Bentley Bentayga Plug-In With Zero Emission Drive Mode Coming in 2018
A plug-in hybrid version of the Bentley Bentayga SUV will arrive in 2018 with a zero-emissions electric drive mode.
The Bentayga plug-in’s imminent arrival was signaled last week when spy shots surfaced of a Bentayga prototype testing with an additional ‘fuel door’ for the electrical socket. It was believed the hybrid SUV would arrive with a version of the Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid’s V6 engine and hybrid, and now the United Kingdom’s Autocar magazine has a bit more information on the vehicle’s arrival and its powertrain.
While the hybrid Bentayga will likely use the same supercharged 3.0-liter V6 and electric motor as the Cayenne S E-Hybrid, it seems as though it will be a bit more robust. Autocar claims the system will make more than 410 horsepower and seeing as the Bentayga will carry a large price premium over the Cayenne S E-Hybrid, we’re willing to bet the electric range will be further than the Cayenne’s estimated 14 miles.
SEE ALSO: Spy Shots Signal Arrival of Bentley Bentayga Hybrid
Apart from the additional fuel door for the electrical socket, the Bentayga plug-in will appear visually identical to the W12 model currently sold in the United States and Canada. This is to be expected – the upscale look of a Bentley wouldn’t look to great with the blue and green color elements and futuristic styling choices that sometimes denote hybrid model variants.
Bentley’s interest in hybrid cars is a contrasts rival Rolls-Royce, which recently said it would not produce a hybrid car and that it will only be interested in electrification when it can bring a compromise-free, fully electric vehicle to market.
Look for the Bentayga plug-in to debut sometime in early 2018 before going on sale later in the year.
[Source: Autocar]
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Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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