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2023 Bentley Bentayga Extended Wheelbase revealed as new flagship

Bentley has been without a true flagship model since it ended production of the Mulsanne in 2020. It pledged to fill the gap, and it kept its promise by developing a longer version of the Bentayga called Extended Wheelbase (EWB) that offers passengers a limousine-like cabin. Stretching the Bentayga, which is Bentley's best-selling model, was more difficult than it might sound; the Volkswagen-owned British firm notes that it spent a nine-figure sum on the new model. It notably redesigned the side panels, the underbody, the rear doors and the roof. The investment should pay off, because the EWB will account for about 45% of Bentayga sales when it enters production later in 2022. About 7 inches were added to the Bentayga's wheelbase, and the rear-seat passengers are the sole beneficiaries of the extra sheet metal. In its standard configuration, the EWB offers a 4+1 seating configuration with outer rear seats that are heated, ventilated, 16-way power-adjustable and capable of giving you one of five massages. Buyers who want the ultimate in comfort can order the Airline Seat Specification, which Bentley calls "the most advanced seat ever fitted to a car" — that's a bold statement. This option brings individual rear seats with a backrests that can recline to a 40-degree angle and a Postural Adjustment function that changes the shape of the seat to ease pressure points. Interestingly, the system is capable of providing 177 adjustments every three hours and making a three-dimensional twist. Selecting the Airline Seat Specification also brings a system called Seat Auto Climate that relies on sensors to maintain a pre-set seat temperature; passengers have six levels to choose from. The contact temperature and the surface humidity are both measured on the cushion and in the backrest, and the seat's heating and ventilated elements are activated as-needed to ensure the occupant is comfortable. Alternatively, buyers can order one of two additional configurations called Four Seat Comfort and Five Seat, respectively. While the regular-wheelbase Bentayga is available with three rows of seats, the EWB is two-row only because it caters to buyers who primarily want space. The list of options is astonishingly long; Bentley notes that 24 billion trim combinations are possible.

Bentley will phase out all non-electrified powertrains by 2026

Bentley will accelerate its electrification offensive during the first half of the 2020s, Autoblog can reveal. It will release an array of plug-in hybrid and electric cars, and it plans to phase out all non-electrified powertrains. "Next year, we will launch two plug-in hybrid models. In the end, it's the best of both worlds. It means the customer can decide when to use the internal combustion engine, and when to go electric. It also reduces fuel consumption massively," affirmed company boss Adrian Hallmark during a virtual roundtable discussion. He stopped short of revealing whether the plug-ins will be based on existing models, or if they'll be new additions to the range. As of writing, the Bentayga is the only Bentley available with a plug. My crystal ball tells me the Continental and the Flying Spur (which are marketed as separate models) are prime candidates for electrification. Bentley's first electric car is scheduled to make its debut by 2025. Details are also scarce, but Hallmark revealed the model will be built on a new platform, and it will benefit from the latest battery technology. Going electric won't be an excuse to radically overhaul the company's design language, however. Chris Cooke, Bentley's board member for sales and marketing, noted the zero-local-emissions car will look "much more modern and more interesting," but it will remain immediately recognizable as a member of the Bentley portfolio. He warned not to expect a revolution. Take the limited-edition, 650-horsepower Bacalar (pictured below), for example. It looks like a Bentley, it doesn't represent a stupefying break with tradition, but it's not a Xerox copy of the Continental, either. Bentley Mulliner Bacalar - 1 View 22 Photos After 2025, the floodgates open. Hallmark pledged to create a family of electric cars, and that every model in the Bentley range will be either a plug-in hybrid or fully electric. He realistically refused to say the internal combustion engine's days are numbered, however, and he added his team disagrees with the bans floated in some markets. "Whenever the deadline is for banning combustion engine sales, we're advocating an overlap so that hybrids are allowed to be sold for longer, until everybody can afford, charge, and live with the range of an electric car. I think we're now getting through; we trust the right decisions will be made," he said candidly.

First Bentley SUV teased in video short

The Bentley SUV is coming and there's not a thing we can do to stop it. The latest indication that the wing-badged behemoth is on the way is this teaser video, which (thankfully?) doesn't show us a whole lot of the new vehicle, aside from its Continental GT-inspired headlights and its Mulsanne-inspired grille. Of course, we've seen this fascia before.
Via Bentley's associated press release, we now know that the SUV will head into production in 2016 with a range of engines that will expand to include a plug-in hybrid in 2017.
There are a few other details, such as the large, five-spoke wheels and side grilles. Whatever the new SUV is called, it should be wearing Continental-esque taillights and a rather aggressive rake to the roof behind the rear doors. That said, none of the other styling clues are as clear as our look at the SUV's face.