Key Points: 7 Seat Specification, Mulliner Driving Specification, Touring Specification, Black Specification.
The Bentley Bentayga debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2015 as Bentley's first SUV, and was made available as a four, five or seven-seater. The name comes from Roque Bentayga, an emblematic highland rock situated in Tejeda, Gran Canaria. The company also drew inspiration from a blend of the words Bentley and ‘Taiga’, the world's largest transcontinental snow forest, composed of the first four letters of Bentley and an altered spelling of taiga.
It features unibody construction and full-time all-wheel drive, as well as Volkswagen Group's bi-turbo W12 engine and MLB platform, the latter shared with the second-generation Audi Q7, the third-generation Porsche Cayenne, the Audi Q8 and the Lamborghini Urus.
The model was facelifted in 2020, with changes including new 3D elliptical tail-lights with animated LEDs, similar to those on the third-generation Continental GT, and a rear number plate repositioned onto the bumper. New side vents and heated windscreen washers were fitted, and the rear was redesigned with new tailpipes and a larger spoiler.
In the cabin, new seat frames in combination with extra reclining room allow a 100 mm (3.9 in) increase in knee space. There are ventilated rear seats, and rear passengers also receive an updated 5.0-inch removable touchscreen tablet to control entertainment and comfort functions. The infotainment has a new system with a higher resolution 10.9-inch touchscreen. Included are Apple CarPlay as well as USB-C ports, navigation, air ionisers, wireless smartphone charging, and an embedded SIM card for data services. The traditional instrument dials have been replaced with a digital display, and the head-up display shows more data.
The base engine for post-facelift cars is the 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8, which delivers 542hp through an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shift. With this engine, the Bentayga can launch from 0-62mph in 4.4 seconds, before hitting a top speed of 180mph.
