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The Bentley Bentayga SUV has been officially revealed, after more than a year of concepts, teasers and camouflaged test cars. The Bentayga will be the luxury brand's first-ever off-road 4x4 when it goes on sale early 2016.
Bentley claims the Bentayga is “the fastest, most powerful, most luxurious and most exclusive SUV in the world”. It's powered by a 600bhp 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 engine connected to an eight-speed automatic gearbox and is fitted with four-wheel drive.
Four and five-seat options will be offered at launch, with a more practical seven-seat version, a diesel and a plug-in hybrid model expected later in 2016. The luxury SUV will be officially unveiled at this month's Frankfurt Motor Show, as Bentley vies to steal attention from Jaguar's F-Pace SUV.
Bentley assures us that everything from the design, to the engine and the handcrafted seats will be made in the brand's plant in Crewe, as opposed to Bratislava, Slovakia, where the Audi Q7 (which uses many of the same parts) is built.
Check out Bentley's own launch trailer of the new Bentayga here:
Bentley Bentayga SUV styling
After months of speculation and teasers from Bentley, the final design consists of a muscular body, with a silhouette that echoes the likes of the Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne.
The headlights are inspired by those of the Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 concept car, with a ‘halo’ of LED daytime running lights offsetting the main lenses. The nose and lower grille section is very similar to that of the revised Bentley Continental GT coupe. To add to the SUV's rugged nature, a subtle metallic guard graces the underside of the front bumper.
Bentley's ‘Flying B’ air vents feature on the side, as do chunky flanks that swoop above the rear wheels. A line of chrome trim is fitted along the bottom edge of the doors, too.
The most distinctive feature at the back is the LED rear lights, which incorporate a Bentley ‘B’ graphic. The rear light clusters, along with the number plate frame and rear bumper, are also trimmed in chrome. The available alloy wheels run from 20 to 22 inches in diameter.
Interior and equipment
As with its Continental, Mulsanne and Flying Spur models, Bentley has lavished the Bentayga's interior with high-end materials and unique design touches. There are seven different coloured veneer options, 15 leather hide colours and 15 carpet colours, too.
The overall design of the dashboard is similar to that of the Continental, where the centre console seems to be book-ended between the driver and passenger spaces. An eight-inch touchscreen is housed in the middle, along with handcrafted air vents controlled by organ pulls. You can also specify a ‘Mulliner Tourbillon by Breitling’ clock made from solid gold.
The driver's instruments blend hi-tech equipment with a more traditional design. The sporty steering wheel is unique to the Bentayga, while the instrument cluster is all-digital – similar to the Virtual Cockpit system seen in the Audi TT and Audi Q7. This system will also display sat-nav maps and the view from the Bentayga's infrared night-vision technology.
A dial not dissimilar to those found in Land Rover cars will control the Bentayga's four-wheel-drive system. There are eight different driving modes to choose from – four of which focus on off-road capability on a variety of surfaces.
A head-up display is also available, beaming information like your current speed and sat-nav directions onto the windscreen, so you don’t have to take your eyes off the road. Loads of safety kit like adaptive cruise control and park assist are available too.
The sumptuous leather seats are diamond-quilted, and both the front and back seats are heated, ventilated and electrically adjustable. The front seats have a six-programme massage system, while those in the rear have their own footrests.
Rear-seat passengers are also treated to their own climate-control system and a 10.2-inch Android tablet, which can be mounted on the back of the front seats and used as an entertainment device. It comes with 4G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.
A number of different rear seating arrangements will also be available. Buyers will be able to choose between two individual back seats with a fixed centre console, or a more practical three-seat rear bench. Bentley also promises a seven-seat option will be available later in 2016.
Engines and performance
There's only one engine available from launch: a monstrous 600bhp 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged W12 TSI petrol. When teasing the car, Bentley claimed it would be “the most technically advanced 12-cylinder in the world”.
This engine is able to propel the SUV (which weighs more than 2,200kg) from 0-62mph in just four seconds. The car recorded a top speed of 187mph during testing, which Bentley says makes it the fastest SUV in the world. Power is sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Later in 2016, Bentley is promising a diesel-engined version as well as a plug-in hybrid, in case some buyers are put off by the 6.0-litre W12's claimed fuel economy of 22.1mpg. CO2 emissions are 292 grams per kilometre, so be prepared to stump up £505 a year in road tax.
The planned diesel version will likely be based on the 4.2-litre V8 from the latest Audi Q7, while the hybrid engine could be similar to that in the Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid – only with more power.
Although we haven’t driven the Bentayga yet, our sister publication Auto Express found that a prototype version offered a combination of lightweight aluminium construction, a low centre of gravity, quick steering and four-wheel drive making it feel composed through difficult corners.
Off-road performance
Bentley has designed the Bentayga to be as at home in Chile's Atacama desert as it would be on the streets of Kensington in London. Auto Express found a prototype version of the Bentayga proved to be very capable at tackling muddy slopes and rocky terrain, even if it wasn’t quite as agile as a Range Rover.
The Bentayga features adjustable air suspension as well as a Land Rover-style rotary selector that allows you to change 19 different parameters to maximise the car's off-road performance. Four of the car's driving modes are all about maintaining maximum grip, including when driving on snow or sand.
While the Bentayga has proven itself to be a capable off-roader, it's unlikely that many Bentayga owners will venture far off the beaten track.
Price and release date
The Bentley Bentayga SUV is priced from £160,200 and goes on sale in early 2016. We’ll get our first look at the new SUV in the metal at this month's Frankfurt Motor Show.
It's unlikely that the Bentayga will remain unchallenged at the top of the luxury SUV class for long. Rivals from the likes of Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini and Maserati are under development and will no doubt give the Bentayga a run for its money when they’re released.
Bentley is also understood to be considering a smaller version of the Bentayga that’ll be similar in size to the likes of the Porsche Macan, Jaguar F-Pace and Audi Q5.
Auto Express found that a prototype version offered a combination of lightweight aluminium construction, a low centre of gravity, quick steering and four-wheel drive making it feel composed through difficult corners.