Yahoo Autos Bentley Bentayga Hybrid Now Available in Two Intriguing New Flavors
New S and Azure versions of the luxurious Bentley Bentayga Hybrid are sportier and waftier, respectively.
The new model has slightly more power and electric range than the existing hybrid model, with Bentley targeting a 27-mile electric-only range.
At least for now, these trims are for the standard-wheelbase Bentayga only, not the newly introduced EWB version.
Having been relatively late to start electrifying its range, these days Bentley has been picking up the pace. The latest additions are two new plug-in-hybrid Bentayga variants, both boasting both power and electric range improvements over the existing version.
The new Bentayga S Hybrid and Bentayga Azure Hybrid use the same 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 as the existing model, but the electric motor that sits between this and their eight-speed torque converter gearboxes has been given a modest upgrade, producing peaks of 134 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. These represent small but significant increases over the 126 hp and 258 pound-feet quoted for the previous synchronous-magnet AC motor. Peak output has risen to a claimed 455 hp, up from 443 hp, although the company's official zero-to-62-mph time of 5.2 seconds and top speed of 158 mph are unchanged.
A more significant enhancement given the first Bentayga Hybrid's minimal electric-only range is a new 18.0-kWh battery pack. We don't have EPA numbers for this, but Bentley says it is targeting a 27-mile electric-only range, appreciably more than the derisory 18-mile EV autonomy of the existing Hybrid's 13.0-kWh battery. We haven't been told if the new pack weighs any more than the old one, which was reportedly 463 pounds.
