For over 3 year snow, Bentley has been promising to bring us a hybrid version of its Bentaya SUV, and it’s finally here. Don’t get your hopes too high though because there are some things to discuss. Introducing Bentaya Hybrid is Bentley’s first plug-in hybrid SUVBentaya Hybrid, Bentley’s ultra-luxurious hybrid SUV that shares the same design as the regular model, but the powerhouse has a 3.0L V6 and an electronic motor.
While the powerhouse inside the Bentaya Hybrid is a V6 and electronic motor, don’t expect that motor to get you a lot of miles because it will only get you 31 miles of pure electric driving. That’s all fine if you’re heading to your to school to pick up your kids, but otherwise it’s not beneficial for long-term driving. The motor is more to offset the terrible fuel economy from the V6, which only gives 12MPG in the city and 19MPG on the highway.
There are some perks that Hybrid owners will get. The first is a charging station crafted from famed designer Philippe Starck. It will take 2.5 hours to top out, but since it’s very beautiful to look at, you might not mind it. In addition, Bentley uses the GPS positioning to calculate the best times to kick in the electric motor when you’re in hybrid mode. The in-cabin technology is bringing some more upgrades too. The 8-inch touchscreen in the center stack comes with a 10.2-inch removable Android tablet that offers LTE and WiFi data for other passengers.
In terms of pricing, Bentley hasn’t outlined that just yet, and orders won’t start until the second half of 2018. As it stands, Bentley is targeting quite a narrow audience for its Bentaya Hybrid SUV.
