Bentley has started taking orders for the plug-in hybrid version of its Flying Spur saloon, describing the model as the ‘most efficient’ car the luxury manufacturer has yet produced.
The Flying Spur is the second Bentley hybrid model after the Bentayga SUV, with the brand intending to offer petrol-electric drivetrains across its entire range by 2024 ahead of the launch of its first fully electric car in 2025.
Under official government measurements, the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid returns a combined emissions figure of 75g/km. While such a figure and official range of 500 miles (with up to 26 miles possible on electric power alone) is unlikely to be achieved in real-world driving, the Flying Spur will certainly go further between fill-ups than is typical for a Bentley.
More pertinently to potential buyers, the figures will make a major difference to tax bills. Some observers predicti that running a Flying Spur Hybrid as a company car could slash benefit-in-kind tax demands by as much as half.
The power is likely to appeal to the target market, too. With a combined 544hp and 750Nm of torque, the Flying Spur Hybrid is the most powerful hybrid unit so far offered in a production Bentley, just over 90hp more potent than that offered in the Bentayga.
The car’s drivetrain, similar to one used by Bentley’s sister Volkswagen-owned brand Porsche in the Panamera, combines a 2.9-litre V6 petrol engine with an electric motor. This is powered by a 18kWh battery which depending on charging source can, according to Bentley, be fully recharged in two and a half hours.
Visually, the only clues differentiating the hybrid are some discreet badging and an extra cap on the rear wing to access the battery charging port. The interior is to the same finish and offers no change in space over other Flying Spur models.
The Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid will go on sale alongside the existing V8, W12 and Mulliner versions of the car. The price is yet to be officially announced but is expected to be from around £170,000.
The existing petrol-powered Flying Spur saloon arrived in 2019 and is the third generation of this model. With an Expert Rating of 83%, the Bentley Flying Spur has received glowing reports from the UK media praising its luxury and driving dynamics, though consumer-focused titles have commented that the saloon is not a value for money proposition, and that it has poor fuel economy.
Keyword: Bentley Flying Spur hybrid plugs into electrified market