Geneva 2018: Bentley Bentayga Hybrid Revealed

Bentley has revealed the new Bentayga Hybrid at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. The plug-in model features a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 and can go for 50 km only on electric power according to the NEDC range test. The model will go on sale in unspecified selected markets in the latter half of 2018. While we would have wanted to know numbers when it comes to horsepower, torque, battery size, and energy storage, Bentley has not been able to give us any of those. The company has just given a few details about what the other features are though.

The new powertrain has made it easier for Bentley to make a few tweaks to the interiors and thins includes things like instead of a switch for the Automatic Start-Stop system, there are controls for the electric powertrain, including EV Drive, Hybrid, and Hold Mode.

Bentley has not revealed the specifications of the Bentayga Hybrid

The Bentayga hybrid gets a revised infotainment system which showcases a new information screen that displays details about how the hybrid is routing power. A battery status dial replaces the coolant temperature gauge, too.

Adrian Hallmark, new Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bentley Motors, said: "The Bentayga Hybrid is our first step on the road to electrification, combining traditional Bentley values with the very latest technologies. It gives customers the best of both worlds - engaging, effortless performance on the open road and silent, emission-free driving in the city, which will become increasingly important with the ever-changing regulations around the world."

The Bentayga comes with Apple Carplay

The Bentayga Hybrid requires new and different information to be relayed to the driver. As a result, a revised infotainment screen and Driver's Information Panel with E Motion information have been designed to provide details on performance, consumption and energy source.

The traditional tachometer that displays engine speed is replaced with a dial showing when the car is operating in pure EV Drive, or engine speed if the combustion engine is operating. A battery status dial replaces the coolant temperature gauge.

The infotainment screen can display energy flow in each of the three E Modes, showing whether the vehicle is being powered by energy supplied by the battery, or the combustion engine - or whether energy is flowing back to the battery in order to charge it.

To maximise efficiency, the vehicle uses satellite navigation information to calculate the best usage of electric motor and engine for every journey. Inputting a destination into the navigation system will command the car to automatically engage the correct E Mode for each part of the journey, constantly calculating the most efficient use of battery charge and storing electrical energy for sections of the journey where it is most useful - such as when arriving in the city. The system will reduce on-board charge to zero just as the vehicle reaches its destination, maximising overall efficiency.

A number of Hybrid-specific functions will also be introduced to the latest Connected Car 'MyBentley3' services, including Remote Battery Charging, Remote Heating & Cooling, and Vehicle Status Report, operated via a smartphone app.

The Bentayga Hybrid will go on sale later in 2018

Other unique features include Charging Station Finder, where the app will list nearby or relevant charging stations (based on your search criteria), and give you the option to set them as destinations on the car navigation system; and My Cabin Comfort which allows you to set the car to heat (or cool) itself so that the cabin is at the optimum temperature when the door is opened.

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Traffic Assist enable the driver to maintain a time gap to the vehicle in front. Predictive ACC uses the navigation data, sensors and cameras to predict upcoming corners, city boundaries and speed-limit changes and can then modify the vehicle speed accordingly, improving both comfort and fuel economy.