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Import/Export Ready Bentley Bentayga EWB Azure First Edition

If your two-car garage already has a Bentley Continental GT coupe or convertible nestled into one of the bays, the other could be filled by a matching Bentayga SUV. Why? For one thing, the Bentayga makes for a more practical daily driver and can seat a family. It can be equipped with a plug-in-hybrid powertrain for those necessary commutes when gas prices are peaking, but can also be had with a twin-turbo V-8 or a mighty twin-turbo W-12. The Bentayga’s luxury experience is much the same as you’ll get in the Conti or the Flying Spur sedan, with rich leathers, tasteful wood and metal trim, and plenty of tech features throughout its cabin. Of course, if you’re not particularly brand loyal, this six-figure segment of ultra-luxe SUVs also includes the Mercedes-Maybach GLS600 and the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, both of which would also make fine sidekicks to a luxury grand touring car. An extended-wheelbase body style has been added to the Bentayga lineup for 2023. The longer body allows for more space in the rear seat so passengers can stretch out and relax. This model comes with a rear-wheel steering system which helps shrink the SUV’s turning radius. It also features Bentley’s new Diamond Illumination ambient lighting system which shines lights through hand-stitched leather panels. The rear seats can recline up to 40 degrees and there’s a footrest that extends from the back of the front passenger seat so that the right rear rider can kick their feet up. The rear seats can be had with massaging functions and your choice of a full-length center console or a middle seat. Two additional plug-in hybrid options join the lineup this year in posh Azure and sporty S guise. Both of the new hybrid trims offer slightly more power and more electric-only driving range than the standard PHEV model at 455 horsepower and 27 miles of range.

We like the V-8 model best. Even though the Speed’s powerful W-12 engine is silky smooth and effortlessly powerful, its price premium over the V-8 is substantial. We’d suggest sticking with the eight-cylinder model and adding some niceties to it, such as the adaptive suspension, the rear-seat entertainment system, and the 20-speaker Naim stereo. And choosing the Touring Specification package will give you a suite of driver-assistance features. If you’re looking to maximize luxury for your rear-seat passengers, go with the extended-wheelbase model, which provides additional legroom and more rear-seat amenities.

Bentley offers a variety of powertrains for the Bentayga. On the low end, you have a 443-hp hybrid arrangement with a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 and an electric motor; Azure and S hybrids offer a slightly more powerful 455-hp version of the electrified powertrain. Then there’s the 542-hp twin-turbo V-8 engine. The V-8 emits a hearty burble on its way to 60 mph, which it does in just 3.5 seconds. The Bentayga Speed ups the ante with a 626-hp W-12. Back in 2017, when the Speed made 600 ponies, this supersmooth powerhouse delivered a 3.6-second result in our 60-mph test. The W-12’s power delivery is creamier than the V-8’s, and its performance felt more robust during passing maneuvers. Bentley claims that the Bentayga Speed, with a claimed top speed of 190 mph, is the fastest SUV in the world (although the Lamborghini Urus might have something to say about that). Regardless of what’s under the hood, all Bentaygas utilize an eight-speed automatic transmission and come standard with all-wheel drive.

2017 Bentley Bentayga SUV

Overview

The 2017 Bentley Bentayga is an amazing thing; a 12-cylinder, ultra-lux SUV with a claimed top speed in the realm of 170 mph, and the off-road chops to take it places few, if any, buyers will ever decide to take it. The product of the fastest vehicle development program in Bentley’s history — just 42 months, from concept approval to production — it is an extremely well put together SUV from an automaker that has never built an SUV before.

Walkaround

Why even build an SUV in the first place?? Because luxury SUVs are shaping up to be the Next Big Thing. Being a part of VW gave the Bentley team plenty to work with when concepting the Bentayga. It’s built on the PL73 version of VW’s MLB platform architecture that also underpins the new Audi Q7. However, the Bentley gets its own suspension and brakes and debuts VW’s new 6.0-liter W-12 engine.

The interiod is beautifully crafted and is rich in signature Bentley-ness such as quilted leather and knurled metal. The dash fascia combines design themes from both Continental and Mulsanne, and the latest iterations of familiar Bentley instruments and switchgear. The attention to detail is impeccable, from the ultra-thin chrome surrounds for the switchgear, to the etched covers for the sound system speakers that look like woven metal.

The all-new W-12 under the Bentayga’s hood shares basic architectural elements such as bore spacings with the outgoing engine, but is 66 pounds lighter and features direct and port injection to help it meet emissions, performance, drivability, and cold start targets. A cylinder deactivation system shuts down one bank of cylinders. The twin-scroll turbochargers are integrated into the exhaust manifolds, and a new oil system has been developed, with pickups that ensure good oil supply throughout the engine, plus suction pumps to scavenge oil from the turbochargers, even when the Bentayga is tilted at extreme angles.

Bentley offers four on-road dynamic modes: Comfort, Bentley, Sport, and Custom. (Bentley mode represents what Guest and his team believe is the ideal setup for the car.) The steering feel can be changed in Custom mode if you want, though there’s really no need, as the nicely weighted and impressively linear helm helps you accurately place the big Bentley through turns.

The Bentayga’s killer app, however, is a trick anti-roll system called EWAS that uses fast-acting 48-volt motors to twist the anti-roll bars in the opposite direction to the cornering forces, keeping the car flat through turns. The EWAS system, which will be standard on 12-cylinder Bentaygas and optional on the V-8 versions that will arrive in the 2018 model year, works beautifully when you get the big Bentley among the switchbacks, keeping it uncannily calm and composed, yet feeling remarkably agile and light on its feet. Even better, there’s no negative impact on the ride, which is probably the best yet from a VW Group-era Bentley.

Summary

With a claimed top speed of 187 mph, Bentley boasts that the Bentayga is the fastest SUV in the world. The claim is made possible by a twin-turbo 6.0-liter W-12 that makes a mighty 600 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque; an eight-speed automatic drives all four wheels. The interior can be configured to seat four or five; only the finest leather will cosset those lucky posteriors. Diesel and hybrid powertrains will be offered in the future; the Bentayga goes on sale in early 2016.