As part of Bentley’s Beyond 100 Strategy, the British Luxury Marque has unveiled one of two Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles for 2021. The announcement of the Bentayga Hybrid is a major step in Bentley’s strategy to “consider [their] environmental, social and economic impact,” which has helped transform “the 80-year-old Crewe headquarters into the UK’s single carbon neutral luxury car factory.”
“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,” said Adrian Hallmark, Chairman and Chief Executive of Bentley Motors
Despite the fact that the Bentayga Hybrid boasts a range of just 31 miles in pure electric mode, “Bentley’s research shows over 90 per cent of customers use their first-generation Bentayga Hybrid on a daily basis or several times a week, and nearly 100 per cent of customers use EV mode, with half of them consistently undertaking journeys of less than 30 miles.” The Bentayga combined range when utilizing petrol and electric power is 536 miles. By combining the E Motor with a 3.0 litre twin-scroll turbocharged V6 petrol powertrain, the engineers at Bentley have given the Bentayga an impressive 443 brake horsepower (449 PS) and 516 lb.ft (700 Nm) of torque.
The Plug-in Hybrid Bentayga has adopted elements of Bentley’s newest design language. Every panel of both the front and back side of the vehicle have been altered to ensure a more purposeful design configuration. These updates include significant improvements to the grilles and LED matrix headlights with a cut crystal design.
“We spent a long time examining how to improve the proportions and character of the car. New Bentayga is still instantly recognisable as a Bentley but now has a much greater road presence, a more self-confident looking SUV from whatever angle you look at the car. The prouder grill and higher, more focused elliptical headlights give a much more modern expression,” said JP Gregory, Head of Exterior Design at Bentley Motors
The new Hybrid model is being delivered to customers with any required region specific charging cables, which will allow the vehicle to be charged at a wide variety of charge point locations. Additionally, customers can request an at-home wallbox to house the charging unit and cables at no extra cost. A dedicated control unit allows the driver to manually manage battery usage by selecting one of three different E Modes. Options include Hold Mode, EV Drive, and Hybrid Mode, with an additional option to allow the Bentayga to manage the system automatically.
The interior of the Bentley Bentayga Plug-in Hybrid enjoys several new design elements, such as new door trims and two new straight grained veneer options. The two new veneers include both Koa and Crown Cut Walnut. A new steering wheel design along with the reimagined center fascia and digital driver’s display are fresh and simplified. In addition to an entirely new seat design, a particular highlight is a the quilted seat stitching available exclusively in Mulliner Driving Specification models.
The Bentayga Plug-in Hybrid benefits from a suite of new technology. A next generation infotainment system with a 10.9 inch screen with high resolution graphics and improved connectivity is a major perk. New features also include several new services from My Bentley connected, which utilize a built in SIM with Hybrid content, “meaning they no longer require a data connection from a customer’s mobile device.” These new services include My Car Statistics, My Battery Charge, My Cabin Comfort, and E-Charging to discover the nearest charging point. Last, but surely not least, is the welcome addition of Wireless Apple CarPlay standard with Android Auto.
Images courtesy of: Bentley
