This is Bentley's first Hybrid – the Bentayga PHEV
Erin Baker
Bentley has launched the plug-in hybrid version of its luxury SUV, the Bentayga, at the Geneva motor show this week. Called simply the Bentayga Hybrid, “the world’s first luxury hybrid”, as Bentley describes it, joins the W12, V8 Diesel and V8 versions of the Bentayga, and is the brand’s first step towards electrification.
A new 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine is supplemented by an electric motor in the Bentayga Hybrid, providing an electric-only range of over 31 miles and Combined CO2 emissions of 75g/km. Power figures will be released nearer the on-sale date, which will be the second half of this year, in selected global markets.
Being a Bentley, the wall charger, or Power Dock as it’s called, has been designed by Philippe Starck. Bentley says the battery can be recharged in two and a half hours from an industrial connection, or seven hours via a domestic plug.
The brand’s Connected Car app services include remote battery charging and a list of nearby charging stations, which can be put into the satnav. the vehicle charge point is situated opposite the fuel filler cap.
In the car, the automatic start-stop switch is replaced with a control for the three electric modes to help the driver manage the battery usage on a journey: EV Drive, Hybrid Mode and Hold Mode.
The infotainment screen displays information about the state of charge, performance, consumption and which energy source is being used.
The Bentley tachometer features a dial indicating when the car is in pure electric mode and a battery status dial replaces the coolant temperature gauge. The car’s satnav system helps the system calculate the best usage of the electric motor for each mapped journey, and will reduce onboard charging to zero just as the vehicle arrives at its destination, maximising efficiency.
Bentley
Geneva 2018
