Photo: Bentley
Bentley's lead engineer Peter Guest has confirmed that the company is currently in the early stages of developing a diesel Bentayga. The company's first SUV will initially be available only with a large W12 twin-turbo mill, and it's yet unknown when the TDI option will become available.
We do, however, know that the unknown engine will have the same electric turbocharger system as the upcoming high-performance version of the Audi Q7. We are, of course, talking about the SQ7, which will come out in 2016, most likely at the Geneva Motor Show.
"We needed 48V to get the reaction times [for the dynamic ride system]," Bentley sales head Kevin Rose told Automotive News. The high-voltage system developed by Audi is also required to feed the power-hungry e-turbo.
This so-called "electric turbocharger" is actually more like a supercharger. It has been previewed on a 3-liter TDI engine fitted to the RS5 Coupe, but the Bentayga and SQ7 will use something else. According to a brochure leaked at the beginning of August 2015, we're going to get a 4.0-liter V8 TDI, generating 435 PS (320 kW).
The torque figure is unknown, but it should be somewhere in the region of 900 Nm (664 lb-ft). Mind you, Audi used to have a more powerful V12 TDI engine capable of delivering 500 horsepower, but they discontinued it after a few years of production.
Bentley could theoretically ask Volkswagen Group to revive that beast, but we think it's extremely unlikely. You see, having such a large lump of metal over the front wheels spoils the handling and defeats the purpose of installing a TDI in the first place: to lower fuel consumption. Developing an all-new Euro 6 engine is also tricky for Bentley, who only makes a few thousands of cars per year.
Let's not forget that Bentley and Audi also co-developed the current 4.0 TFSI twin-turbo engine that went into the Continental, Flying Spur and every several Audi models, ranging from the early 420 PS S6 to the 605 PS S8 plus.
The point of using the electric turbocharger instead of a normal one is to lower fuel consumption while reducing turbo lag. Of course, the Bentley Bentayga wouldn't have turbo lag if they didn't offer it with a V8 TDI to begin with.
"We needed 48V to get the reaction times [for the dynamic ride system]," Bentley sales head Kevin Rose told Automotive News. The high-voltage system developed by Audi is also required to feed the power-hungry e-turbo.
This so-called "electric turbocharger" is actually more like a supercharger. It has been previewed on a 3-liter TDI engine fitted to the RS5 Coupe, but the Bentayga and SQ7 will use something else. According to a brochure leaked at the beginning of August 2015, we're going to get a 4.0-liter V8 TDI, generating 435 PS (320 kW).
The torque figure is unknown, but it should be somewhere in the region of 900 Nm (664 lb-ft). Mind you, Audi used to have a more powerful V12 TDI engine capable of delivering 500 horsepower, but they discontinued it after a few years of production.
Bentley could theoretically ask Volkswagen Group to revive that beast, but we think it's extremely unlikely. You see, having such a large lump of metal over the front wheels spoils the handling and defeats the purpose of installing a TDI in the first place: to lower fuel consumption. Developing an all-new Euro 6 engine is also tricky for Bentley, who only makes a few thousands of cars per year.
Let's not forget that Bentley and Audi also co-developed the current 4.0 TFSI twin-turbo engine that went into the Continental, Flying Spur and every several Audi models, ranging from the early 420 PS S6 to the 605 PS S8 plus.
The point of using the electric turbocharger instead of a normal one is to lower fuel consumption while reducing turbo lag. Of course, the Bentley Bentayga wouldn't have turbo lag if they didn't offer it with a V8 TDI to begin with.
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