Photo: Bentley
Bentley had the best ever sales result in the first half of 2021, with almost 7,200 units sold. With the marque heading towards its best year ever, rumors have appeared regarding new hybrid powertrains in the range. The Continental GT is the second-best-selling model in the portfolio, so it would make sense for it to receive such a variant.
With the fourth-generation Continental GT still years away, and the British marque planning to become all-electric by the end of this decade, the rumored hybrid model would arrive with the ongoing generation, first revealed in 2018.
Bentley's best-selling model in 2021, the Bentayga, already has a plug-in hybrid version, while the Flying Spur, its third-best-selling car, is also offered in a PHEV version. With that in mind, it would make sense for the marque to offer a plug-in hybrid Continental GT.
The said hybrid version would arrive instead of new performance versions and other special edition models, company insiders claim. In an interview with the Brits at Autocar, Bentley's engineering chief, Matthias Rabe, explained that the company has seen interest from customers in an electrified GT.
Without going into further detail on future models, Matthias Rabe explained that Bentley is analyzing several options in the experimental prototype stage, while also discussing with customers and gauging the market's appetite.
The company will have to find a way to offer as much power and torque as possible, while still offering sufficient range in the zero-emission mode. The latter is supposed to be used in clean-air zones in cities, which might become more frequent as time goes by.
Both plug-in hybrid offerings from Bentley come with a V6 engine at the moment, but the engines themselves are different. While the Bentayga Hybrid comes with a 2,995 cubic-centimeter (182ci) unit, the Flying Spur Hybrid features a 2,894 cubic-centimeter (176ci) unit. The latter comes with a higher combined output of the hybrid system, which might be more suitable for Continental GT customers.
Both models have an electric range of over 25 miles (ca. 40 km), despite their different powertrain configurations. We will have to wait a fair amount of time until Bentley reveals its upcoming hybrid model, but it will happen sooner than later.
Bentley's best-selling model in 2021, the Bentayga, already has a plug-in hybrid version, while the Flying Spur, its third-best-selling car, is also offered in a PHEV version. With that in mind, it would make sense for the marque to offer a plug-in hybrid Continental GT.
The said hybrid version would arrive instead of new performance versions and other special edition models, company insiders claim. In an interview with the Brits at Autocar, Bentley's engineering chief, Matthias Rabe, explained that the company has seen interest from customers in an electrified GT.
Without going into further detail on future models, Matthias Rabe explained that Bentley is analyzing several options in the experimental prototype stage, while also discussing with customers and gauging the market's appetite.
The company will have to find a way to offer as much power and torque as possible, while still offering sufficient range in the zero-emission mode. The latter is supposed to be used in clean-air zones in cities, which might become more frequent as time goes by.
Both plug-in hybrid offerings from Bentley come with a V6 engine at the moment, but the engines themselves are different. While the Bentayga Hybrid comes with a 2,995 cubic-centimeter (182ci) unit, the Flying Spur Hybrid features a 2,894 cubic-centimeter (176ci) unit. The latter comes with a higher combined output of the hybrid system, which might be more suitable for Continental GT customers.
Both models have an electric range of over 25 miles (ca. 40 km), despite their different powertrain configurations. We will have to wait a fair amount of time until Bentley reveals its upcoming hybrid model, but it will happen sooner than later.
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