- bentley's bentayga hybrid is no longer the sole hybridized model in the lineup as the automaker moves closer to its pledge to go all-ev by 2030.
- the flying spur plug-in hybrid has a total of 536 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque from a twin-turbo v-6 and an electric motor.
- on electric power alone, it can go up to 25 miles, bentley claims. first deliveries to the u.s. are coming by the end of the year.
while bentley has committed itself to offering an ev-only range as soon as 2030, until now the british luxury maker has only offered one partially electrified model in the form of the bentayga hybrid. that number is set to double with the launch of the car you see here, a plug-in version of the flying spur sedan.
the hybridized spur is set to get a brawnier powertrain than the one used by its suv sister. this uses a 410-hp 2.9-liter v-6 with twin turbochargers packaged within its cylinder vee, working in conjunction with a 134-hp synchronous electric motor packaged between the engine and the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. this can add up to 134 horsepower of assistance to the combustion powerplant, giving a system total of 536 horsepower—93 hp more than in the bentayga hybrid—accompanied by up to 553 pound-feet of torque. but the hybrid flying spur will also have an electric-only mode that decouples the electric motor from the engine and can propel the car at lower speeds.
according to bentley's figures, the hybrid's acceleration is almost identical to that of the 542-hp spur v-8 when both sides of its powertrain are working together. the company's claimed 4.1-second zero-to-60-mph time is just a tenth shy of the figure of the pure combustion car. the hybrid has a lower top speed of 177 mph, a full 21 mph shy of the v-8, but that should still be plenty for most buyers. the hybrid system does bring an increase in mass, as expected; but on european numbers, bentley said the plug-in-hybrid version weighs only 110 pounds more than the v-8 flying spur, while the bentayga hybrid weighs 462 pounds more than its v-8 version.
the flying spur hybrid will default to pure electric operation each time it starts, but its electron-only range will be limited. bentley hasn’t released a final figure yet but says the 14.1-kwh battery pack should be able to power the car for up to 25 miles under the eu's wltp testing protocol. that number will likely be very much a best-case scenario; the bentayga hybrid's similarly sized battery gives it just 18 miles of electric-only range under the epa's stricter testing protocol. (and, as we noted, the bentayga also has lower highway mpg than its v-8 sister.)
beyond its ev mode, the new spur will have both a blended hybrid setting and a hold mode that will maintain the electric charge so it can be used later. like other high-end volkswagen group part-electric cars, the hybrid will try to use its battery in the most effective way if a destination is programmed into the navigation system, prioritizing holding charge for urban use.
visually, little distinguishes the hybrid from the rest of the spur range. there is a discreet badge on the front fender and a charging port at the back on the left, mirroring the position of the fuel filler on the other side. virtue is clearly meant to be its own reward for buyers of this one. well, that and the ability to trim their gas bills.
we don't have pricing details yet, but bentley says the flying spur hybrid will reach the u.s. for the 2022 model year.