Bentley has revealed its first electrified model -- a new hybrid version of the Bentley Bentayga combining a turbo-petrol V6 with an electric motor and lithium-ion battery pack for performance and efficiency.
Due on sale in late 2019 in markets like the UK, the Bentley Bentayga Hybrid was originally scheduled for release much earlier following its debut at the 2018 Geneva motor show, but the plug-in SUV was delayed due to a certification issue with the new WLTP fuel-consumption and emissions testing regime.
Focus, and the company's resources, was then switched to launching both the new Continental GT and GT convertible, Bentley admits, with the plug-in SUV put on the back-burner but now the British car-maker says it's finally ready for sale.
Thanks to a 250kW 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 with a 90kW electric motor combined with a 17.3kWh battery, the big Bentley hybrid produces 330kW, has a pure-electric range of up to 39km and can average a claimed 3.5L/100km, while emitting just 79g/km of CO2.
Despite all the added weight involved with adding the batteries, the petrol-electric Bentayga can hit 100km/h in 5.5 seconds and top out at 254km/h.
In total, Bentley claims it has a touring range of up to 747km and to help avoid time-consuming refuels, the Bentayga Hybrid comes equipped with an intelligent sat-nav that surveys the topography of the journey ahead and works out when and where to deploy the electric motor and where to use petrol power.
There's also the usual EV, Hybrid and Hold driving modes if the driver thinks they know best.
The world's first plug-in Bentley is yet to be locked down for Australia, but the Bentayga Hybrid has been priced from €141,100 ($A287,500) in Europe, where it arrives in showrooms in the final quarter of 2019.
Bentley has also confirmed an electrified version of the new Flying Spur limousine, with a launch pencilled for later in 2020.