2014 Porsche Panamera gets Plugin Hybrid and long-wheelbase versions

Porsche will debut the 2014 Panamera at the Shanghai Auto Show later this month. The four-door sports car looks similar to the earlier version but now gets Plugin Hybrid and Stretch-wheel base options. In fact, Porsche has really worked on making the car greener and has replaced the mighty V8 unit with a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 for the S and 4S variants. 

There are hardly any cosmetic changes, the front bumper is redesigned and the face has been restyled on lines of the 911 design cues.  The rear gets LED treatment and slight alterations to differentiate it from the predecessor.

All the important changes are under the skin. The Plugin Hybrid will have an electric motor and 9.5kWh lithium-ion battery pack delivering 416bhp and 590Nm. With the eight-speed Tiptronic, the S E-Hybrid will reach 100kph from standstill in respectable 5.2 seconds. The regular S and 4S models will now get 420bhp 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 that will improve the efficiency by 18 per cent.

Since the Panamera is debuting in China, Porsche has added a customary long-wheelbase variant, though this one does not have a plug-in hybrid option.