Bentley Bentayga Review: Does It Still Stand Up Against Its Rival SUVs?

Bentley was one of the first ultra-luxury brands to capitalise on the SUV craze that has engulfed the market. But with Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, and even Aston Martin coming up with SUVs. Does Bentley Bentayga still fare well against its rivals?

Bentley was one of the first ultra-luxury brands to capitalise on the SUV craze that has engulfed the market. Naturally, the sales numbers showed that it was really loved by its customers, although its design was not very well received by social media. The Bentayga also caused another type of stir in the backend. A few years passed since 2016, and we have stiff competition even at such a price point! Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, and even Aston Martin have come up with SUVs. So today we see if the Bentley Bentayga can still stand up against its rivals.

Exterior:

The Bentley Bentayga has a design that is distinctly Bentley. The circular headlamps, grille, and the overall silhouette of the car are all very much trademark design aspects of the Bentley brand. But the attempt to make a design language largely meant for sedans and limousines apply for an SUV has not worked all the time. The side of the car looks quite odd, and so does the rear, which looks quite plain, and lacks the flamboyance of, say, the Lamborghini Urus. But Bentley is not alone in this, as Rolls-Royce also has not been supremely successful in porting their design language to their Cullinan SUV. Nevertheless, the SUV has got presence, loads of it. The car looks majestic on the road and bespoke. Bentley offers over 100 colours that they would coat their SUV with upon your order. The vehicle looks very menacing overall and would satisfy any of its buyers. To give you an idea, the configurator offers 21 varieties of blues itself!

Interior:

The interior of the Bentley Bentayga is an everlasting reminder of the sheer luxury it provides. Nothing but the finest materials finds its way into this vehicle. The seats are very well made, and the seating position is just perfect. The exquisite materials used in the Bentayga are completely customizable, every single trim, colour, leather in this car can be changed as per your wish. Once again such options just prove how much effort and attention to detail goes into this or any Bentley for that matter. The car comes loaded with features and kit, that would satisfy even the pickiest of enthusiasts. Even state of the art technology like adaptive cruise control is available with the Bentayga. The infotainment system is really solid and comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but that is to be expected as this system is based on the version used by Volkswagen. But do keep in mind that this unit does not roll away to hide itself like the unit does in the Flying Spur. The option list does include a Breitling clock that would cost you Rs. 1.5 crore. But then again, the mere existence of such options show what kind of customers Bentley deals with. Long journeys are a breeze and the rear seat experience is also very solid, with optional rear-seat entertainment systems, and a tablet to control the infotainment and climate from the rear seat. Legroom is plentiful and so is the space for your knees and head. Ultimately, the interior is nothing short of blissful. Everything is picture-perfect and can be customized the way you want it.

Performance:

When this car debuted, Bentley was more keen on showcasing its speed. Under the flying B, there can sit a petrol or a diesel V8 engine, or a W12 engine, that can be obtained in the ‘Speed’ variant, understandably. That car owns the title for the ‘Fastest Production SUV’, with a 306 km/hr top speed! That record dethroned the Lamborghini Urus for the all-important title. The variant we will be looking at today is the V8 petrol. The V8 in question is a bi-turbo unit that puts out 542 HP of power and 770 Nm of torque between 1960 to 4500 RPM. The Bentayga can go from a standstill to 100 km/hr in 4.5 seconds, and, if you can keep your foot down, the speedo will climb all the way up to 290 km/hr! But the truth is many Bentayga owners would probably never touch the speeds capable of the W12, so the V8 strikes a good balance between economy and performance. The car comes with all the contemporary methods of fuel-saving like cylinder deactivation and a start-stop system. The V8 engine can even be bought as a hybrid! Power delivery is really good, and the car is very punchy through the mid-range. The car is also pretty dynamic, for an SUV, and handles the wiggly bits quite easily. The Bentayga uses an aluminum frame that Bentley is very proud of, and it also employs electronic anti-roll bars. This is very useful in minimising the body roll that a car of this size provides. The suspension set-up is just perfect with the right firmness for cornering and is supple enough to handle the bumpy bits. Speaking of which, unlike the Cullinan, this car can come with an off-road terrain response system that can make this sophisticated and luxurious piece of art tackle raw nature. Although no one will use it, it still is present, reassuring you that you are not just in a land yacht, but in a tough land yacht.

Conclusion:

As mentioned before, the Bentley Bentayga is one of the very first ultra-luxury SUVs that dawned the market. But till date this car remains a strong competitor to all of its newfound rivals. The ride is perfect, and the engine is smooth and fast. The car’s inside pampers you with the finest materials, and looks imposing on the road. The only anomaly that crops up is the odd proportions, that looks to be a side effect of porting a sedan design to an SUV. Apart from that, there really is not much to say about the Bentley Bentayga. It truly still is one of the benchmarks in its segment. Source: MotorBeam.com