The V8-powered Continental GT displayed by Bentley at the Detroit auto show signaled the automaker’s wish to marry fuel efficiency and performance.
Downsizing is a quick way to achieve that goal, but to take things a step further further, Bentley is reportedly considering plug-in hybrid versions of upcoming models.
“Hybrids are appealing because of the great torque they provide,†said Bentley’s engineering chief Rolf Frech in an interview with England’s Autocar. “Bentley is famous for its huge low-end torque so a plug-in hybrid system would fit. Of course, hybrids provide great efficiency, too.â€
The Volkswagen Group is currently testing several plug-in hybrid prototypes, including the SEAT Leon TwinDrive Ecomotive, the Å koda Octavia Green E Line, the Audi e-tron Spyder, and a plug-in version of the Volkswagen Passat.
What parts of Volkswagen’s plug-in technology will make it to the Bentley brand and what models will be offered as plug-in hybrids is currently unknown. The automaker will likely start off by building a small series of cars that will take part in a pilot program and evolve from there.
“We have to experiment,†added Frech, an ex- Porsche employee. “We did it at Porsche and there’s a possibility to do it at Bentley as well. We’re now in the second phase of growth, into new sectors and niches. We are creative.â€
If plug-in hybrid technology is deemed worthy of the Bentley emblem, the first production models should arrive in showrooms before the end of the decade.
References
1.’Bentley “open to…’ view
