New Delhi: Bentley’s next-generation Bentayga is going to arrive in 2028 with plug-in hybrid power. The flagship SUV is presently Bentley’s best-selling model and contributed to about half of the sales last year. At first, Bentayga was supposed to go all-electric, but Bentley has since gone back on this and invested in a PHEV-powered next-gen model instead of that.
The new-gen Bentayga is likely to share the PPC platform used by the ICE-powered Cayenne and the forthcoming Audi Q9. The PPC architecture can accommodate a mix of six and eight-cylinder petrol engines, and a next-gen plug-in hybrid system.
Bentley Bentayga platform and powertrain
The next-gen Bentayga’s hybrid will be using newer batteries and electronic systems, which make for a longer range than the 48 km being offered in the present Bentayga PHEV on electric power alone. There is also a chance of a hybrid system combined with a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine making 462hp from the current version.
Along with plug-in hybrid versions, pure petrol-powered versions will also be available for select trims and regions.
Bentley Bentayga’s next-gen could take design cues from the EXP 15 concept
Expectations are also there for new driving tech, which includes advanced air suspension with active ride control, and newer ADAS tech, which will be supported by the platform. Like the present version, there will also be an extended wheelbase (EWB) version on offer with the new-gen Bentayga. Even though details are under cover, it might borrow design cues from the EXP 15 concept that had been unveiled last year and its upcoming electric SUV.
Some time ago, it had been reported that Bentley had scrapped their entire plans to go all-electric by 2030, including an EV successor to the Bentayga. Bentley’s move to delay an only-EV line comes after Porsche decided to do the same owing to slow luxury EV demand.
Bentley’s first EV will be debuting in Q4 of 2026 and has been coined ‘Luxury Urban SUV’. It is expected to use the Cayenne Electric’s platform and drivetrain. Cayenne comes with a 113kWh battery pack with a dual-motor configuration, making for AWD. The motors make 408 bhp in standard and 1156 bhp in the Turbo version. While the SUV is going to be of similar size as Bentayga, it won’t be an EV equivalent, nor will it get an ICE and will compete with Cayenne Electric and Lotus Eletre.