Bentley's monstrous Bentayga SUV will go green in 2018

Luxury car maker Bentley has confirmed it will release a plug-in hybrid version of the Bentayga SUV in 2018, which will see an electric motor connected to a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 engine.

Bentley is owned by Volkswagen, which also owns the Audi brand, so it seems the company is looking to make its gas-guzzling SUVs, including the Q7, more environmentally friendly.

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The plug-in hybrid version of the Bentayga should have a power output of around 410bhp, which is somewhat less than the combustion engine version. But the new model will have the option of running in a zero emission mode, something the trees will thank you for as you drive around in a £200,000 mansion on wheels.

Design-wise, the Bentayga plug-in hybrid will be virtually indistinguishable from its combustion engine sibling, with the only discernable difference being a port to plug in a charger to top up the lithium-ion battery.

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The greener Bentayga will go into production next year, with pricing and availability yet to be announced. Speaking to Autocar, Bentley's CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer said the company plans to have a plug-in hybrid version of all of the cars it produces.