Bentley Goes Electric With Bentayga Hybrid
Bentley is one of the world’s most prestigious luxury vehicle manufacturers. If you think of a word to describe them, you’d probably conjure up thoughts of speed, luxury and opulence. You could probably think of another hundred words before arriving to ‘fuel efficient’, and nobody would even blame you. That would have been the case until now. Meet the first electrified Bentley – the Bentayga Hybrid.
The first deliveries of the new Bentley Bentayga Hybrid are a big deal to the English manufacturer and, according to Bentley, is only the first of many upcoming electrified model variants that they plan to produce over the next four years. The timing of the Bentayga Hybrid deliveries also coincides with Bentley’s centenary celebration. "As we prepare for the next 100 years, we are investing significantly in new initiatives that reinforce our commitment to sustainability, as demonstrated by the visionary all-electric Bentley EXP 100 GT concept," says Peter Bosch, Bentley's member of the Board for Manufacturing.
The Bentley Bentayga Hybrid makes use of a twin-scroll turbocharged 3.0-litre petrol V6 supplemented by an electric motor to produce a maximum output of 350kW of power and 700Nm of torque. This accelerates the Hybrid from 0-100km/h in 5.5-seconds before reaching its top speed of 254km/h. For those of you who may not know, Bentley falls under the Volkswagen umbrella so we sort of expected a hybrid Bentayga to come along sooner or later, especially considering how much of its genetics are shared with the Audi Q7, Volkswagen Touareg and Porsche Cayenne. Aside from the efficiency improvements, the Bentley brand as a whole will benefit from having an up-to-date brand and appeal to a wider range of environmentally conscious buyers. In addition to electrification, Bentley is also looking to make their cars lighter in future.
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FAQ
Q: What does the Bentley Bentayga Hybrid cost in South Africa?
The Bentley Bentayga Hybrid starts at around R3,200,000 in South Africa, though final pricing depends on your spec level and the current exchange rate fluctuations that seem to change more often than load shedding schedules.
Q: How much power does the Bentayga Hybrid produce?
The Bentayga Hybrid combines a 3.0-litre twin-scroll turbo V6 with an electric motor to deliver 350kW of power and 700Nm of torque, which is enough grunt to embarrass most sports cars at the traffic lights.
Q: What is the fuel consumption of the Bentley Bentayga Hybrid?
Bentley claims the Bentayga Hybrid achieves around 3.5 litres per 100km on the combined cycle, though real-world figures will likely be higher depending on how heavy your right foot is.
Q: How fast can the Bentayga Hybrid accelerate?
The Bentayga Hybrid rockets from 0-100kph in just 5.5 seconds and tops out at 254kph, proving that going green doesn't mean going slow.
Q: Is the Bentley Bentayga Hybrid worth buying?
If you've got R3.2 million burning a hole in your pocket and want the prestige of a Bentley with slightly better fuel economy, then yes, but there are plenty of excellent luxury SUVs that cost half the price and do 90% of what the Bentayga does.
Should You Buy It?
The Bentley Bentayga Hybrid is a fascinating contradiction, a fuel-efficient luxury SUV that costs more than most people's houses at around R3,200,000. If you're shopping in this rarified air and genuinely care about reducing your carbon footprint without sacrificing an ounce of luxury, then the Bentayga Hybrid makes perfect sense. The 350kW hybrid powertrain delivers serious performance while sipping fuel more politely than its pure petrol siblings. However, for the same money, you could buy a Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid and still have change left over for a nice holiday house. The Bentayga Hybrid is undeniably impressive, but unless you absolutely must have that flying B on your bonnet, there are more sensible ways to spend three million rand, even in the luxury SUV space.
