Bentley's new Bentayga Hybrid has formally entered production, the company announced Tuesday, confirming the first deliveries of the plug-in hybrid luxury SUV for later this year and with the sticker price of $160,000.
The Bentayga Hybrid makes use of a 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 paired to a single electric motor integrated with the transmission, and while Bentley remains coy about the total system power output, we do know that the combined gasoline engine and electric motor produce a hair over 515 pound-feet of torque. We also know the electric motor produces about 125 horsepower on its own.
2020 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid
Bentley only provided EV mode range figures for the European market, rating it at just over 24 miles on the WLTP cycle. By rough conversion, that should equate to about 22 miles on the EPA cycle, which isn't terrible for a plug-in hybrid the size of the Bentayga.
Bentley revealed the Bentayga Hybrid at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show, and while it was somewhat universally received as the equivalent of a "compliance car" in parent company Volkswagen Group's quest to rinse off the stink of its ongoing diesel emissions scandal, Bentley insists that the Bentayga Hybrid offers a "serene and unrestricted" driving experience.
There is certainly no shortage of luxury to be found here. Hybrid models are denoted only by subtle exterior badging and copper accents. And while it may start at "just" $160,000, the Bentayga Hybrid offers plenty of upgrade opportunities for those who want the absolute best luxury experience.
2019 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid
The Bentayga Hybrid is the first model Bentley has offered with an electrified powertrain, and while it may seem like Bentley is late to the game, this actually allows the company to claim that they've produced the world's first ultra-luxury plug-in hybrid. It's also the company's most fuel-efficient model.
Bentley plans to follow the Bentayga Hybrid with electrified variants of all of its nameplates by 2023, but the full extent to which they plan to electrify each model remains to be revealed. The company said only that it will introduce its first fully electric car by 2025 when batteries have advanced enough to offer the range and performance Bentley's grand tourers demand.
