2017 Bentley SUV Will Offer Plug-In Hybrid Option

Bentley plans to launch its first-ever SUV by 2016, and a year after this yet-to-be-named model is introduced, the luxury brand will offer its first-ever hybrid. While we still have at least a couple of years before we see the Bentley SUV plug-in hybrid, the advanced drivetrain of this vehicle will be on display at the Beijing Auto Show in the Bentley Hybrid Concept.

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Although it is based on a production Mulsanne sedan, details about the actual plug-in hybrid system are slim, including what type of batteries and motors will be used. Bentley did confirm that this system will be good for an all-electric driving range of at least 31 miles, and, more impressively, that by the end of this decade, a full 90 percent of its vehicle production will be available as a plug-in hybrid.

In addition to the obvious benefit to the environment (a 70-percent reduction in CO2 emissions), Bentley promises that the plug-in hybrid will also improve power output by up to 25 percent. That means that with the Mulsanne’s 505-hp, 6.75-liter twin-turbo V-8, this plug-in system would be good for an extra 127 hp.