Ever since the uber-luxurious automakers ventured into high-riding vehicles, they’ve become less niche and more mainstream. Just like the Urus and the Cullinan have raked up big numbers for Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce respectively, the Bentayga has done that for Bentley. While you can maintain exclusivity and uniqueness at that price point, you still have to keep your finger on the pulse; the case in point here being the hybrid technology.

Bentley introduced the Bentayga Hybrid in 2020 and it soon became one of the most popular variants in the SUV’s lineup. Within a year, the British automaker has introduced the facelifted version that comes with refreshed styling inside out and updates on the tech front. The 2020 Bentayga Hybrid was the company’s first hybrid ever; so, does the 2021 model overcome any shortcomings?

2021 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid Exterior

Just like the standard Bentayga, the Bentayga Hybrid also adopts a completely refreshed and more aggressive look compared to the model it replaces. It adopts the new design philosophy that we first saw on the third-gen Continental GT and the new Flying Spur.

Up front, there’s a new, larger ‘Matrix’ grille that sits 30 mm higher than before. It is flanked by new cut-crystal design elliptical LED headlights. Even when they’re not lit, they sparkle. Well, there’s your bling on the face apart from all the chrome elements. The windshield wipers are new wet-arm, heated units that feature 22 washer jets in each arm. It also comes with new 22-inch wheels which will most likely be available in two different finishes as the standard model.

The most noticeable changes are seen at the rear, where there’s a new full-width tailgate. There is a long roof spoiler at the top. The Bentayga also features 3D elliptical tail-lights with animated LEDs. The license plate is relocated slightly lower to accommodate the branding above. New larger, oval-shaped split sport tailpipes, mimicking the elliptical taillight design also make their way onto the derriere.

While Bentley didn’t mention it this time around, the 2021 Bentayga’s structure is slightly tweaked to make it better in terms of aerodynamics. The rear has a wider track and the wheels are also repositioned in the arches, which coupled with the structural tweaks help achieve the SUV a drag coefficient of 0.34. If chrome is not your thing, you can opt for the Blackline spec that replaces all the bling with a black treatment.

The standard 2021 Bentayga came with two new colors - Viridian, a dark metallic green shade, and Patina, a mid-tone off-white color – but it’ll have to be seen if they’re offered on the 2021 Bentayga Hybrid or not.

2021 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid Interior

This is where all the luxuriousness and premium feels lie. The handcrafted cabin feels refreshing when compared to the model it replaces, thanks to the new door trims and steering wheel, plus a redesigned center fascia and digital instrumentation cluster. Bentley is offering a new quilting design in its ‘Mulliner Driving Specification’, wherein customers can choose from eight sustainably-sourced veneers, including two new straight-grained options, which are the Koa and Crown Cut Walnut. A dark tint diamond brushed aluminum trim can also be had for extra moolah.

The Bentayga Hybrid is still offered in two different seating configurations – a five-seat and a four-seat layout. The five-seat configuration comes with a new seat frame that doubles the travel range of the rear-seat recline angle, whereas the four-seat layout now features an additional 1.2 inches of knee room in the upright position and 3.9 inches in the reclined position.

2021 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid Technology

In terms of the technology, the Bentayga Hybrid is well loaded. Behind the steering wheel sits a fully digital instrument cluster that’s very similar to the ones on the Continental GT and the new Flying Spur. It throws all the standard drive-related data by default, but can be customized as per your needs to show stuff that’s relevant to you, including real-time lighting effects with animations.

When driving in the internal combustion engine mode, you have a standard tachometer in place. However, when driving in pure electric mode, this tachometer gets replaced by a different dial. The coolant and temperature gauges also get replaced by a battery status dial instead.

On the center console sits a 10.9-inch touchscreen that is said to be brighter and has a higher resolution when compared to the previous model. It features wireless Apple CarPlay as standard now along with wired CarPlay and also wired Android Auto.

The screen also displays energy flow in each of the three E Modes, showing whether the vehicle is being powered by energy supplied by the battery, or the combustion engine – or whether energy is flowing back to the battery to recuperate. The rear seat occupants also get a new, larger touchscreen remote control tablet, similar to that introduced in the all-new Flying Spur.

It also comes with Navigation that offers a three-dimensional building display. The navigation data can be displayed on your windshield, too, since the Bentayga Hybrid comes with a Head-Up Display. It is quite detailed and can project traffic information, street names, and distance to destination, too. The Bentayga Hybrid is also more ‘connected’ now, with features like an embedded SIM being offered so that My Bentley connected car features no longer require you to bring your own data connection. Apart from this, the SUV comes with USB-C data ports and a wireless charger.

The remote services allow you to view the SUV’s drive data, search for the nearest charging stations, heat or cool the cabin to precisely 22-degrees Celsius before you step in, and so on. You can also plug in the vehicle and remotely charge it using the app. The app allows you to select the time you plan to leave so that the system can calculate a rate of charging to achieve the highest level of charge in line with your departure.

