Is Bentley Planning a New PHEV Ultra-Luxury SUV?

Ever since Bentley decided to retire the Mulsanne and Bentley’s CEO confirmed that it would not in fact be replacing the Mulsanne by another sedan, there has been much speculation about what’s next. Bentley will be filling the space of the cancelled Mulsanne, and many people are saying an SUV is almost certainly the choice the legendary brand will make. Plans for a plug-in hybrid Bentley SUV are in the works.  

Farewell to Mulsanne

The CEO of Bentley had this to say about the cancellation of the Mulsanne: “The cost of developing those cars with the technology and requirements for emissions and crash mean that they are no less expensive to develop than a car you can sell 5,000 a year of.” And, considering that SUVs made up forty percent of Bentley’s sales last year, it seems like a no-brainer that there will be a new Bentley PHEV SUV on the market. Especially since Bentley will not be building sports cars to fill the demand on the market for luxury cars. 

New Plug-In Hybrid Bentley SUV Likely

Bentley will be offering a hybrid option on every model by 2023 and the first purely electric Bentley vehicle will be out by 2025. All this aside, Bentley knows there is more money to be made on a PHEV than a purely EV. And, right now, SUV sales dwarf EV sales in general. So, the EV expected out in 2025 won’t be a candidate for flagship. More than likely, Bentley will launch a new plug-in hybrid SUV. The plug-in hybrid Bentley SUV will be slotted above the Bentayga, which ranges in price from about $168,300 to $240,400, as its new flagship vehicle. To offer a comparison, the Mulsanne ranges from about $304,670 – $361,500. 

Although no official announcements have been made, it seems reasonable and likely that a new Bentley PHEV SUV will be replacing the Mulsanne as the company’s flagship luxury vehicle. 

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