New Porsche Panamera debuts with double the electric range

Porsche unveiled its new Panamera luxury sedan featuring evolutionary design changes, a new suspension system, and extended battery range. The hybrid can travel up to 58 miles on electric power.

From left, Peter Varga, director of exterior design at Porsche, Detlev von Platen, member of the executive board for sales and marketing, and Oliver Blume, chairman of the executive board pose with the latest Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid at an unveiling event in Shanghai, China, on Friday. [PORSCHE KOREA]

SHANGHAI — Porsche left the global audience in awe Friday by dropping its new Panamera featuring evolutionary design changes, a longer battery range and a new suspension setup.

The Panamera luxury sedan, which comes with a hybrid version that nearly doubles its electric-only range, is the first fully revamped version in seven years.

The latest sedan will hit the Korean market early next year.

Measuring 5,052 millimeters (200 inches) in length, 1,937 millimeters in width and 1,423 millimeters in height, the new product is roughly the same size as its predecessor.

But its Turbo E-hybrid variant has been upgraded with a 4.0-liter and 8-cylinder engine, which is paired with a plug-in hybrid system and the 140-kilowatt electric motor. The sedan is able to travel up to 93 kilometers (58 miles) on its electric motor, according to Europe's Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure standards.

The newest Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid, which was first unveiled in Shanghai, China, on Friday [PORSCHE KOREA]

The hybrid version also comes with the new Porsche Active Ride active suspension system that comes with newly developed active shock absorbers — also with two-valve technology — each connected to an electrically operated hydraulic pump.

This generates a volume flow in the damper according to demand and can therefore build up forces between the body and wheels in a lightning fast, highly precise and targeted manner, which counteracts and almost completely compensates for forces that result from road excitation, Porsche said.

“The latest Panamera is a completely new sedan, with a dramatically changed exterior and interior that also comes with comfortable driving,” said Thomas Friemuth, head of the Panamera product line at Porsche AG, during an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily on the sidelines of the German automaker’s unveiling of the new Panamera in Shanghai.

“The Turbo E-hybrid is a horizontal body that controls the body and increases comfort for the passenger in all situations, including when there are sudden bumps or holes.”

The sedan can generate a maximum of 680 horsepower and 94.9 kilogram-meters of torque.

The newest Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid, which was first unveiled in Shanghai, China, on Friday [PORSCHE KOREA]

It only takes 3.2 seconds to reach zero from 100 kilometers per hour speed. Its maximum speed stands at 315 kilometers per hour.

Porsche aims to introduce three more plug-in hybrid Panamera models.

The Korean price of the Panamera 4 will start at 166.5 million won ($128,000) while the hybrid version will begin at 299 million won.

“Porsche listens to Korean customers more importantly than anyone in the world,” Friemuth said. “It is a very important market for Porsche, especially for the Panamera.”

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]