A NEW breed of Bentley is on the way using plug-in hybrid technology that is claimed to improve fuel efficiency and cut emissions by up to 70 per cent.

The British luxury car maker is planning to introduce the system on its new SUV due to arrive in 2017 and says that by the end of the decade it will be available on almost all of its models.

Bentley will display the set up on a concept version of its flagship 6.7-litre Mulsanne saloon at the Beijing motor show later this month.

The company says that the hybrid will be able to travel for more than 30 miles purely on electricity and will also have 25 per cent more power on tap.

Plug-in hybrids can be recharged from the mains to give extra range to the batteries which power electric motors used to boost the car's engine, significantly improving overall fuel consumption.

Dr Wolfgang Schreiber, Bentley chairman and chief executive, said that the company was the first luxury car brand to present a plug-in hybrid.

"We will gradually introduce this powertrain across our model range," he said. "By the end of the decade, at least 90 per cent of our production will be available as a plug-in hybrid. We are proud to be pioneering these developments in the luxury sector."

As well as revealing the hybrid concept at the Chinese show Bentley will also be presenting its new Flying Spur V8 which has a range of more than 500 miles on a single tank of fuel and its fastest production model to date, the 635ps Continental GT Speed which has a top speed of 206mph.