Are people who buy cars like the Flying Spur interested in efficiency? Bentley seems to think so, which is why it has revealed the new plug-in hybrid version of its smaller sedan, dubbed Flying Spur Hybrid.

It is the second Bentley PHEV, after the Bentayga, and it has a 2.9-liter V6 engine that’s twin-turbocharged. Together with the single electric motor that’s right next to the gearbox, it makes a claimed 536 horsepower and 553 pound-feet (750 Nm) of torque, hitting sixty in 4.1 seconds on to its top speed of 177 mph (285 km/h).

The powertrain is very similar to the Bentayga Hybrid’s, but in this application, it makes 95 horsepower and 37 pound-feet (50 Nm) more, although it still can’t match the V8-equipped Flying Spur for either acceleration or top speed. The V8 needs just 3.6 seconds to sprint and it tops out at 198 mph (319 km/h).

Gallery: 2022 Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid

However, the Flying Spur Hybrid has a smaller battery pack than the one installed in the electrified Bentayga. It drops from 17.3 kWh to 14.1 kWh, but range seems to be very similar, a predicted 25 miles based on the WLTP test cycle. Charging it from flat to full takes about two and a half hours.

Bentley seems to have striven to keep the Flying Spur looking very similar to the V8. The only way you can tell it apart is if you spot the ‘Hybrid’ badges on the lower part of the front fenders, behind the wheels, so it’s very subtle.

And to answer the question I asked in the opening part of this article, I don’t think people  who buy cars like this really care abut how much fuel they use. However, the new Flying Spur Hybrid will allow wealthy owners to be chauffeured into European city centers where vehicles are only allowed to drive on electric power, and with an ever increasing number of cities banning ICE downtown, models like this will make more and more sense.

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