The next Bentayga SUV will arrive in 2028 as the flag-bearer for a new wave of Bentley plug-in hybrids following a major rethink of its EV strategy.

The Crewe manufacturer has scrapped plans to launch five new EVs by 2030, including an electric successor to the Bentayga. Instead, Bentley will invest in a new generation of PHEV-powered models.

The dramatic revamp to Bentley's product strategy is a result of the decision by sibling brand Porsche to delay a new electric platform it was developing in response to the slowing uptake of premium EVs.

Bentley boss Frank-Steffen Walliser believes PHEV technology will be the best bridge for the firm in the run-up to 2035 when under current legislation all new cars sold in the UK and 90% in the European Union will need to be fully electric.

However, the decision doesn't affect the brand's debut electric model - dubbed Luxury Urban EV - which will be unveiled in the second half of the year. Following that, said Walliser, the next Bentley EV won't arrive until after 2030.

The current Bentayga is the brand's best-seller and made up around half of all Bentley's sales last year. It has been on sale since 2015 and received a major facelift in 2020.

The new Bentayga, like its siblings, was initially slated to arrive as an EV on Porsche's advanced Sport ('61') version of parent Volkswagen Group's SSP platform. However, Porsche last year delayed the architecture until the next decade at a cost of €1.8 billion (£1.6bn), causing Bentley to substantially rewrite its product plan.

As a result, the second generation of the Bentayga will switch to the PPC platform used by the new combustion-powered Porsche Cayenne and forthcoming Audi Q9.

Walliser said the delay in the transition to electric means "we don't have to force people to change from a combustion engine or plug-in hybrid car to an electric car" when the buyer demand is not there yet.

He added that Bentley has "a very loyal fan base that stays in the Bentayga and this is very, very good for our business". His comments highlight the commercial benefits for Bentley in deciding to continue with ICE for its next-generation SUV.

The PPC architecture has been engineered to accommodate a range of six- and eight-cylinder petrol engines, as well as a next-generation plug-in hybrid system. The latter uses new-era batteries and electronics systems to deliver a greater EV range than the 30 miles offered by today's Bentayga PHEV.

As a result, the next generation of the luxury SUV will be launched primarily with a PHEV system centred on a 3.0-litre V6 and offer a similar output to today's 456bhp.

Alongside the incoming plug-in hybrid models, Walliser confirmed that Bentley will continue to offer pure-ICE power. But this powertrain option will be kept to "selective" models and depend on "markets. and legislation", he said, noting the differences in emission laws, particularly in the key US market.

As well as enabling Bentley to offer pure-petrol cars in markets such as the US, it is also possible that limited-run special models in the UK could go without electric assistance.

Further details of the new Bentayga are still unconfirmed, but the design will be led by the EXP 15 concept, revealed last year, and be closely linked to the smaller 'Urban SUV', which will slot in underneath the Bentayga as a rival to the Porsche Cayenne Electric and Lotus Eletre.

The new Bentayga's architecture can accommodate a host of new technologies, including advanced air suspension with active ride control and the latest driver assistance functions. It is also highly scalable, which will allow the Extended Wheelbase version of the luxury SUV - the most popular among buyers to continue.

Following the Bentayga, Walliser said the rest of the existing range – Continental GT, GTC and Flying Spur – will gain the next-generation PHEV tech. But to do this, they will need to move from their current MSB underpinnings to the new PPC architecture. Given that new generations of all three arrived in 2024, this is likely to happen close to the end of the decade.

Bentley's debut EV will be shown for the first time in the final quarter of this year before first deliveries begin in early 2027. it will use the same PPE platform as the new electric Cayenne, which suggests it will be offered exclusively with dual-motor, four-wheel-drive powertrains putting out as much as 1140bhp.

In the Cayenne, a 113kWh battery helps it to achieve a range of up to 398 miles.

Walliser described it as "a different proposition" from what "other competitors are doing". He added: "I strongly believe we have a very Interesting offer."

Although it is a similar size to the Bentayga, Walliser said Bentley will not position it as an electric equivalent. Instead, the brand is "targeting and looking for new customers", which in turn will allow the Bentayga to keep its own position in the line-up.