Bentley’s Bentayga Adds Diesel With 48V Supercharger

CREWE, U.K.  – Bentley has turned to a diesel for the first time in its 97-year history to power a version of its luxury SUV, the Bentayga.

The twin-turbo and electric supercharged 4.0L 32-valve V-8, also available in the Audi SQ7, develops 429 hp and 664 lb.-ft. (900 Nm) of torque, giving the model a top speed of 168 mph (270 km/h) and a 0-60 mph (97 km/h) time of 4.6 seconds.

Thanks to the “triple” charging, peak torque is available from just 1,000 rpm and gives the Bentayga Diesel 210 g/km of carbon-dioxide emissions, the lowest of any Bentley. Range is more than 620 miles (1,000 km) on a single tank.

This engine marries variable-geometry, sequential twin-scroll turbochargers with a third electric supercharger, powered by a 48V technology, and which spools up within 30 microseconds to eliminate turbo lag.

“The Bentayga Diesel represents a moment of immense significance in Bentley’s history, by giving the world its fastest luxury diesel SUV,” Bentley Chairman and CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer says. “Immense power, grand touring capabilities and superb refinement – this is a true Bentley. Only Bentley could produce a car so powerful, yet so refined.”