Given the pace or releases, there wasn’t much else Bentley could do for its highly successful Bentayga SUV. After its refresh, customers could even order it with a four-seat configuration and choose between V8 and the W12 powertrains. Of course, with the reveal of the Beyond100 strategy, the only other possible update would have been an electrified version.
With the new year in full swing, everyone is diligently getting back to work and Bentley is pushing its first novelty for 2021: the new Bentayga Hybrid. We’re actually dealing with a plug-in hybrid configuration, and the SUV is one of two Bentley PHEVs to be revealed this year.
The company is fully confident the second-generation Hybrid “will become the best-selling member of the new Bentayga family,” though we can’t help but cast a shadow of doubt over its pure intentions. That is because the company curiously opted to present the range ratings according to the (extremely) obsolete NEDC test procedure.
They’re quite good, but we all know the readings are a bit far from reality with the NEDC. It offers 31 miles (50 km) of range with zero-emissions driving, and a total of 536 miles (863) of combined range. At least the brand did give up some WLTPinformation – the combined fuel economy rating of 3.3 liters per 100 km (71.3 mpg) and CO2 emissions of 78 grams per km.
Naturally, the Bentayga Hybrid comes with the same design and overall refinement improvements as its V8 and Speed siblings, while its powertrain is made out of a combination between an electric motor and a 3.0-liter twin turbo V6. The power rating stands at exactly 443 hp (449 PS) and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) of torque.
94 kW (126 hp) and 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) of those come courtesy of the “E Motor,” which is positioned inside the transmission, between the gearbox and the ICE, and fed by the large 17.3 kWh lithium battery. The latter can be charged from the outlet at a rate of up to 7.2kW/h. Unfortunately, there’s no word yet on pricing or the schedule of the first deliveries.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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