For lots of people, shopping for a Hybrid or EV is as a lot about saving gas as it’s about making a press release. Coincidentally, that need to flaunt can be what will get many well-heeled patrons behind the wheel of a Bentley.

So it is a good factor, then, that Bentley will quickly supply electrified variations of all its autos, beginning with the 2020 Bentayga Hybrid you see right here. The Bentayga is already Bentley’s hottest mannequin, and the least-expensive strategy to get a automotive with a Flying B on its nostril. Actually, the Hybrid makes the world of Bentley much more accessible. At a still-lofty $156,900, or $Eight,100 lower than a Bentayga V8, it is the corporate’s lowest-priced providing.

However that does not imply the Hybrid skimps on luxurious; open the door and also you’re greeted to the identical cabin as each different Bentayga. The SUV’s inside may be as monochromatic or wildly vibrant as you would like, with myriad leathers, metals and veneers to select from. There’s an actual sense of event to all Bentley interiors, and this least-expensive Bentayga isn’t any totally different. Each final sew of the diamond-quilted leather-based appears as beautiful right here because it does in a $400,000 Mulsanne. Every thing from the flip sign stalks to the air vent plungers have a satisfying really feel to their motion, and the cabin is as snug as it’s quiet.

My solely beef with the Bentayga’s inside is on the tech entrance. Whereas the 2020 Continental GT will get a beautiful, Bentley-skinned model of Porsche’s Communication Administration multimedia system on a 12.Three-inch touchscreen, the Bentayga makes use of a glorified model of Volkswagen’s older infotainment interface, on a smaller, lower-resolution, Eight-inch show. The system is considerably straightforward to make use of — principally as a result of it does not supply a ton of performance — and Apple CarPlay is included, although Android customers are as soon as once more not noted within the chilly. Fortunately, Bentley’s smartphone app has plenty of hybrid-specific providers, together with distant charging, cabin preconditioning and a charging station locator.

The Bentayga does not get the Continental’s totally digital gauge cluster, both, as an alternative counting on a set tachometer and speedometer, with a low-res readout between them. The gauges themselves look effective, with fancy Bentley fonts, and within the Hybrid, there’s even an analog gauge for the battery’s state of cost. Nonetheless, it is form of laughable that you may get higher behind-the-wheel tech in a sub-$30,000 Volkswagen Jetta.

Richard Pardon/Bentley

As a result of the electrical drivetrain’s battery pack is housed under the present cargo ground, the Hybrid does not lose any baggage house in comparison with different Bentayga fashions (17.1 cubic ft with the rear seats up). Nevertheless, you possibly can’t spec the Hybrid with the Bentayga’s elective third row of seats, which might be effective, since they’re mainly ineffective.

Outdoors, you will solely be capable to spot a Bentayga Hybrid because of its discreet badges on the doorways and liftgate, and the driving force’s aspect charging port door. I personally discover this SUV to be a reasonably homely factor no matter powertrain, however patrons can relaxation assured figuring out the Bentayga’s full roster of colour and wheel choices can be found on the Hybrid, with infinite prospects to be present in Bentley’s customized Mulliner assortment.

The Bentayga Hybrid makes use of a 17.Three-kilowatt-hour battery pack, which may be recharged from a Degree 2 (240-volt) outlet in 2.5 hours, or 7.5 hours from a regular wall plug. Fully topped off, it offers the Bentayga Hybrid simply 16 miles of electrical driving vary, and affords supplemental torque for acceleration.

Underneath the hood, you will discover a turbocharged, Three.Zero-liter V6 engine paired with a 94-kilowatt electrical motor. The engine is a model of the brand new V6 used within the Audi A6, A7 and A8, making 335 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. Add within the oomph from the electrical motor, and complete system output is 443 horsepower and 516 pound-feet. These are substantial numbers, make no mistake, however nonetheless 99 horsepower and 52 pound-feet shy of what you get within the Bentayga V8. And since the Hybrid has some further 525 kilos to lug round — this can be a 5,789-pound SUV — it is fairly a bit slower. Bentley estimates the Hybrid will speed up to 60 miles per hour in 5.2 seconds, or Zero.Eight seconds slower than the Bentayga V8.

Richard Pardon/Bentley

In fact, if you wish to take advantage of the Bentayga Hybrid’s electrical vary, Zero-60 runs are out of the query. Driving round Palo Alto, California within the Hybrid’s EV mode, it is easy to modulate the throttle to maintain tempo in site visitors with out sacrificing too many electrons. You may run the Bentayga in EV mode at speeds as much as 84 mph, however do not anticipate to get wherever close to the complete 16 miles of electrical vary whereas doing so.

Within the default Hybrid drive mode, the Bentayga makes use of the electrical motor and fuel engine concurrently, switching them on and off as wanted. You do not actually hear or really feel the transition when the V6 wakes up — it is a motion, and the Bentayga’s hushed cabin retains a lot of the engine’s noise outdoors, the place it belongs. Hybrid mode additionally permits you to coast on the freeway — take your foot off the fuel and the Bentayga’s engine will shut off, which is an effective way to save lots of gas at quicker speeds.

Talking of saving, the Bentayga Hybrid has a Maintain mode, which runs the engine and electrical motor on the identical time, however preserves the battery’s state of cost. You might drive on the freeway in Maintain mode and change to EV once you’re slogging by way of site visitors within the metropolis. That is seemingly the easiest way to drive the Bentayga most effectively.

Official gas economic system information is not out there simply but, however Bentley estimates the Bentayga Hybrid will return 50 miles per gallon equal (MPGe) mixed. For reference, the equally sized Volvo XC90 T8 — which is lighter, but in addition much less highly effective — is rated at 58 MPGe mixed.

Richard Pardon/Bentley

Slogging by way of site visitors in Silicon Valley, the Hybrid is a silky-smooth operator. The suspension does a effective job of ironing out street imperfections, so the experience high quality is at all times beautiful, even on my tester’s large, 22-inch wheels. The steering is fairly devoid of suggestions, however properly weighted for each in-town driving and freeway cruising. You will barely really feel a shift from the eight-speed computerized transmission, and braking energy is ample and straightforward to modulate.

Get the SUV out on nation roads, and you will actually really feel the added heft — not that the Bentayga is a featherweight to start with. The steering does not at all times precisely translate the automobile’s weight to the driving force, although Bentley’s elective 48-volt antiroll tech retains the large SUV good and flat whereas cornering. The plug-in Bentayga is not as enjoyable to drive because the V8- or W12-powered fashions; this Bentley is at its greatest whereas cruising. If you would like an electrified luxurious SUV that is actually rewarding to drive, purchase a Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid.

However in typical Bentley Bentayga driving situations — traversing tree-lined roads close to Greenwich, Connecticut; looking for parking at The Grove — the Hybrid affords a luxurious, cosetting expertise. Bentley expects the V8 mannequin will proceed to account for the lion’s share of Bentayga gross sales, however when you do not want a lot muscle along with your hustle, the less-expensive plug-in affords a satisfying expertise, and provides you entry to these up-front hybrid parking areas, too.

Richard Pardon/Bentley

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