Those looking for a guilt-free full-size luxury vehicle that’s easy on the environment now finally have a choice. Unveiled today at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show is the new Bentley Bentayga Hybrid that represents the British automaker’s first step toward electric motoring future. The big and thirsty W12 gas engine has been swapped for a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 which is paired to electric motor that both acts as a generator and powers the car for an EV-Drive mode. The complete stats and figures are yet to be made official by the luxury carmaker, but we expect it to be similar to the Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid’s combined 462 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. In comparison, the Bentayga V8 comes with 550 hp and the original W12-powered Bentayga has 600 hp on tap.
Bentley claims that the luxury plug-in hybrid SUV has a pure electric range of over 31 miles and a full charge of the battery from a domestic household socket will take 7.5 hours. Commercial charging stations will cut down the time to 2.5 hours. The driver will have the control to choose between “EV Drive,” “Hybrid” and “Hold” modes. Also to maximize efficiency, the hybrid uses satellite navigation information to calculate the best usage of the modes for a given journey. The styling cues that help differentiate it from the regular gas-powered Bentayga’s include copper-colored ‘Hybrid’ badging on the lower front doors and tailgate, copper finish to the wheel centers and Bentley badges. The prices are yet to be announced but the automaker has said the Bentayga Hybrid would be available to order “in selected markets” later on in 2018.
[Via:Topgear]
