Rough and Tough Luxury
Getting up close and personal with the 2021 Bentley Bentayga SUV
Last year, Bentley announced details of the new Bentayga – the definitive luxury SUV. With more than 20,000 sold since its launch – more than any of its competitors – the new Bentayga is set to keep its lead over luxury SUV challengers. For those unfamiliar with the automobile, it combines the abilities of a performance grand tourer, a luxury limousine, a spacious family car, and an off-roader in one.
As Adrian Hallmark, Chairman and Chief Executive of Bentley Motors revealed, “With the new Bentayga, we’re repositioning the pinnacle of the luxury SUV segment to be even higher, even further away from the competition. We’ve listened to our customers and made improvements to the areas most important to them, and the new Bentayga is a thoroughly modern and beautiful extension of the original car’s abilities and achievements.”
Key to the new Bentayga is its strikingly dynamic look, which draws inspiration from the marque’s new design language introduced by the third-generation Continental GT and all-new Flying Spur. Together, the three cars form a new family that is more visually connected, sharing similar design elements. The bold styling also offers an imposing road presence, with every panel at the front of the car redesigned for a cleaner, modern look.
Meanwhile, the larger, assertive matrix grille is now more upright, while new, intelligent LED matrix headlamp technology includes the signature Bentley design inspired by cut crystal glassware. A more aggressive front bumper emphasizes the performance characteristics of the car. In addition, heated, wet-arm windscreen wipers are introduced for the first time, with 22 washer jets in each arm.
At the rear, the Bentayga has undergone a major transformation, with a total redesign of the rear panels including a new full-width tailgate with new encapsulated lamps, while the license plate has been moved down into the bumper for a cleaner appearance. Larger oval-shaped split sport tailpipes echo the design of the rear lamps, while a new longer roof spoiler gives a more elegant profile. A 20 mm increase to the rear track width (distance between the axels when measured from the center of the car) brings dynamic benefit and repositions the wheels in their arches to improve the car’s stance without changing to the car’s coefficients of drag or lift.
The Bentayga’s interior has been significantly revised in the latest model. Among the major changes are a new center fascia and steering wheel, new door trims and all-new seats – now available with ventilation in the rear of the five-seat cabin option. Passengers in the rear also enjoy significantly more space, with legroom increased by up to 100 mm depending on the configuration.
A next generation infotainment system is integrated seamlessly into the handcrafted Bentley ‘wing’ dashboard design and features a 10.9inch display screen with edge-to-edge graphics. The all-new digital display includes super high-resolution and dynamic graphics that are configurable to suit driver preferences.
The latest hardware and software bring all-new navigation with satellite maps, online search, and other features. Wireless Apple CarPlay is standard for the first time, alongside the existing wired system, along with Android Auto (market dependant). Rear seat occupants benefit from the introduction of a new, larger touch screen remote control tablet, similar to that introduced in the new Flying Spur.
Connectivity around the car has been significantly improved, with USB-C data ports and a wireless phone charger now standard. The Bentayga is also provided with an embedded SIM, as with the latest Continental GT models. This means the My Bentley connected car features no longer require customers to provide their own data connection. My Bentley in-car and remote services is a continually
developing range of services available to customers through a dedicated app, available on Apple iOS and Android mobile platforms.
The luxurious interior can be further enhanced with the application of dark tint diamond brushed aluminium trim, as well as two straightgrained veneers new to Bentayga – Koa and Crown Cut Walnut. Mulliner Driving Specification adds a new quilting design, while micro-piping detailing is a new option for the seats.
The 2021 Bentayga is powered by Bentley’s proven 4.0-litre, 32-valve dual twin-scroll turbocharged V8 petrol engine, which combines immense power with impressive fuel economy, which is probably not of importance to those who purchase a Bentley. Mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox, the V8 offers supercar performance, developing 542 bhp (550 PS) and 568 lb.ft (770 Nm) of road gobbling torque, resulting in a top speed of 180 mph (290 km/h) and 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds (100 km/h in 4.5 seconds). In the near future, Bentley will also offer a plug-in Hybrid and its 6.0-litre W12 TSI engine as options for the SUV. In keeping with the times, Bentley says it will have an electric option at some point.
The Bentayga defined a new category when it was first introduced in November 2015. It set the benchmark as the world’s first luxury SUV and offered customers a Grand Touring experience that was unrestricted by terrain. No doubt, it was Bentley’s way of offering something different to a younger customer or one who wanted “rough luxury.” The Bentayga was able to rival the very best premium SUVs — whilst retaining the craftsmanship, luxury, quality, and presence of a Bentley motorcar.
With a retail price of S$850,000 to S$975,000, depending on engine size and options, the Bentayga isn’t exactly what you’d call a steal. However, if you’re looking to rough it out in luxury, this just might be your best choice for an incredible luxury SUV.