Bentley Bentayga Hybrid revealed

The most luxurious marque within the Volkswagen Group, inevitably, joins the electrified mobility bandwagon.

The Bentley Bentayga Hybrid has been revealed at the ongoing Geneva Motor Show. It serves as the British luxury carmaker’s first ever electrified model.  

With the aim of reducing harmful emissions, the new plug-in hybrid model combines an electric motor with a new-generation V6 turbo petrol engine. The e-motor acts as both an electric motor and a generator to offer a seamless driving experience, guaranteeing maximum electric-only range.

The 3.0-litre petrol motor continues to offer permanent four-wheel drive and four on-road modes – Sport, Bentley, Comfort and Custom. Additionally, there are three ‘E Modes’ on board as well – EV Drive, Hybrid Mode and Hold Mode. These will enable the driver to manage battery usage during a journey.

Bentley, for the time being, is reluctant to disclose the final power and torque outputs of the Bentayga Hybrid. However, it’s safe to speculate that the setup is borrowed from the Porsche Panamera 4 e-Hybrid, because component sharing is a common affair within the Volkswagen Group. In Porsche, this setup pumps 456bhp and 700Nm using a 14.1kWh lithium-ion battery. What is confirmed is the battery’s ability to recharge in as little as 2.5 hours.

The Bentayga Hybrid requires new and different information to be relayed to the driver. As a result, a revised infotainment screen and driver's display with ‘E Motion information’ have been designed to provide details on performance, consumption and energy source. The infotainment screen can display energy flow in each of the three E Modes, showing whether the vehicle is being powered by the energy supplied by the battery or the combustion engine and whether energy is flowing back to the battery in order to charge it.

Owners of the green Bentayga will also get access to a Charging Station Finder app, which will allow them to pre-heat or cool the cabin remotely. The Bentley Bentayga Hybrid will go in sale in selected markets from the second half of 2018.