It could be the third PHEV vehicle for the brand.
Bentley will launch its first electric vehicle in 2025 with an SUV. It also plans to make it fully electric by 2030. The Continental GT will be the next plug-in hybrid electric vehicle to debut from the bespoke brand. Although there is some interest in hybrid GTs, the company has not yet confirmed. It is possible that the hybrid variant will replace shorter performance variants or special editions.
Bentley’s engineering boss Matthias Rabe spoke to Autocar about the future of the model. While Rabe was not forthcoming about any specific plans, he did state that the company is looking at adding a hybrid powertrain. Rabe stated that customers from Bentley had expressed interest in a vehicle that emits zero emissions. This is necessary to travel to certain European cities.
There are many options for Bentley’s powertrain. The powertrain that powers the Flying Spur is most popular for Bentley. Bentley’s sedan features a 2.9-liter twin turbocharged V6 engine that is paired with an electric motor sandwiched between it and the eight-speed dual clutch gearbox. It generates 536 horsepower (399 Kilowatts) as well as 553 pound-feet (726 Newton meters) of torque, more than the Bentayga Hybrid’s 3.0-liter unit. The four-door can reach 60 mph (96 km/h) in just 4.1 seconds, according to company claims.
Bentley could choose the 443-hp (330 kW) Bentayga Hybrid setup but it feels too low for a model such as the Continental GT. VW Group has many brands to choose from. The Continental GT Hybrid is only a possibility at the moment. However, considering the ambitious plans of VW Group to go completely electric by the end the decade we wouldn’t be surprised to see it happen. It is likely that the next generation GT will be introduced as an all-electric model in five years.