Fresh face gives family look to new Bentayga
OFFICIAL Extensive facelift accompanied by digital tech in new-look cabin
THIS is the newly facelifted Bentley Bentayga, which the brand’s design boss says ‘rounds up’ the marque’s current line-up for the years ahead.
That’s because the Bentayga – Bentley’s best-selling model – has received quite a makeover, bringing its design in line with that of the Continental GT and Flying Spur.
Every panel at the front end of the car has been altered. It receives a larger, more upright grille with new dual LED Matrix headlights inspired by the Continental’s, and sitting 30mm higher than before.
The changes at the rear are more dramatic and mark out the Bentayga’s evolution towards the brand’s latest design language. The tailgate grows in width and changes in shape, the rear track is now 20mm wider and the licence plate is repositioned onto the rear bumper. The tail-lights adopt the oval shape from the latest Continental GT, and there are also larger exhausts and a new spoiler.
Design changes inside focus mainly on new cabin technology, although the door trim has been changed. The centre console has also been redesigned and accommodates a new 10.9-inch touchscreen display. The system runs new software, and features wireless Apple CarPlay for the first time, as well as Android Auto.
The car’s instrument panel is now wholly digital, and in the back, passengers are treated to a larger remote tablet for controlling various rear-seat functions.
The Bentayga is offered as a four-seater with two full-sized rear seats, a five-seater with a second-row bench, and as a sevenseater with a pair of folding seats in the boot. Four-seat versions benefit from additional kneeroom and the ability to recline the seats 100mm further. The redesigned second-row bench means the rear passengers in the five-seat Bentayga can recline a little further, too.
At launch, the only Bentayga model to be offered will be the V8, using a turbocharged 542bhp 4.0-litre petrol engine. Bentley claims 0-62mph takes 4.5 seconds, while top speed is 180mph. Drive is sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Bentley has also confirmed that a facelifted version of the 6.0-litre W12powered Bentayga Speed is coming, along with a six-cylinder petrol plug-in hybrid. But there is no diesel model in the line-up.
QHow does the new Bentayga unite the family from a design point of view?
A“I think it’s mainly about the front, with the matrix grille and headlights, and the crystal cut theme. This is now one genetic code of the portfolio for these years, but obviously we will carry on; we have shown already in the XP100 GT and the Bacalar how things will develop. I think it is also around the details, like how the wheels look. It’s always this balance between sport and elegance that makes a Bentley a Bentley. This is something we do rather similarly on the Continental or Bentayga; it’s the family feeling we try to generate. ”
QDo new releases beyond this car come with a new design language?
A“I think we will do. When we talk about new models, we will do some bigger steps. I think this is rounding up one statement, which I think will be quite prominent for the coming years. And then what’s next we will have to discuss. It’s a little too early now; we must experiment.”
CITROEN has confirmed its all-new pureelectric e-C4 crossover will be able to cover up to 217 miles on a full charge.
The EV uses a 50kWh battery that powers a 135bhp electric motor on the front axle. Citroen claims the e-C4 can cover 0-62mph in 9.7 seconds, hit a top speed of 93mph, and takes a little over seven hours to fully charge using a domestic 7kW wallbox charger.
The regular C4, on which the e-C4 is based, offers the choice of three petrol and one diesel engine. Petrols include Citroen’s PureTech 1.2-litre threecylinder motor with 99, 128 or 153bhp.
Every model will be front-wheel drive, while the more powerful versions will be offered with an eight-speed automatic gearbox. The only diesel option will be a 101bhp 1.5-litre, which can be had with a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission.
Sales of all versions of the new C4 will begin in the UK from January.