DESCRIPTION

Pros:

• Porsche performance mated with hybrid practicality
• Faster 0 - 60 time than an Audi A4
• Short 1 mile all-electric mode

Cons:

• The cost of green minded luxury comes with a very high price tag

The 2012 Porsche Panamera S Hybrid is Porsche's most fuel efficient car of all time. It may be a hybrid, but Porsche is never one to compromise on performance nor sacrifice luxury and comfort. The Panamera S Hybrid works on a full parallel hybrid system that produces 380 hp from the powerful combination of a 333 hp supercharged V6 engine and a 34 kW electric motor.

The 2012 Panamera S Hybrid accelerates from 0 to 60 in 5.7 seconds and has a top track speed of 167 mph. Its range in purely electric mode is approximately one mile, with electric-only acceleration possible up to 50 mph.

The electric motor is connected to a nickel metal hydride (NiMh) battery that stores electric energy recovered from the regenerative braking system. The transmission is the same eight-speed Tiptronic S fitted in the Cayenne models, with a wide range of gear ratios.

EPA Fuel Economy MPG (city/hwy): 22/28 (estimated)

The Panamera S Hybrid has an even higher level of standard equipment than the V8 Panamera S that includes Adaptive Air Suspension with the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) adaptive shock absorber system, Servotronic® variable-assist power steering and a host of other features. This new model also features an innovative display that provides the driver with relevant information about the status of the vehicle's hybrid drive systems.

The Panamera S Hybrid will go on sale in the United States later in 2011 at a base suggested retail price of $95,000 (excluding destination).

What's New: The Panamera S Hybrid borrows and tweaks the supercharged 3.0-liter direct-injection V6, 34-kilowatt electric motor and eight-speed transmission from Porsche's Cayenne S Hybrid. A 1.7-kilowatt-hour nickel-metal-hydride battery provides about a mile and a half of electric-only range, but significantly improves around-town fuel economy. In addition to the new hardware, the car gets an "E-Power" switch that allows drivers to choose electric-only driving for the city that works up to 53 mph.