AN updated version of the plug-in Bentley Bentayga Hybrid is due to be released in the summer as the British luxury car maker continues its shift towards electrification.

Changes to the flagship SUV see a new-look interior and design changes to the outside bringing the hybrid in line with the latest V8 and Speed models.

The new Bentayga Hybrid has a 10.9-inch touchscreen display in the centre of the facia which allows for full smartphone connectivity for the first time in a Bentley.

As with the previous Bentayga Hybrid - launched only last year - the car uses a 3.0-litre twin turbocharged V6 engine mated to an electric motor which gives it a zero emission range of up 31 miles on a full charge.

The new hybrid is part of Bentley's Beyond100 strategy which will see all of its cars offering either plug-in or battery electric powertrains by 2026.

A second plug-in model will arrive later this year with a PHEV version of the Flying Spur.

Bentley's research shows that more than 90 per cent of customers use their first-generation Bentayga Hybrid on a daily basis or several times a week, and nearly 100 per cent of customers use EV mode, with half of them consistently undertaking journeys of less than 30 miles.

During development one of Bentley's drivers achieved 67 per cent zero emissions over 672 miles around San Francisco, and in the UK a Bentayga Hybrid achieved 64 per cent zero emissions commuting to and from the company's factory in Crewe.

Performance details for the new hybrid are still to be announced but are expected to be similar to the previous model which has a 0 to 60 acceleration time of 5.2 seconds, a top speed of 158mph and an official fuel return of 80.7mpg with emissions of 79g/km.

A full recharge can be done in two-and-a-half hours and the Bentayga Hybrid has three specific EV drive modes to help maximise its efficiency.

Prices are expected to be similar to the £130,500 cost of the original hybrid.

Adrian Hallmark, Bentley's chairman and chief executive, said: "The Bentayga Hybrid is the next step on our journey to becoming the world's leading sustainable luxury mobility company.

"Bentley will transform from a 100-year-old luxury car company to a new, sustainable, wholly ethical role model for luxury, and the Bentayga Hybrid is the first model to pioneer our company's recently announced Beyond100 strategy."