Bentley Flying Spur Shows Greener Side With PHEV Model
Bentley has officially introduced the new Flying Spur Hybrid for the 2022 model year.
It’s one more step toward the British luxury brand’s goal of selling nothing but fully electric vehicles by 2030.
- Also: W12 King Bentley to Become EV-only Car Brand by 2030
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This plug-in hybrid variant of the Flying Spur sedan uses a Porsche-derived, twin-turbocharged 2.9-litre V6 instead of the 3.0-litre unit found in the Bentayga Hybrid. The engine is mated to an electric motor for a combined system output of 536 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque, up 95 horsepower and 37 pound-feet from the aforementioned SUV. Acceleration from 0-100 km/h is achieved in 4.3 seconds, which is just a tad slower than the V8-powered Flying Spur.
Will an even more potent version follow at some point? That’s certainly conceivable. Remember that Porsche extracts up to 690 horsepower from the latest Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid.
The other half of the equation is a 14.1-kWh battery. When fully charged, it provides a zero-emission range of 40 kilometres based on the WLTP test cycle, though North American drivers should expect a little less. Overall, Bentley claims the Flying Spur Hybrid will cover 700 kilometres using both gasoline and electricity.
Physically, you’ll be hard-pressed to distinguish this model from other Flying Spur models. The only differences are the quad oval tailpipes, "Hybrid" badge on the front fenders and charging port on the left rear fender.
Inside, the driver instruments include additional information showing when the car is operating solely in EV Drive, regenerating while deaccelerating or using the combustion engine. What’s more, the automatic Start-Stop switch has been replaced with a control for the three E-Modes—EV Drive, Hybrid Mode and Hold Mode, the last one enabling the driver to manage the battery usage during a trip.
Deliveries of the 2022 Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid will begin in late 2021 in select markets. Pricing should land somewhere between V8- and W12-powered models.