Bentley just unveiled a hybrid version of its ultra-luxury Bentayga SUV

Bentley has unveiled a hybrid-electric version of its $200,000 ultra-luxury SUV.
The Bentayga's W12 and V8 engines are joined by a turbocharged V6 in a hybrid powertrain that can delivery 3o miles of all-electric operation.
Customers can place orders in the second half of 2018.

If the 600-horsepower W12 engine on the Bentley Bentayga luxury SUV is simply too much, or if you have serious reservations about getting less than 20 mpg, then the good people of Crewe, England now have an answer.

The carmaker has removed six cylinders and engineered a hybrid drivetrain that can travel about 30 miles on a single charge. Bentley didn't get into details about power output, but it's likely less than 600 hp.

"The hybrid version of the world’s most luxurious SUV will be the company’s most efficient model ever," Bentley said in a statement.

Bentley Bentayga Hybrid Small A decade ago, Bentley was pursuing a bio-diesel strategy to provide its well-heeled customers with the power they expected from the brand while avoiding environmental damage or negative exposure to more stringent fuel economy and emissions standards. But that plan has been replaced by electric ambitions.

"The Bentayga Hybrid is our first step on the road to electrification, combining traditional Bentley values with the very latest technologies," CEO Adrian Hallmark said in a statement.

Bentley Bentayga Hybrid Small "It gives customers the best of both worlds — engaging, effortless performance on the open road and silent, emission-free driving in the city, which will become increasingly important with the ever-changing regulations around the world."

To set the new Bentley apart, the company joined with Philippe Starck, a world-famous industrial designer, to create a special home-charging dock that's meant to serve as a piece of art more than as an appliance.

"The statement piece showcases the exquisite attention to detail you would expect from both Bentley and Starck, using sustainable and elegant materials," Bentley said."The stylish surround is formed from pressed eco-linen with bio-sourced thermostat resin, while the domed frontage is fashioned using a hot-pressure aluminum casting."

Bentley Bentayga Hybrid Small We recently reviewed the Bentayga and were impressed, but not blown away.

"Objectively, the Bentayga is a great vehicle, " Business Insider's Ben Zhang wrote. "It's fast, powerful, luxuriously appointed, and can handle a corner about as well as one could reasonably expect for a large SUV."

"But it's far from perfect. ... The stylish interior and monster engine couldn't inject the kind of soul and spirit we have come to expect in a Bentley."

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