S E-Hybrid’s launch-controlled 0-60 mph time by 0.1 second relative to the old Turbo, a difference that merely doubles by the quarter-mile mark. Adding those offsets to our last Panamera Turbo‘s times suggests we should see a 3.1-second 0-60 time and an 11.5-second quarter mile at around 120 mph. That shows how effective electric motors are at launching heavy cars—Porsche puts the weight difference at 600 pounds, which gives the hybrid a 13 percent weight-to-power disadvantage (1 pound per horsepower) to the Turbo. The hybrid also lacks the Turbo’s sonorous V-8 snarl. Opting for the Sport Exhaust ($3,490-$3,860 last year) helps in Sport or Sport+ modes, but in the default start-up mode, it sounds flat.

It’s hard to hide an extra 600 pounds of car from the g-force meters, but the vehicle-dynamics crew at Porsche have done their level best to improve the handling feel of the entire 2021 Panamera lineup. A new electric power steering system that’s improved the precision feel of the 992 Carrera 4S and Taycan 4S is fitted here, complete with the same steering wheel and optional rear-wheel steer (not fitted to this test car). It provides impressive feedback for a big car with a ton-plus of weight burdening its front axle. Similarly, for ’21 the brake master cylinder diameter shrinks to provide more pedal travel, and the brake-force transducer better manages the transition from regenerative to friction braking for improved pedal feel—especially in the Sport modes.

Finally, although most of the hardware is unchanged, the software controlling the standard air suspension and adaptive damping systems is recalibrated for a less busy ride, the front/rear torque distribution algorithms send more torque aft in the Sport modes, and the rear differential locking strategy is better suited to track running in those modes. And wannabe DTM racers can now get an ultra-high-performance tire (Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2) that will likely be a dealer upgrade for the 4S E-Hybrid.

E-Hybrid battery capacity increases 27 percent to 17.9 kWh, and the rate at which it recharges while driving increases 50 percent to a max of 18 kW in Sport+ mode, but now the onboard charger targets 80 percent, not 100 as before. At 80 percent, the larger battery offers similar electric range and ample boost reserves to ensure full power and torque are available in Sport modes on any typical track, and overall fuel consumption improves because charging efficiency plunges when filling the final 20 percent of a battery. This system is now essentially the same as that used on the 918 Spyder.

A drive-mode selector on the steering wheel lets you switch from the default startup mode (E-Power) to Hybrid-Auto, Sport, and Sport+ modes. From the central display’s Hybrid screen one can select E-Hold to maintain the current battery state-of-charge, or E-Charge mode to more gradually recharge the battery using the engine. In its default E-Power mode, the car strives to maximize electric driving, and when equipped with Porsche’s InnoDrive adaptive cruise system, it takes map and topographical data into account to further optimize charging and power strategies.

I got the car with the battery showing 9 miles of range (max is expected to be 34) and set it to E-Charge mode. This gradually boosted range to 13 miles running in eighth gear on the highway with one LED showing on the charge meter. Switching to Sport+ dropped the transmission to sixth gear and lit a second LED charge light, quickly achieving the target of 27 miles of range, at which point I switched to E-Hold mode to preserve that level of charge for my “Hellring” laps around Hell, Michigan. I made my first 13.8-mile lap in E-Power mode, my aggressive accelerator stabs frequently engaging the engine, which then seemed overeager to switch back off. The E-Boost was often limited, some of these transitions were slightly lumpy, and all were attended by that blah exhaust note. I ended that lap showing 17 miles of range.

Next, a hard-charging Sport+ lap demonstrated aggressive gear selection, unlimited E-Boost, and strong linear acceleration everywhere. That lap ended with 20 miles of range showing. The steering firmed up (unnecessarily, as far as I’m concerned), and the suspension lowered and stiffened enough to excite some interior trim buzzing. Happily, the less aggressive damping settings are allowed in Sport+ mode.

A final, slightly more relaxed lap in Sport mode revealed the Goldilocks setup. Sure, it ran much of the lap a gear or two higher, but the E-Boost was just as readily available, and the suspension ceased buzzing the body. That lap ended with 21 miles in the battery, illustrating how aggressively the car replaces electricity when being pressed hard.

Why pay for all that heavy hybrid gear unless you’re at least a little interested in monitoring the way it variously helps save you fuel or go faster? Porsche provides its geekiest customers good screens for this. Infotainment screen options show hybrid modes, energy flow, consumption statistics, and various charge timers. On the instrument cluster, an arc inside the speedometer can depict accelerator position relative to the point at which the engine will fire, while a matching arc inside the fuel- and battery gauge display to the right of the central tachometer can indicate the amount of electric “boost” power currently available in the drive mode selected. This gray arc turns white to indicate the available E-Boost, then turns green as the boost is applied.

Here’s the 4S E-Hybrid’s most flattering comparison with the Turbo: No 2021 pricing has been announced yet, but the 2020 Panamera Turbo starts at $154,350 (add $4,000 for the Sport Turismo or $10,400 for Executive bodywork). The 2020 4 E-Hybrid starts at $105,150 (plus $4,000 or $4,500 for the other bodies). Adding the $13,200 price differential that separates the base Panamera S and 4S models brings us to a guess of about $118,500 for the 4S E-Hybrid—that’s 23 percent off the Turbo for a car that’s only 3 percent slower and should get at least 10 percent better EPA combined fuel economy if you never plug it in and 143 percent better mpg-e if you do (EPA numbers are not yet final, and the revised charging strategy is likely to improve gas-only mpg a little while the bigger battery boosts gas/electric hybrid mpg-e by a lot).

No. As close as its vital engine and performance stats may be to the Turbo’s, the 4S E-Hybrid is simply a less visceral, more clinical performer. But it scratches a valid eco-conscientious itch while delivering geek-o-rific screens and a level of driving fun that lands somewhere between the 4 E-Hybrid and the bonkers Turbo S E-Hybrid.

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