Porsche has unveiled a sleek concept the automaker says “unites the next generation hybrid drive with new ideas for an evolutionary, sporty body concept.”
It is also quite the little green vehicle monster under the hood. Indeed, the Panamera Sport Turismo has 416 hp (306 kW) of peak system power that can be driven in pure EV mode up to 80 miles per hour over distances of almost 19 miles.
In addition, the vehicle boasts a good fuel economy based upon the NEDC standard as noted in its technical specs, with a combined fuel consumption of less than 3.5 liters per 100 km and CO2 emissions under 82 g/km.
Under the hood of this concept is an advanced version of the hybrid system already in use by Porsche today in its Panamera S and Cayenne S hybrids. The electric motor produces around 70 kW (95 hp), which is almost double that of the current in production offering, and is mated to a three-liter, V6 supercharged engine that produces 245 kW (333 hp).
Acceleration of the Sport Turismo hybrid concept from 0 to 62 miles per hour is a zippy under six seconds. Its lithium-ion battery pack, which can be externally charged within 2.5 hours depending upon the power supply, can also be internally refueled via a special e-charge mode that makes use of the internal combustion engine by load point shifting.
Turning to the interior of this technologically loaded down plug-in hybrid, the vehicle sports a large central TFT color display instead of a classic instrument display. It can call up a wide array of information, such as the tachometer or navigation. It is supplemented by two monitors, one on each side, that show images from exterior mirror cameras.
A press of the touch-sensitive color display starts the hybrid, noted Porsche, while a “completely new type of touch display in the ascending center console” incorporates other controls. And just in case all of those displays aren’t enough, two additional ones in tube form provide information on hybrid specific driving states.
As this is a concept, you won’t likely see a production model actually hit the roads. Still, this plug-in hybrid is yet another interesting study in what’s possible in making green cars more alluring – and very pricey.
