The 'fake' gear changes do make the hybrid feel a bit more like a normal car to drive ,but as others have pointed out , only happens if you accelerate quite briskly . Some owners who always drive gently may never experience it
The car also sometimes makes genuine reductions in the speed the ICE needs to be running. The reduction in noise feels like a gear change. This can sometimes happen when you reduce the amount of throttle you are using by just a tiny amount. Not enough to have any noticeable effect on your speed or of rate acceleration, but demand on the ICE engine drops below a threshold that allows it to run more slowly. With practice you can learn to use this to your advantage, driving more economically with no significant drop in road performance.
The white is called 'Premium sunlight white pearl' , and comes at a premium price. When parked next to a platinum white car in overcast weather ,or indoors, it looks like a very very pale grey . I have it on my 2024 car. . In the sun it really comes alive with beautiful pearly iridescent colour variations. I quickly learned to love it and dont regret the extra cost. I recommend viewing an actual car in sunny weather before finally deciding.
By contrast my 2021 car was platinum pearl white which also came at extra cost, although not as much as the premium colours. In ideal light conditions it did have a subtle pearly sheen, but mostly it just looked white. I would rather have had it in basic white had that been a no extra cost option. (It wasnt, at least in the UK)
