It’s not often that luxury, speed and environmentally friendly can get lumped together in the same sentence, but Bentley is helping show it’s possible as they look to expand their range to include their second plug-in hybrid model. We’re talking of course about the all-new 2022 Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid. The release is the next step in the Crewe-based car maker’s plan to have a fully electric range by 2026.
Powertrain
The Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid will not be quite as fast as its pure gasoline sibling, but the difference is hardly stark. The Flying Spur Hybrid will get from 0 to 60 in just 4.1 seconds, which is only 0.1 seconds slower than the gasoline V8.
This flying spur is powered by a 410-hp 2.9L V6 engine with twin turbochargers and paired with a 134-hp electric motor. The acceleration may not be quite up to the V8 on the original Flying Spur, but it still has 95-hp more than Bentley’s other hybrid, the Bentayga SUV. Its top speed is 177-mph.
Electric Range and Total Range
The new Flying Spur Hybrid includes a 14.1kWh battery, which needs 2-2.5 hours to charge completely. As a plug-in hybrid, you’ll get more pure-electric range from the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid than you would a conventional hybrid car: about 24 miles in total.
When you put the electric powertrain together with the fully fueled V6 engine, you can get a total range of more than 435 miles, making this one of the most efficient Bentley vehicles ever made. You might never have thought a Bentley would ever be able to qualify for a new Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) status, but this new Flying Spur will.
Signature Comfort and High-Tech Integration
Bentley is making their range more environmentally friendly, it’s true, but the new Flying Spur Hybrid will be just as comfortable, plush and luxurious as you’d expect a Bentley grand tourer to be. From sumptuous leather seats in 5 standard color options —- and 10 additional color choices with the Color Specification option —- veneers crafted from real wood, and on the exterior your choice of 20”, 21” or even 22” wheel designs.
Cutting-edge technology is also beautifully integrated into the interior, including an all-digital and customizable instrument cluster and a 12.3” central touchscreen that appears as if by magic on the rotating center dash panel. Transform the the old-look three-dial analog center dash into the touchscreen that can split into 3 displays to give you all the info you need, as well as standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
In their signature fashion, of course, Bentley continues to offer that iconic analog clock in the center stack. Not everything new has to be digital, it seems.
Choose Your Drive Mode
One more interesting feature on this 2022 Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid is the E Mode selector. There are 3 main settings to choose from, namely EV Drive, Hybrid mode and Hold mode. The idea is to allow the driver maximum control over how the battery is used during a journey.
EV Drive mode is designed specifically for city drivers. It maximizes the use of the electric powertrain to reduce gasoline consumption during shorter journeys. Hybrid mode is for longer journeys and attempts to create an ideal balance between the different powertrains, and even makes use of data from the intelligent navigation system. It works best when you input journeys into the navigation system, because then the Flying Spur can plan ahead as to which mode will be needed during which point. Hold mode is designed to favor the engine mode with the aim of preserving electric power.
Available for Order
Bentley is taking orders already, but the 2022 Flying Spur Hybrid won’t be delivered until later this year. The MSRP is $204,000.
