As a result, the next generation of the luxury SUV will be launched primarily with a PHEV system centred on a 3.0-litre V6 and offer a similar output to today’s 456bhp.
Alongside the incoming plug-in hybrid models, Walliser confirmed that Bentley will continue to offer pure-ICE power. But this powertrain option will be kept to “selective” models and depend on “markets. and legislation”, he said, noting the differences in emission laws, particularly in the key US market.
As well as enabling Bentley to offer pure-petrol cars in markets such as the US, it is also possible that limited-run special models in the UK could go without electric assistance.
Further details of the new Bentayga are still unconfirmed, but the design will be led by the EXP 15 concept, revealed last year, and be closely linked to the smaller ‘Urban SUV’, which will slot in underneath the Bentayga as a rival to the Porsche Cayenne Electric and Lotus Eletre.
The new Bentayga’s architecture can accommodate a host of new technologies, including advanced air suspension with active ride control and the latest driver assistance functions. It is also highly scalable, which will allow the Extended Wheelbase version of the luxury SUV – the most popular among buyers to continue.
Following the Bentayga, Walliser said the rest of the existing range – Continental GT, GTC and Flying Spur – will gain the next-generation PHEV tech. But to do this, they will need to move from their current MSB underpinnings to the new PPC architecture. Given that new generations of all three arrived in 2024, this is likely to happen close to the end of the decade.