Call it the Tesla effect, acceptance of climate change, or just general enthusiasm for new things, but electrified cars are steadily increasing in market share. As consumers get turned on to the immense benefits of electric cars and plug-in hybrids, automakers—especially luxury ones—are starting to tap into the enthusiasm. The 2020 Bentayga Hybrid is Bentley’s first foray into electrified vehicles, and after driving it around Silicon Valley, I have to say it’s a great jumping-off point.
The new Bentayga Hybrid may seem like a weird place for Bentley to start its grand plans for electrification—that’s hybridized versions of all existing Bentleys by 2023 and its first-ever full battery electric car by 2025—but it’s actually a shockingly brilliant place to start.
Let’s start with the obvious: Big SUVs aren’t efficient, and so by launching its electrification efforts with the least efficient model in its lineup, Bentley is setting itself up to do the most amount of good in the shortest possible time. The Bentayga V8, which, until the launch of the Hybrid, was the cheapest Bentley you could buy, is EPA-rated at 14/23/17 mpg city/highway/combined. The Bentayga Hybrid, aided by Porsche’s plug-in hybrid drivetrain, is about 200 percent more efficient than the V-8 model, thanks to its 2.9-liter turbocharged V-6 and an eight-speed automatic with a permanent magnet synchronous motor wedged between for a total system output of 443 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, plus a 17-kW-hr battery mounted where the third row is found on other Bentaygas. Its EPA-estimated electric range of 16 miles helps this Bentayga achieve an estimated 50 mpg-e in its default Hybrid drive mode (there’s also a dedicated EV Drive mode and a Hold mode designed for European and Asian low-emission zones).
Bentayga Hybrid buyers shouldn’t have to give up much in the way of performance, especially considering the Hybrid, like all Bentaygas, comes standard with all-wheel drive. Bentley estimates a 0-60 time of 5.2 seconds for the new model, compared with the Bentayga V8’s 4.4-second estimate. Charging shouldn’t take long, either; thanks in part to the Bentayga Hybrid’s onboard 7.2-kW charger, a full charge should only take two-and-a-half hours on a common Level 2 charger, and, with the battery depleted, you could, of course, keep driving using the Bentley’s gas engine.
Out in the real world, the Bentayga Hybrid makes for a pretty compelling entry into the Bentley brand. One of the key characteristics brands like Bentley and Rolls-Royce strive for is effortless, near-silent acceleration, and with the Hybrid’s battery fully juiced up, the Bentayga delivers that in spades. The motor, which makes 126 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque on its own, is more than capable of getting the 5,800-pound luxury SUV moving at a decent clip without the engine firing up. The Bentayga’s eight-speed auto is the unsung hero here; unlike many all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid SUVs that utilize a rear-mounted electric motor for four-wheel traction, the Bentayga’s motor drives all four wheels through its automatic gearbox. While the sensation of an electric motor shifting gears is a bit novel, the torque-multiplication advantage is huge, allowing Bentley to program the Bentayga to spend more time under electric power than would likely be possible otherwise.
When the engine does start, either on its own or when the throttle is pushed more than three-quarters of the way through its travel, the V-6 is smooth and quiet, providing enough of a power boost that I suspect most drivers won’t miss the guttural punch of the Bentayga’s 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8.
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They might miss the non-hybrid Bentayga’s brake feel, though. Like many hybrids, the Bentayga has trouble at times smoothly managing the transition from the regenerative braking that helps top off its battery, to the six-piston front and sliding rear brake calipers. The result is inconsistent bite from the brakes that takes a fair bit to get used to.
Steering feel and feedback from the Bentayga Hybrid’s helm are about as good as you’d expect from 2.9 tons of steel, aluminum, lithium-ion, leather, and Bentley badges. Around town, it rides and handles fine on its softly sprung suspension, but our tester, riding on its stock suspension, porpoised and rolled, feeling every bit as heavy as it is, on California’s highway on-ramps. Consider Bentley’s 48-volt electronic active roll control system a must-have option on the Bentayga Hybrid.
Inside, little distinguishes the Bentayga Hybrid from its traditionally powered counterparts. The automatic stop/start switch on the center console is replaced with an E-Mode button that selects the drivetrain mode, and some new hybrid-relevant displays can be found on the instrument cluster and in the infotainment system. That, combined with the unavailability of the third-row option is it; the rest of the interior is as you’d expect from a Bentayga—superb craftsmanship and interior quality, now augmented with a near-silent experience courtesy of the electric motor.
When the 2020 Bentayga Hybrid goes on sale in the fourth quarter of this year, it’ll take over as the new entry-level model for the brand, with prices starting at $159,625. Bentley expects the V-8 Bentayga to remain more popular nationally, but it’s still predicting a healthy 15 percent take rate for the new Bentayga Hybrid. With the automaker’s data showing that a growing number of luxury car buyers—35 percent and counting—are interested in electrified drivetrains, the Bentayga Hybrid ought to be just the thing that holds them over until the electric Bentley hits the streets by 2025.
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