What has 340kW, 700Nm, does 0-100km/h in 4.7 seconds, but could get you to work and back without the engine even turning over? The Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid.

It’s not as sexy, powerful or as desirable as its Turbo bigger sibling, but even with an as-tested price of $264,120 it’s an almost $120K cheaper way of getting into one of the nicest car interiors on sale today. Well insulated from tyre and wind noise, and with an amazing ride on its three-way air suspension, this is a very comfortable car.

On a twisty road, this is also an engaging and very polished handler with agility that somewhat defies its not inconsiderable size, also with strong traction thanks to its all-wheel drive system.

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If not in the mood for such things, the 4 E-Hybrid delivers up to 50km of plug-in electric range, taking 5.8 hours to fully charge, or 3.6 with an optional charger. Porsche has done a great job to ensure seamless switching between electric and petrol power under acceleration, although we were disappointed with a wooden and inconsistent brake pedal feel at stuck-in-traffic speeds.

Of course, being more interested in the latter, we could justify the extra cost for the brilliant V8 Turbo.

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2018 PORSCHE PANAMERA 4 E HYBRID SPECS: Engine: 2.9-litre v6, twin-turbo Power: 340kW Torque: 700Nm Weight: 2170kg 0-100km/h: 4.7sec Price: $248,500