Porsche Panamera review

So far, we've only driven the standard Panamera in the UK, but we've also spent some time in the new Panamera 4 and the Turbo E-Hybrid (with the fancy active suspension) on the continent. The Turbo E-Hybrid is many things. Even the powertrain: it starts as an electric whisperer, but ramp up both powertrains and it's a drastic V8 thunderer.

With a fully-charged battery, you might be able to eke out 40 miles of gentle driving. Porsche claims somewhere between 46 and 57 miles. When the engine cuts in, it engages and disengages smoothly enough, but the sound is a bit unexciting.

If you want the suspension to stick with its comfort-biased banking act, you need to stay in Hybrid mode, but you can set the transmission to manual so it doesn't switch off. By all means select the louder and more interesting exhaust note if you're not disturbing anyone. In any case this isn't a rude sound like a Mercedes-AMG.

The V8 plus motor combo is hugely strong in mid ranges, kicking out 686lb ft of torque. The electric motor fills in when the turbos aren't fully awake, so there's only lag if you go provoking it by holding a high gear and low revs. It'll go to 7,000rpm which is exciting, but honestly you can extract all the performance without.

So even though this is a 2,435kg car with fuel and driver, and it's five metres long, it'll get to 62mph in 3.2 seconds with the Sport Chrono Pack, and on to 196mph. The brakes are up to the job of restraining all that in big stops, though sometimes there's a trace of hybrid over-eagerness in gentle town stops.

What does the active suspension achieve?

On the road in hybrid mode, the banking is subtle – it goes only to three degrees – but it keeps you better locked into your seat. It begins happening at 30mph and hits maximum beyond 45. But you need to steer gently and progressively. Otherwise the system assumes you're being sporty and gives you flatter body control.

It has a remarkable ability to swallow really tricky road undulations and bumps. Close to Range Rover levels actually. Yet all with terrific body control; it doesn't heave or float. That said, you do still feel a bit of harshness on smaller-amplitude coarse surfaces.

In Sport mode firmness obviously increases as the car lowers and flattens, resisting roll and pitch or dive. But it's tenable to drive a B-road type surface in Sport, whereas in any other super-saloon you'd be confined to the softest mode. Even when buttoned down like this, the active suspension still swallows bumps pretty well.

It's a fast Porsche. Did you go on a track?

But of course. Because every track day is clogged with five-door two-tonners. No, not for that reason. Still, to really get the measure of 671bhp, a track is probably a good idea.

Right then, phasers set to stun. Full powertrain urgency, diff aiming more rearward, ESP off, suspension lowered and programmed to keep the body flat as a steam iron.

With the mass of a V8, electric motor, transmission and four-wheel-drive system all in the front half of the car, you do need to trail brake into a corner or it's going to understeer. But from there on it's responsive, subtle, playable and agile. It'll happily edge out the tail coming through and out. The four-wheel steer and controlled diffs keep it both agile in slow bends and stable in fast ones. It stays as level as a supercar, yet the powered suspension lets it ride kerbs. Most of all it's natural and fathomable.

What about the pure-petrol on the road?

The V6 in the Panamera and Panamera 4 drones a bit and needs a surprisingly big stretch of the toe just to gather 10mph on the motorway. But use the transmission paddles and prod the exhaust button and it wakes up.

Many cars these days are so quick you can never floor the throttle for more than an instant. In this one you get the pleasure of feeling you're really using it. And when you do, the chassis and brakes are well up to the job.

This has a conventional air suspension setup, with simpler self-levelling and adaptive dampers. In corners it feels secure, with lovely steering and a solid composure. It still rides pretty well, with surprising suppleness given the type of car and large 20-inch wheels, but obviously it moves around and thumps you more than the ones with active suspension (the old PDDC active anti-roll option is no longer available as it's replaced by the active system).