Bentley Bentayga plug-in hybrid set for Geneva debut

Khodrocar - Bentley has confirmed plans to introduce a plug-in hybrid version of its popular Bentayga SUV at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. The plug-in Bentayga will be Bentley's first electrified vehicle.

Bentley hasn't announced officials specs for the Bentayga plug-in hybrid — those will likely be announced sometime in March — but Automotive News speculates the plug-in SUV will borrow its gas-electric drivetrain from the Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid. That would mean a 330 horsepower twin-turbocharged 2.9L V6 paired to a 136 horsepower electric motor, with a total system output of 462 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque.

The Panamera E-Hybrid can travel about 30 miles on electric power alone, but it remains to be seen how far the Bentayga will be able to go on battery power. The Bentayga is much heavier than the Panamera, so it'll need a bigger battery if it's to deliver similar performance.

The plug-in hybrid will add to the Bentayga's growing list of available powertrains. After launching exclusively with a 12-cylinder engine, Bentley has since launched a diesel V8, and a gas V8 is set to join the lineup this month. The plug-in variant is scheduled to launch during the second half of 2018.

The Bentayga will be just the first of many hybrids from Bentley, with CEO Wolfgang Duerheimer promising all of the company's vehicles will have a plug-in option "in the next few years."