2021 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid Drivetrain

With every new iteration, it seems like Bentley is downsizing on the number of cylinders it offers. The first Bentayga model came with a W-12, but it was replaced with a V-8 instead. The company didn’t get it off the market, however, and offered the W-12 – and still does – on the Bentayga Speed. Last year, Bentley introduced the Hybrid model of the SUV with a V-6 engine; the smallest it ever has on any of its vehicles. On the bright side, these widespread engine options will make sure customers don’t walk out of the showroom without booking the Bentayga.

Combined, the drivetrain makes 443 ponies and 516 pound-feet of twist. Power is sent to all the wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox. On pure electric mode, the SUV can hit speeds of up to 84 mph before taking help from the internal combustion engine to go higher up. It also features an external speaker to warn pedestrians about the SUV’s movement.

The Bentayga Hybrid comes with an electric-only range of 31 miles. Bentley’s research shows that half of the first-gen Bentayga Hybrid owners consistently undertake journeys of less than 30 miles every day. The 2021 U.S.-spec Bentayga Hybrid’s ratings are not revealed, but expect them to be the same as the 2020 model, which returned 17 mph in the city, 21 mpg on the highway, and 19 mpg or 46 MPGe combined. As per the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), the range of the battery+fuel combination is good for 536 miles.

The motor is powered by a 17.3-kWh lithium battery that consists of 168 individual cells. It can charge to a 100-percent in 2.5 hours when you connect to a wall box. It can charge up to a rate of 7.2 kWh and 7.5 hours when you use a domestic socket. The charge point on the Bentayga is on the opposite side of the fuel flap and comes with an LED indicator to show the state of the charge.

2021 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid specifications

Drive Modes and Efficiency Check

The 2021 Bentayga Hybrid is offered with three different E modes – EV Mode, Hybrid Mode, Hold Mode – which can be controlled via a dedicated button. The EV Mode is engaged by default when you start the SUV to offer you that instantaneous torque from the word go. The Hybrid Mode is self-explanatory, but the special feature here is that when you’re using the SUV’s navigation, it automatically engages the “correct” Drive Mode for each part of the journey to make sure the battery charge is used most efficiently. As for the Hold Mode, it balances engine and electric power to hold a high voltage battery charge for later use and is the default mode when you engage the Sport mode.

The Bentayga Hybrid comes with “Bentley Hybrid Efficiency Accelerator Pedal” which basically provides feedback to the driver using a pressure point to denote the boundary between pure electric and hybrid power. Coupled with the “Bentley Hybrid Efficiency Navigation” database, the A-pedal will vibrate when approaching a junction or speed limit decrease, thus notifying the driver to lift off the throttle and save energy while braking. Sounds a little too aggressive, to be honest, but we are living in an environment-conscious world, aren’t we? There is also haptic feedback from the A-pedal that gives you a warning of sorts when the SUV is switching from pure electric mode to pure internal combustion engine mode.

2021 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid Price

The price for the 2021 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid is not yet announced, but expect a slight premium over the 2020 Bentayga Hybrid’s starting price of $156,900.

Is The Bentley Bentayga Hybrid Better Than The Audi Q7 e-tron?

The Audi Q7 e-tron rides on the same platform as the Bentayga Hybrid, but features a 3.0-liter, V-6 diesel engine with an e-motor. It dishes out 373 ponies and 520 pound-feet of torque combined. It isn’t as fast as the Bentayga Hybrid, taking 6.2 seconds to 60 mph. The brand itself is a whole level lower than Bentley doesn’t make it an appealing package in terms of interior either. So, the answer is no. The Audi Q7 e-tron isn’t better than the Bentley Bentayga Hybrid.

Read our full review on the Audi Q7 e-Tron

Is The Bentley Bentayga Hybrid Better Than The Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid?

Porsche entered the hybrid SUV segment by pairing an electric motor to the Cayenne. The Cayenne E-Hybrid is powered by a 3.0-liter, V-6 engine that makes 455 horses and 516 pound-feet of torque. Power is sent to all the wheels via an automatic gearbox. In its best avatar, it takes just 4.7 seconds to sprint to 60 mph from rest and has a top speed of 157 mph. It starts at $81,800, which is almost half the price of the Bentayga Hybrid. So, in terms of pricing, you’d be better off with…

Read our full review on the Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid

Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid

… the Turbo S version of the Cayenne. We’ve mentioned both the models of the Cayenne Hybrid in our comparison since one of them matches it in specs and the other in terms of price. The Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid is powered by a 4.0-liter, V-8 engine and an electric motor that makes 670 horses and 663 pound-feet of torque combined! With an additional package in place, it takes just 3.6 seconds to gallop to 60 mph and goes all the way up to 183 mph.

The Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid starts at $163,200, which is in the ballpark of the Bentley Bentayga. If the overall presence inside-out and the Bentley wing on the body aren’t deal-breakers, both the versions of the Cayenne E-Hybrid are better than the Bentayga Hybrid.

Read our full review on the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid