Bentley has just taken the wraps off the revamped Bentayga Hybrid. It boasts a 96 kW motor paired to a 3.0-liter V6, which together produce 443 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. The real improvements, though, are to the electric part of the drivetrain. According to European test standards, the Bentayga can go 31 miles on the electric battery alone.
Those aren’t exactly mind-blowing numbers,
but the 2020 model was only capable of 18 miles of electric-only driving.
Bentley also claims that research it conducted on Bentayga Hybrid owners
suggests that 50 percent of their journeys were less than 30 miles long.
The manufacturer therefore claims that, in
the real world, the V6 engine won’t get nearly as much of a workout as you
might expect. The electric motor should at least help the Hybrid’s MPG rating
beat out the standard Bentayga’s, a feat the first-generation model did not
achieve.
Although the EPA rating hasn’t yet been
announced, Bentley is eager to help drivers sip fuel, as the Hybrid Efficiency
Accelerator Pedal has a notch in it to help drivers tell when they’re switching
from electric to gas power. Not only that, but the pedal can push back or buzz
at you, like the triggers on a PS5 controller. The throttle pedal can therefore
vibrate if you’re approaching a roundabout or a lower speed limit zone to
encourage you to slow down and save some energy.
Whether or not you care what the pedals
have to tell you, the electric motor can function at speeds of up to 84 mph,
where the internal combustion engine kicks in. As for braking, Bentley says it
has strived to make them feel like standard hydraulic brakes.
Otherwise, this is pure Bentayga luxury.
Drivers are met with a 10.9-inch infotainmnet screen, Apple CarPlay is
standard, leather stretches out over the interior, details are exquisite. The
exterior has also been refreshed, like the rest of the Bentayga line, with new
lights and some slightly fancier bodywork.
