The next Bentayga SUV will arrive in 2028 as the flag-bearer for a new wave of Bentley plug-in hybrids following a major rethink of its EV strategy.
The Crewe manufacturer has scrapped plans to launch five new EVs by 2030, including an electric successor to the Bentayga. Instead, Bentley will invest in a new generation of PHEV-powered models.
The dramatic revamp to Bentley's product strategy is a result of the decision by sibling brand Porsche to delay a new electric platform it was developing in response to the slowing uptake of premium EVs.
Bentley boss Frank-Steffen Walliser believes PHEV technology will be the best bridge for the firm in the run-up to 2035 when under current legislation all new cars sold in the UK and 90% in the European Union will need to be fully electric.
However, the decision doesn't affect the brand's debut electric model - dubbed Luxury Urban EV - which will be unveiled in the second half of the year. Following that, said Walliser, the next Bentley EV won't arrive until after 2030.
The current Bentayga is the brand's best-seller and made up around half of all Bentley's sales last year. It has been on sale since 2015 and received a major facelift in 2020.
The new Bentayga, like its siblings, was initially slated to arrive as an EV on Porsche's advanced Sport ('61') version of parent Volkswagen Group's SSP platform. However, Porsche last year delayed the architecture until the next decade at a cost of €1.8 billion (£1.6bn), causing Bentley to substantially rewrite its product plan.
As a result, the second generation of the Bentayga will switch to the PPC platform used by the new combustion-powered Porsche Cayenne and forthcoming Audi Q9.
Walliser said the delay in the transition to electric means "we don't have to force people to change from a combustion engine or plug-in hybrid car to an electric car" when the buyer demand is not there yet.
He added that Bentley has "a very loyal fan base that stays in the Bentayga and this is very, very good for our business". His comments highlight the commercial benefits for Bentley in deciding to continue with ICE for its next-generation SUV.
The PPC architecture has been engineered to accommodate a range of six- and eight-cylinder petrol engines, as well as a next-generation plug-in hybrid system. The latter uses new-era batteries and electronics systems to deliver a greater EV range than the 30 miles offered by today's Bentayga PHEV.
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