What We Like
An extremely comfortable and luxurious ride
Ample road presence
It'll be the most affordable Bentley
It'll go fast if you need it to
It's a Bentley!
What We Dislike
There are currently no plans to bring this car in to the Asia Pacific region
According to English luxury carmaker Bentley, the firm plans to offer a hybrid for every model by the year 2025.
And it isn't joking. The Bentley Bentayga Hybrid that you see here is the first luxury plug-in hybrid SUV in the market. Although planned to go on sale some time in 2020 in the United States and Europe, there are currently no plans for this car for the Asia Pacific region.
There'll be a hybrid for every Bentley model by 2025
What?!? So what do we need to know?
While that could be a pity, you and I need to know that the Bentley Hybrid (according to the Wayne Bruce, PR Director of Bentley, the carmaker has decided not to call it Plug-in Hybrid for the sake of keeping it short and sweet) is still as every bit a Bentley as the regular Bentayga... and then some.
You get an output of 335bhp and 450Nm of torque from the turbocharged V6 engine and 126bhp and 350Nm from the electric motor. Hence, the combined output for the Bentayga Hybrid is 443bhp and 700Nm of mountain-moving torque.
Of course, with a plug-in hybrid SUV like this one, we'll have to keep in mind that going green is the name of the game, but with such performance figures from the Bentley, it might as well be trend-defying.
The Bentayga Hybrid - weighing over 2.5 tonnes - will finish the century sprint in just 5.5 secondsNo matter, really, because during our short stint with the colossal SUV, we came away thoroughly impressed. The 0-100km/h dash is done is 5.5 seconds while the top speed maxes out at 254km/h. To put that in perspective, Porsche's equivalent plug-in hybrid SUV, the Cayenne S E-Hybrid, is 0.4 seconds slower in the century sprint before hitting a top speed of just 243km/h.
Okay, so it's a capable SUV
Thus, it's not wrong to say that the Bentayga Hybrid is a commendable SUV that's worth considering. The fact that the luxury carmaker said that this would be the most affordable Bentley makes it even more enticing for potential buyers.
Of course, it's still going to cost you a house, but you're not going to be short-changed.
The cabin is filled with high quality materials, with fantastic fit and finish to matchOn top of providing the best ride comfort in its class, you can expect top notch quality materials, perfect finishing and space that's befitting for royalty. In our test car, two 10.2-inch tablets were also available for rear passengers.
Needless to say, the hybrid variant that you see here on this page has a revised instrument cluster to include information on its battery usage and fuel consumption. Also the infotainment screen taking centre stage displays the energy flow of the different driving modes - EV, Hybrid and Hold.
And it isn't joking. The Bentley Bentayga Hybrid that you see here is the first luxury plug-in hybrid SUV in the market. Although planned to go on sale some time in 2020 in the United States and Europe, there are currently no plans for this car for the Asia Pacific region.
What?!? So what do we need to know?
While that could be a pity, you and I need to know that the Bentley Hybrid (according to the Wayne Bruce, PR Director of Bentley, the carmaker has decided not to call it Plug-in Hybrid for the sake of keeping it short and sweet) is still as every bit a Bentley as the regular Bentayga... and then some.
You get an output of 335bhp and 450Nm of torque from the turbocharged V6 engine and 126bhp and 350Nm from the electric motor. Hence, the combined output for the Bentayga Hybrid is 443bhp and 700Nm of mountain-moving torque.
Of course, with a plug-in hybrid SUV like this one, we'll have to keep in mind that going green is the name of the game, but with such performance figures from the Bentley, it might as well be trend-defying.
Okay, so it's a capable SUV
Thus, it's not wrong to say that the Bentayga Hybrid is a commendable SUV that's worth considering. The fact that the luxury carmaker said that this would be the most affordable Bentley makes it even more enticing for potential buyers.
Of course, it's still going to cost you a house, but you're not going to be short-changed.
Needless to say, the hybrid variant that you see here on this page has a revised instrument cluster to include information on its battery usage and fuel consumption. Also the infotainment screen taking centre stage displays the energy flow of the different driving modes - EV, Hybrid and Hold.
When the green gets going
As its name suggest, you can enjoy the car's pure electric prowess from the 13kWh lithium-ion battery over a range of 26km in EV mode, which makes it perfect for city driving. Hybrid mode, on the other hand, is better suited for long distances. What it does is it maximises vehicle efficiency and range with the use of a predictive electric mode with route guidance.
Infotainment screen displays the battery's energy flowHold mode simply holds the state of charge of the battery to conserve electric energy. This also happens to be the default for Sport mode to provide consistent boost and recuperation.
Regardless of the mode you choose to best fit the situation, silent comfort is guaranteed on the move. You do hear the V6 engine working in Hybrid mode when you drive hard, but it's never to the point of leaving a bad aftertaste.
But that didn't happen often during my time with the Bentayga Hybrid. Thanks to its gracious disposition, you hardly have the urge to push this giant hard. Instead, you'll feel happy just potting around the city centre and suburbs while soaking in the whiff of luxury.
The green car doesn't urge you to drive hard, rather it's best to cruise comfortably in it
Looking good wherever you go
Unlike its regular brethren, this hybrid sports an additional fuel cap on the left side for the plug-in socket as well as several subtle Hybrid badges that will do well to boast your green credentials.
Nevertheless, the car looks good whether you're on the move or at a standstill at the lights. Thanks to its generous dimensions, road presence isn't something that's lacking with the Bentley Bentayga Hybrid.
The battery will take 7.5 hours to charge from a domestic socket but just 2.5 hours with an industrial connection
Future of green luxury
What's lacking, unfortunately, is the possibility of the car coming to our region. That said, as aforementioned, the English luxury carmaker has already announced that it plans to offer a hybrid for every model by the year 2025.
So even if there are currently no plans for the Bentayga Hybrid to float into our shores anytime soon, know that there will definitely be other hybrid models from the carmaker's lineup in time to come.
As its name suggest, you can enjoy the car's pure electric prowess from the 13kWh lithium-ion battery over a range of 26km in EV mode, which makes it perfect for city driving. Hybrid mode, on the other hand, is better suited for long distances. What it does is it maximises vehicle efficiency and range with the use of a predictive electric mode with route guidance.
Regardless of the mode you choose to best fit the situation, silent comfort is guaranteed on the move. You do hear the V6 engine working in Hybrid mode when you drive hard, but it's never to the point of leaving a bad aftertaste.
But that didn't happen often during my time with the Bentayga Hybrid. Thanks to its gracious disposition, you hardly have the urge to push this giant hard. Instead, you'll feel happy just potting around the city centre and suburbs while soaking in the whiff of luxury.
Looking good wherever you go
Unlike its regular brethren, this hybrid sports an additional fuel cap on the left side for the plug-in socket as well as several subtle Hybrid badges that will do well to boast your green credentials.
Nevertheless, the car looks good whether you're on the move or at a standstill at the lights. Thanks to its generous dimensions, road presence isn't something that's lacking with the Bentley Bentayga Hybrid.
Future of green luxury
What's lacking, unfortunately, is the possibility of the car coming to our region. That said, as aforementioned, the English luxury carmaker has already announced that it plans to offer a hybrid for every model by the year 2025.
So even if there are currently no plans for the Bentayga Hybrid to float into our shores anytime soon, know that there will definitely be other hybrid models from the carmaker's lineup in time to come.
