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01/03/2011
REVIEW by EWAN KENNEDY
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Porsche made its name through high-performance vehicles, but is very much aware of the need to get the best out of each litre of fuel. This is obviously important on the racetrack where one fewer fuel stop in an event like the famed Le Mans 24-hour race can make all the difference between victory and ignominy.
Porsche has also turned its attentions to making the most of each litre of fuel in road vehicles and has just introduced a second petrol-electric hybrid model to Australia. The Porsche Panamera S Hybrid has just joined the Cayenne S Hybrid.
Panamera S Hybrid can produce up to 279 kilowatts of power when both the electric motor and supercharged V6 petrol engine are in operation. Yet has a highway fuel consumption figure of only 6.8 litres per hundred kilometres.
Performance hasn’t been lost in the equation and the big Porsche sports hatch can accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in only 6.0 seconds on its way to a top speed of 270 km/h where conditions permit.
The petrol-electric hybrid can run for up to two kilometres on battery power alone. Which may not sound far, but it lets you run in enclosed carparks, or perhaps around your neighbourhood, without created any emissions whatsoever.
Even more intriguing, the Panamera S Hybrid can run on electric power alone at speeds up to 165 km/h, though that’s only under very easy driving conditions. While the Panamera is ‘sailing’ as Porsche engineers describe this state, the electric motor provides power assistance to the brakes and steering.
Porsche Panamera S Hybrid has a recommended retail price of $289,300, to which on-road costs need to be added. |
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