New Bentley Bentayga hybrid to join future EV model in 2028

The ageing Bentley Bentayga will be replaced in 2028 with an all-new model, which will join the new electric SUV that’ll arrive next year to give the company a twin-pronged powertrain offering. 

The ultra-luxurious Bentayga has been a high-seller in Bentley’s range for more than 11 years, and with demand still strong for petrol and hybrid-powered models in this area of the market around the world, Bentley has made the choice to develop an all-new generation. 

Bentley CEO Frank Walliser told Auto Express: “The next generation of the Bentayga will be a plug-in hybrid”. This means adapting Bentley’s future product plan to the changing demands and legislation that have led to a shift away from pure electrification. 

Walliser added: “We will also be in very selective markets for ICE-only offers depending on markets, because we see a big diversion of the legislation. The US now looks completely different to China and Europe, Europe being very restrictive.”

It’s expected that Bentley will base its new Bentayga on a shared architecture in much the same way as the current model. This time, its foundation will be derived from the recently-upgraded PPC platform that’s about to be used for the new Audi Q7 and Q9, and possibly a new petrol-powered generation of the Porsche Cayenne. 

As a result, we expect  the entry-level powertrain to be a new V6 plug-in hybrid set-up, which we’ll soon see in the next-generation Audi Q7. Higher-performance models will probably be split between markets depending on local legislation. It’s unlikely that a pure-ICE-powered V8 flagship in the mould of the current Bentayga Speed will be sold in Europe. However, big roll-backs in emissions regulations in the US, plus the strong customer base in the Middle East, could see these remain in the plan. 

To create a new high-performance flagship for the European markets, a plug-in hybrid powertrain with a V8 at its core will be the only probable route. This suggests that Bentley could leverage Porsche’s plug-in hybrid powertrains to fulfill that role in the range. 

What won’t happen is the adoption of any Porsche or Bentley-specific ground-up chassis, as was meant to be the case with the new electric platform SSP-Sports. Porsche – and therefore Bentley – was meant to be readying a bespoke version of the VW Group’s SSP platform for its high-end and sports models, but this architecture’s bespoke EV nature has also by extension been the reason behind its cancellation. There’s just not enough demand for these high-end electric models to justify a bespoke platform. 

However, thanks to good profit margins on its current range of cars, Bentley is preparing more ‘self-funded’ engineering enterprises, which could lead to more diversification between the Bentayga and its platform-sharing cousins. Walliser told us that if it were up to him, new engines, gearboxes, electric motors and batteries would be needed to generate the significant ‘level-up’ these new-generation hybrid models deserve. Whether we see this in play for this Bentayga, or further down the line on future Continental or Flying Spur models, remains to be seen. 

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