After already announcing that it will offer a plug-in hybrid sometime in the near future, Bentley has now confirmed that a diesel option will be available in an upcoming sedan.
Bentley CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer told Car and Driver that prototypes of the diesel are already up and running. The diesel could be an all-new engine, but will likely come from Volkswagen’s already extensive lineup of TDI motors, with the new Audi V8 diesel being the most likely. The 3.0-liter V-6 TDI would be too small for the English luxury brand, while the V-12 TDI is not being brought up to new emissions standards, and will be phased out soon.
Dürheimer also revealed that the classic 6¾-liter V8 found in the Mulsanne is being axed. Within the Volkswagen group, Bentley is aiming to be the poster boy for V12’s, and a V8 powered flagship would mess up the plan. The 6¾-liter has a long history, first appearing in a Bentley in 1971. Arguably the most famous British V8, the 6¾-liter is the third longest lived engine still in production.
This decision comes after Rolls-Royce customers said that they would never buy a diesel powered Rolls. That said, the diesel route has been a success story for Porsche, a result Bentley is trying to replicate.
[Source: Car and Driver]
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