Bentley Bentayga, car review: Much-anticipated British luxury SUV has arrived centre stage

Does it live up to its ultimate billing?

It’s a proper SUV, with genuine off-roading ability. It’s a performance powerhouse. It’s a serene cathedral to poise and grace. And it’s a luxury wagon befitting of one of the world’s ultimate prestige brands. Yes, as the new Bentley Bentayga enters the spotlight, we can confirm it truly is an accomplished machine.

With pretty much the first two years of production already having found buyers despite a starting price of £160,000, the Bentayga certainly appears to have hit the mark with a discerning customer base whose expectations far exceed anything available on the market up until now. ­A seemingly endless options list is being worked hard to the tune of tens of thousands of pounds per purchase, as well; our test car’s £50,000-worth of extras isn’t atypical.

So, what exactly does hundreds of thousands of pounds buy? And what’s the Bentayga like on the road? Well, the short answer to the former question is an Audi Q7 MLB-Evo platform-based super-SUV with a not-quite-three-metre wheelbase, a two-and-a-half-tonne kerbweight and a rock-solid W12 engine. Hefty figures – but all pulled together into a package of near-perfection by the innate engineering, design and craftsmanship skills of Britain’s top luxury performance marque.

Bentley Bentayga

Price: £160,200
Engine: W12, 5950cc, twin-turbo petrol
Power: 600bhp at 5000-6000rpm
Torque: 664lb ft at 1350-4500rpm
0-62mph: 4.0sec
Top speed: 187mph
Gearbox: 8spd automatic
Kerbweight: 2440kg
Economy: 21.6mpg (combined)
CO2: 296g/km, 37%

From behind the wheel, the Bentley feels every bit as accomplished and adaptable as you could wish. Eight driving modes – four on-road, four off-road – ensure it can cope with aplomb over any terrain by subtly altering engine response, air-suspension settings, active anti-roll bars and everything in between.

The 600bhp bi-turbo 6.0-litre W12 (the sole engine option at launch, and anticipated to remain the best-seller even when the range expands) is good for a top speed of 187mph. A 21.6mpg return – regardless of the aid of cylinder shut-down and coasting tech – is of little consequence in this class, and neither will owners be too alarmed that pushing the envelope on-road or properly going for it off-tarmac will drop this figure drastically.


 Styling inside and out is equally unique and entirely deserving of the revered ‘Winged B’ badge

Torque of 664ft lb, allied to an eight-speed auto transmission, ensures the Bentayga just pulls and pulls – and pulls – achieving 0-62mph in four seconds flat with deceptive serenity. Driving this car wherever you wish is never short of relaxing and cosseting.

Styling inside and out is equally unique and entirely deserving of the revered ‘Winged B’ badge. The cabin is every bit as luxurious and beautifully built as customers expect, even deserve. Traditional craftsmanship and top-end materials meet advanced technology to create a sublime environment. Personalisation options – leather, paint, veneers, equipment – present infinite custom options, ensuring no two Bentaygas will ever be the same.

By being the first to reach this audience at the pinnacle of SUV luxury and design, the Brit marque has set the bar high. The likes of Rolls-Royce, Range Rover and Maserati have rivals in the works, but for now the stage is Bentley’s and Bentley’s alone. It’s entirely deserving of the adulation it receives.