Bentley's revised Bentayga SUV range gains its third model, after the V8 and Speed variants - it's the Bentayga Hybrid.
Petrol V6 and 94kW electric
Don't be fooled by its name: it might only be called the 'Hybrid' but it's actually a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, combining a 340hp 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine with a 94kW (128hp) electric motor and a 17.3kWh lithium-ion battery pack. That leads to system outputs of 449hp and 700Nm, which should result in the same 0-100km/h time and top speed as on the pre-facelift Bentayga Hybrid that had the same powertrain - therefore, expect the sprint to be done in 5.5 seconds and the V-max to be around 254km/h.
Now that the Bentayga Diesel has gone to the great stately resting home in the sky, the updated Hybrid represents the eco-model of the luxury SUV's line-up. That said, there are no official economy or CO2 stats as yet, but as the battery size is the same as before, you're therefore looking at around 80.7mpg (3.5 litres/100km) and 79g/km, although these numbers might improve as the Bentayga Hybrid can now go further on its electric power alone than before - Bentley is claiming 50km, as opposed to 39km previously. However, these are all NEDC figures, as is the combined cruising range of the 2021MY Bentayga Hybrid which is said to be 863km. Charging of the battery takes place in 2.5 hours on a 7.2kW connection, with the charging port being on the opposite rear flank of the SUV to the fuel-filler cap.
Other than that, the Bentayga Hybrid is as per other updated Bentayga: tauter front-end design, the smoothed-off bootlid at the rear, and a cabin improved no end by digital dials and a fresh 10.9-inch infotainment system. The Hybrid model gets an additional switch for controlling the modes of the part-electric running gear and some additional displays plus connectivity programmes too, but otherwise it is every bit as plush and luxuriant within as the petrol-only alternatives in the line-up.
Adrian Hallmark, chairman and chief executive of Bentley, said: "The Bentayga Hybrid is the next step on our journey to becoming the world's leading sustainable luxury mobility company. Bentley will transform from a 100-year-old luxury car company to a new, sustainable, wholly ethical role model for luxury, and the Bentayga Hybrid is the first model to pioneer our company's recently announced Beyond100 strategy."
Bentley's research of owners of the old Bentayga Hybrid, the company's first plug-in part-electric vehicle, showed 90 per cent of them used their SUV on either a daily basis or several times a week. Almost 100 per cent of the customers used EV mode, half consistently undertaking journeys of less than 50km. The updated Bentayga Hybrid will be the first of two Bentley plug-in vehicles launched this year.