Someone at Porsche described the Panamera 4S E-Hybrid to me in a funny way—he said it’s a GTS for nerds. Porsche’s GTS cars have a strong, simple appeal, all the performance and extra equipment you want, slotted neatly between standard and Turbo models. This thing is a bit different.
The 4S E-Hybrid has more power than the Panamera GTS despite a lower base price, but instead of a snarling V-8, you have a V-6 augmented by an electric motor. It’s not the obvious enthusiast recipe, but it’s very satisfying nonetheless.
This third-generation Panamera launched in late 2023, riding on the same platform as the second-gen, but with lots of tweaks throughout. E-Hybrid models get a larger 21.8-kilowatt-hour battery in place of the old car’s 17.9 kWh pack, which ups range. The EPA rates this 4S E-Hybrid as having 28 miles of EV range, but as is typical with electrified Porsche models, you should be able to go a lot further.
| Quick Specs | 2025 Porsche Panamera 4S E-Hybrid |
| Engine | 2.9-Liter Twin-Turbo V-6 Hybrid |
| Output | 536 Horsepower / 553 Pound-Feet |
| 0-60 MPH | 3.5 Seconds |
| Base Price / As Tested | $128,795 / $150,985 |
Compared with the second-gen, this third-gen Panamera has shifted the balance of gas: electric power more toward the electrons. Its 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-6 makes just 348 horsepower to the second-gen’s 443, but ups the electrical power from 134 hp to 187. Still, the new car makes less power in total than its predecessor—536 hp to 552.
It’s more than plenty. Porsche quotes an identical 3.5-second 0-60 mph time for the new car, and in the real world, the extra electric power makes its presence felt with incredibly quick response. On the flipside, if you keep the battery topped up, you’ll see incredible fuel efficiency, as the car manages the handoff between combustion and electric power.
That V-6 is surprisingly musical, too, and where I was left wanting a bit with the engine on its own in the standard Panamera, it’s a perfect pair to the hybrid system here. The other big benefit of going for the E-Hybrid is a piece of technology I’m particularly fascinated with (and one not available on the GTS): Porsche Active Ride.
Pros: Powerful & Efficient Hybrid System, Astonishing Ride Comfort & Handling, Excellent Ergonomics
I’ve covered the system in depth here and here, so I won’t go into as many technical details in this review. But basically, Active Ride uses electro-hydraulic pumps run off the hybrid system to control the pressure of the hydraulic fluid in the car’s dampers. The system puts its own supplemental force into the body, and it allows for total control over the way the Panamera’s body moves.
It’s astoundingly powerful, and used to a greater degree in the Panamera than in Porsche’s other sedan, the Taycan. Active Ride, here a $7,150 option, doesn’t turn this Panamera 4S into a magic-carpet ride, but it basically renders all road imperfections immaterial. You’re aware of the road surface beneath you, and those big wheels and tires do transmit vibrations into the body structure.
But, the body control is supernatural. In Normal mode, you can turn on a setting that moves the body opposite to what is natural, to minimize the effects of lateral and longitudinal acceleration on the occupants. Sometimes, it can be a bit disorienting for the driver—the nose pitching up under hard braking, the car leaning into corners—but in normal driving, you almost don’t notice it at work. You can turn these systems off, and in Sport and Sport Plus modes, the body just stays perfectly level.
The ride comfort the system provides is astounding, as is the handling, Active Ride distributing force between all four tires to maximize grip. Forget any notions of a car getting “upset” by a mid-corner bump. Such things are irrelevant here. A Panamera without Active Ride rides and handles very well; with it, it’s astonishing. It’s reason to go hybrid on its own.
Cons: Pricey, Much Pricier for 2026, Otherwise—Not Much
The rest is basically what you’d expect from a Panamera, or any new Porsche, really. Interior quality and ergonomics are excellent, a cut above most everything else. And with the hybrid system, the Panamera can be very efficient.
“Can” is the operative word here, because as with all plug-in hybrids, your efficiency is only as good as your battery charge. Topped up and in normal driving, the car will automatically shuffle between combustion and electric power, and the economy you can get from it is pretty astonishing. With a nearly empty battery, good luck exceeding 30 miles per gallon, though performance doesn’t suffer.
I’m sick of talking about Porsche pricing, but it’s necessary here. This is an expensive car, no doubt about it. Even modestly optioned, this 2025 car stickers for $150,985; for 2026, an identical car would cost you $161,650. But, that’s right about where a Panamera GTS starts, and I’d argue two things: One, the 4S E-Hybrid is the more interesting car, and two, you don’t need any more performance than this.
The reason you buy a Porsche, beyond the prestige and the heritage, is for the engineering. And this car technically represents a lot of the best of what the company is capable of. It’s also just an incredibly nice car to use day in, day out, and one with capability far beyond what’s necessary.
Then again, I am a nerd, so of course I like it.
Competitors
2025 Porsche Panamera 4S E-Hybrid
