X50e HP confusion vs 40i

I test drove a 40i and 50e today. The 40i in sport mode was zippy, agile and fun. Switching to the 50e it seemed strange. I floored it in comfort mode and it was extremely slow getting up to speed. Battery was at 80%. Flipped it into sport mode and way better but didn’t see any benefit to electric mode.

I’ve read a lot the 50e is faster but that was not my experience. The sales associate said in sport mode both cars have exactly the same hp. Is that true? When does the hybrid actually get the benefit of 483 hp? It’s not really clear when you actually get to take advantage of the extra power. Is it just theoretical?