Bentley’s next-generation Bentayga is due to arrive in 2028 with plug-in hybrid power. The flagship SUV is currently Bentley’s highest-selling nameplate and contributed to around half of the brand’s sales last year. Initially, the Bentayga was supposed to go all-electric, but Bentley will instead invest in a PHEV-powered next-gen model.
- The Bentayga has been on sale since 2015 and received a facelift in 2020
- New-gen version to share platform with Porsche Cayenne and upcoming Audi Q9
- Bentley's first EV is set to arrive later this year
Bentley Bentayga platform and powertrain details
Could utilise Porsche's PPC platform and get a next-gen hybrid system
The new-gen Bentayga is expected to share the PPC platform used by the ICE-powered Cayenne and the upcoming Audi Q9. The PPC architecture can accommodate a range of six- and eight-cylinder petrol engines, along with a next-gen plug-in hybrid system. The latter uses newer batteries and electronic systems, which enable a longer range than the 48km offered by the current Bentayga PHEV on electric power alone. It could likely continue with a hybrid system paired with a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine. Alongside plug-in hybrid versions, pure petrol-powered versions will also be available for select variants and regions.
Expect new driving tech, such as advanced air suspension with active ride control, along with updated ADAS features supported by the platform. Like the current version, there will also be an extended wheelbase (EWB) version on offer with the new-gen Bentayga. While additional details on the new Bentayga are awaited, its design could borrow cues from the EXP 15 concept revealed last year.
Bentley’s first electric SUV to debut later this year
It will sit below the Bentayga and not as its EV counterpart
Previously, we had reported that Bentley had discontinued developing an EV successor to the Bentayga. Bentley’s move was due to Porsche’s decision to delay the development of the SSP platform. The SSP platform was supposed to be utilised by the Porsche K1 SUV sitting above the Cayenne. Because of the delay, the new-gen Bentayga would be utilising the PPC platform as mentioned above. Frank-Steffen Walliser, CEO of Bentley, told Autocar UK, “We don't have to force people to change from a combustion engine or plug-in hybrid car to an electric car". Walliser mentioned that he believes PHEV technology will be the best bridge for the firm in the run-up to electrification by 2035.
However, despite this decision, Bentley is still on track to launch its first electric SUV. Dubbed the ‘Luxury Urban SUV’, it is expected to utilise the Cayenne Electric’s PPE platform and drivetrain. For reference, the Cayenne Electric gets a 113kWh battery pack with a dual-motor setup enabling AWD. Though the Bentley electric SUV will have a similar size to the Bentayga, it won’t be positioned as its electric equivalent. Instead, it will sit below the Bentayga as a rival to the Cayenne Electric and the Lotus Eletre. Walliser said that Bentley is “targeting and looking for new customers" with the EV, ensuring that the Bentayga maintains its flagship position.
Notably, Walliser also mentioned that the rest of the Bentley line-up, namely the Continental GT, GTC and Flying Spur, will get the next-generation plug-in hybrid system. But for that to happen, all models will have to shift to the newer PPC architecture from the current MSB underpinnings. Since new-gen versions of these models arrived in 2024, this could happen by 2030.