2006 Bentley Continental Gt Mulliner on 2040-cars

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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.

Bentley Bentayga Hybrid First Drive Review | Mass without substance

The new Bentley Bentayga Plug-In Hybrid is the venerable British brand's cheapest vehicle. Certainly, with a base price of $158,000, it is not inexpensive by any stretch. In fact, it costs more than four times the average price of a new vehicle purchased in America this year. But after driving an advance version of the marque's first plug-in through the horror-scape that is Silicon Valley, we were reminded of the old saying: You get what you pay for. We will preface this review by stating something that should be obvious: The Bentley Bentayga is our least favorite Bentley. Its proportions are inelegant, its shape nondescript. Though we know it is hand-built in Crewe alongside the rest of the marque's wondrous new lineup, it lacks the specialness, a sense of occasion that should be endemic. This isn't just because it's a sport utility vehicle, and thus ostensibly utilitarian. The contemporary Range Rover, the Mercedes G-Class, and even the Rolls-Royce Cullinan all have the kind of gracious charisma that the Bentayga lacks, even if they deliver it in a manner that is louche and imperious. The Bentayga looks like a Bentley knockoff, a crossover tarted up with all of the relevant if superficial brand cues, but without the necessary substance. The plug-in hybrid only enhances this perception. Whereas other Bentaygas at least arrive with potent twin-turbocharged motors in V8 (542 horsepower ) and W12 (600 or 626 hp) configurations, the Bentayga Hybrid is granted only a 335-horsepower VW parts bin 3.0-liter, single-turbo V6, paired with 13 kWh of batteries in the trunk and a 126-hp electric motor. It accelerates to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, well off the pace of its non-hybrid siblings and in the realm of its lesser platform-mate, the $70,000 Audi Q8 V6. This is not special. Even less special is the way in which the Bentayga Hybrid comports itself when accomplishing its tasks. A Bentley, by definition, is meant to be extraordinary, and this extraordinariness is meant to be effortless. Being in a Bentley should make everyday events special, and special events grand or even grandiose. Driving the Bentayga Hybrid feels like engaging with functional transportation. This is not because we are hostile to electric vehicles. We love electric vehicles, and their intrinsic and luxurious benefits in terms of silent operation and instant-on torque.

Editors’ Picks April 2023 | New X1, a Bentley and some luxury EVs

This month of Editors' Picks features a smattering of luxury vehicles in both sedan and SUV body styles. The new BMW i7 was a big surprise, and the Mercedes-Benz EQE is a lovely enough electric sedan to get our recommendation, too. We've given every other Bentley model an Editors' Pick before, and the Bentayga follows suit. Lastly, BMW nabs a second in April with the newly redesigned X1 subcompact crossover. In case you missed our previous Editors' Picks posts, here’s a quick refresher on whatÂ’s going on here. We rate all the new cars we drive with a 1-10 score. Cars that are exemplary in their respective segments get an EditorsÂ’ Pick designation. Those are the ones weÂ’d recommend to our friends, family and anybody whoÂ’s curious and asks the question. The list that youÂ’ll find below consists of every car we rated in January that earned an EditorsÂ’ Pick.   2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 2023 Mercedes-AMG EQE View 38 Photos Quick take: The EQE offers all the niceties of a traditional E-Class in an electric form. Its design is simplistic and bland to a fault, but everything else about it is executed well. Score: 7.5 What it competes with: Porsche Taycan, Audi E-Tron GT, Tesla Model S, BMW i4 Pros: Gorgeous interior, big backseat, advanced tech, excellent driving AMG variant Cons: Bland design, average range/charging speed, questionable value From the editors: Road Test Editor Zac Palmer — "I drove the AMG version of the EQE, and while it's a rocketship of an EV, it lacked the ne'er-do-well nature of the gasoline-powered AMG versions of the E-Class. The interior is beautiful, but I can't say the same for the exterior, even with the AMG add-ons. The AMG EQE is a perfect Benz, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it the perfect AMG product." In-depth analysis: 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE Sedan Review: A smaller, less expensive EQS   2023 BMW X1 2023 BMW X1 xDrive28i 03 View 31 Photos Quick take: The BMW X1 is the driver's choice in the subcompact luxury SUV segment. Its size and abundance of tech makes it a great all-rounder for anybody's taste, though. Score: 8.0 What it competes with: Volvo XC40, Audi Q3, Mercedes-Benz GLB, Mercedes-Benz GLA, Jaguar E-Pace, Lexus UX, Land Rover Discovery Sport, Pros: Fun to drive, great utility, traditional and handsome design Cons: Interior feels spartan, value is questionable From the editors: Senior Editor, Green John Beltz Snyder — "This segment is a competitive one, but the X1 sets itself apart as the driverÂ’s car.