I visited Germany in June of 2024, with one of my goals being to assess the current state of the charging network and overall EV/PHEV experience in Porsche’s home country. I was lucky enough to sample the upper echelon of Porsche’s current electrified offerings. I especially wanted to test the new 976-generation 2025 Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid to experience its Porsche Active Ride (PAR) suspension system.
I picked up our test sedan from the press lot at Porsche’s Zuffenhausen headquarters. As is the norm with press cars, this one was fully loaded with options, including the important performance-enhancing additions of Rear Axle Steering and Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes with subtle, black-painted calipers. Framing the massive brakes are 21-inch center-lock wheels, with Michelin Pilot Sport S5 summer tires 275/35ZR-21 front, 325/30ZR-21 rear. The Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid has a base U.S. MSRP of $191,000. Our test vehicle was a European-spec model, but configuring a U.S.-spec model with the same options netted a total price of $237,595.
The Panamera’s interior was well-optioned, opulent, and comfortable, though the all-black upholstery and trim lent an air of austerity. Not to worry, though, because Porsche’s Exclusive department is happy to oblige with anything from contrasting interior panels to deviated stitching and seatbelts in contrasting colors to personalize the ambiance. The 18-way adjustable seats were supremely comfortable, heated, and cooled, though some might be miffed at the absence of built-in massage functions as is the norm in the executive sedan class.
Some Porsche purists may lament the omission of the Panamera’s dummy ignition key fob to the left of the steering wheel. Still, the generic push button remains on the left, with a stubby PRND gear selector lever to the right of the steering column, allowing rapid imaginary Le Mans-style standing starts.
The Panamera’s size could not be ignored while tooling around downtown Stuttgart—at 2.16 meters/85.2 inches wide and over 5.0 meters/199 inches long, finding a parking space on narrow side streets proved challenging. The electrically-assisted steering features a variable ratio of 14.3:1 on-center, with up to 9.3:1 possible during low-speed parking maneuvers. Rear-axle steering helps with maneuverability while parking on narrow German village roads. Steering effort is on the light side, with not as much feel as in Porsche’s best sports car electric racks, but accurate and appropriate for a large four-door sedan.
As outlined in the #281/March 2021 Porsche E-Hybrid tech update, the previous generation’s hydraulic decoupling clutch between the E-motor and combustion engine was replaced with an electronic actuator, which enables seamless starting and stopping of the combustion engine, with the movement of the tachometer needle often the only telltale sign. The powertrain management system is programmed to deactivate and decouple the combustion engine whenever possible to enable “sailing,” or coasting, to improve efficiency. That can occur during a slight downhill section of the autobahn, even while cruising at over 200 km/h (124 mph), with the combustion engine smoothly firing up as soon as its assistance is needed.
The Turbo E-Hybrid was perfectly content tooling around Stuttgart in electric-only mode, with the optional dual-pane privacy glass insulating the occupants from the noises of the city and the excellent Burmester sound system providing aural entertainment. The owner of such a car would eventually tire of this use and escape the city for more exciting roads and driving experiences.
The combination of a twin-turbo V8 combustion engine, electric motor, power electronics, the 25.9 kWh battery pack, and all the luxury features add up to a curb weight of 5,302 lbs. Porsche’s chassis engineers have always done a remarkable job of instilling a keen sense of agility in its large four-door platforms, and the Panamera’s standard three-chamber air suspension system with Porsche Active Suspension Management dampers is quite good. However, the Porsche Active Ride suspension system (see the #309/June 2024 tech feature) is a game-changer for the 976 Panamera platform.
At each corner is an electrohydraulic ram, which operates directly via the 400-volt system to enable extremely rapid response and wheel control. The motor portion occupies the same space as the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control anti-roll bars of non-PAR cars, with a smaller two-chamber air spring and damper assembly in the normal location. The result is not a magic carpet ride in the vein of a Citroën Hydropneumatique system, as bumps can be detected, but the system absorbs such impacts with aplomb.
German roads are notoriously smooth and well-maintained, but your author purposely sought out cobblestone roads in the Black Forest village of Baden-Baden, and the PAR system passed the test with flying colors. It was no secret that cobblestones were being traversed, but any jiggling effects were minimized. I also found a close facsimile of a typical narrow, rutted California mountain road in the Black Forest region, which was slightly nerve-wracking because of the 976’s considerable width. Still, the PAR system performed quite well through the undulations and potholes. The active suspension is a must-have option in the opinion of this driver.
The Panamera’s PAR system is programmed to actively counteract body roll and pitch while the Normal driving mode is selected. A smooth driving style during around-town driving does not reveal too much of this effect, but it is quite noticeable while hustling the large sedan into and through tight corners.
The proactive body leveling is not as disconcerting as this driver thought it might be, and it is a nice feature if the car is loaded with passengers and cargo. Engaging Sport or Sport Plus driving modes turns off this feature to enable a more natural feeling during hard driving, though body roll and pitch is kept to a minimum.
The presence of the V8 combustion engine lends character to the experience, though it lacks the spine-tingling character of Porsche’s best flat-six engines. The Panamera Turbo’s V8 burble is purposeful, albeit like the generic blat of other contemporary German V8s using a similar “hot-vee” exhaust system with siamesed exhaust ports and twin-scroll turbochargers. The combination of the quick-spooling V8 and the torque filling provided by the electric motor enables throttle response, which is the next best thing to a full EV.
The Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid’s greatest talent is its ability to effortlessly go for many kilometers on the German autobahn in luxurious comfort, with the supreme stability typical of Porsche cars at over 200 km/h. Lighter weekend traffic meant higher speeds were attainable on unrestricted sections of the autobahn, with several bursts to near 290 km/h (180 mph) realized when conditions allowed. Porsche’s rated top speed of 315 km/h, or 196 mph, is believable, given a long enough stretch of empty road.
Porsche has since announced the latest Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, with an uprated 591-hp combustion engine combined with a slightly more powerful electric motor, for a total of 771 hp. For about $30,000 more than the Turbo E-Hybrid, 0-60 times drop by 0.2 seconds, the top speed increases to 202 mph, and the all-important Nürburgring Nordschleife lap time drops by six seconds compared to its predecessor.
The 2025 Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid’s driving experience is a masterclass in versatility—from effortlessly gliding through city streets in electric-only mode to dominating the autobahn with the V8’s impressive power delivery. The Porsche Active Ride suspension system is a standout, transforming the dynamics of this large sport luxury sedan and
making it feel agile in ways that defy its size and weight.
