Bentley, much like corporate sibling Porsche, had planned to go all-in on electrification. The British luxury brand was going to replace the gas Bentayga SUV with an electric one, much like Porsche has just done with the Cayenne EV. But the success – or lack of it – from Porsche’s EVs and a changing market have Bentley officials running in the other direction. The new Bentayga will arrive in two years, but it will not be electric. Bentley has gas-engine plans for the model instead.
Electric Market Changes Mean PHEV Planning Started
2025 Bentley Bentayga Plug-In Hybrid, Rear 3/4, charging stationBentley
In 2022, Porsche’s then CEO Oliver Blume announced a new larger Porsche electric that would arrive with a new platform. Dubbed SSP, for Scalable Systems Platform, it was to make the new big SUV possible, along with similar models from Audi and Bentley.
Now that it’s been delayed for year, and possibly permanently. Autocar reports that Bentley head Frank-Steffen Walliser says plug-in hybrids will be the go-to in the coming years. That may extend all the way to the potential 2035 ban on new combustion engines.
Base Trim Engine
4L V-8 ICE
Base Trim Transmission
ZF 8-speed automatic
Base Trim Drivetrain
All-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
542 HP @6000 RPM
Base Trim Torque
568 lb.-ft. @ 2000 RPM
Base Trim Fuel Economy (city/highway/combined)
14/21/16 MPG
Base Trim Battery Type
Lead acid battery
Infotainment & Features
9 /10
Thanks to the change of direction, Bentley is to use the VW Group’s Premium Platform Combustion, according to the report. This is a new architecture used in multiple Audi models, including the Q7. The current model is based on the last generation of those bones, called MLB, so it’s not a stretch to make the new Bentley on the new platform.
This only changes the future of the Bentayga. Bentley’s new smaller SUV will still be electric, and it is set to be revealed in the second half of this year. It will be years before Bentley launches another one. The automaker had planned to be fully electric by 2030. Now the report says, we won’t see the second one until after that year.
New, Improved PHEV
Bentley Bentayga Artenara Edition from the front three-quarter angleBentley
The Bentayga is already offered as a PHEV, but this new generation will let it take advantage of years of PHEV improvements from Porsche and Audi. The report says the main power source for the new model will be centered around a 3.0-liter V6 and will develop somewhere around 450 horsepower. It will use more modern battery cells, so it should be able to offer much more range than the sub-20 miles of the current one.
Bentley will continue to offer pure internal combustion alongside the PHEV models. Walliser said that this will be limited to select vehicles and markets, though, based on demand and on emissions regulations. He suggested that US laws should allow pure ICE models to continue in that market.
After the new Bentayga, Bentley will add its new PHEV systems to the Continental range and the Flying Spur sedan. This will come with a new generation model, as those vehicles will also need to be moved to the new PPC chassis. Expect that sometime around the end of the decade.
Related
Bentley’s Baby Bentayga Is Borrowing Porsche Parts To Complete Development
The headlights are fake, but you can see much of the shape of the new Bentley SUV.
Walliser also had some things to say about the EV that we’ll see later this year. He called it “a different proposition” from what its competitors are offering. Walliser added that “I strongly believe we have a very interesting offer,” one that will target customers new to the brand.
Source: Autocar
