If you’re the kind of person that thinks a Lamborghini Urus is way too aggressive and the Range Rover is just a commoner, the one-million dirham Bentley Bentayga might just be the car for you. Introduced in late 2015, the Bentayga was Bentley’s response to an onslaught of full-size luxury SUVs that seemed to be too lackluster. What Bentley may not tell you is that mechanically, the Bentayga is more German than it is British. You see, this big brut shares its platform with lesser cars such as the new Audi Q7 and Volkswagen Touareg.
At the time of its launch, the Bentley Bentayga was claimed to be the “most expensive, most powerful, and fastest SUV in the world”. Today, it’s one of the most popular and in-demand models in Bentley’s entire lineup. In the UAE, this behemoth competes with the likes of the Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz GLS 63 AMG, and Lamborghini’s Urus.
Exterior
Head-on, it’s impossible to mistake the Bentayga for anything but a Bentley. The large chrome-laden grille with its complex mesh pattern, paired with the brand’s iconic quad-headlight layout is all that you need to identify this is as a Bentley. The lower part of this intimidating front fascia features a sporty bumper with big air intakes and a massive skid plate. A strong character line (‘power line’ in Bentley’s parlance) stretches right from the svelte headlights all the way up to the SUV’s muscular rear haunches. Also pretty noticeable are the bold and truly enormous alloy wheels, extended wheel arches, thick chrome strip along the doors, and distinctive B-shaped fender vents.
The girthy rear end of the Bentayga sports a rear spoiler, contoured tailgate with the Bentley motif, rectangular LED taillights, and a chrome garnished bumper with elliptical twin exhausts. Whip out a measurement tape, and you’ll read the following numbers: length - 5.140 meters, width - 1.998 meters, height - 1.742 meters. Available only as a five-seater in the UAE, the Bentayga’s 2.995-meter wheelbase proves more than sufficient, though its boot volume of just 484 liters isn’t too impressive. As a whole, I don’t find the Bentley Bentayga to be a very handsome SUV. However, it does have a substantial sense of presence out on the road, or even when parked outside the Ritz-Carlton in Dubai.
Interior
Inside, the Bentley Bentayga’s cabin is nothing short of grand and lavish. The quality of the stitched leather upholstery, aluminum trim, and chrome inlays feels expensive and posh. Of course, it isn’t as palatial in its sense of grandiose as the Cullinan, but it’s certainly more exquisite than any Audi or Range Rover. Fit & finish is very good, so is the build quality and attention to detail. Comfort is excellent as there’s little to no outside noise entering the cabin, while the seats are exceptional.
Bentley has kitted out the Bentayga with conveniences such as adaptive LED headlights, dynamic cruise control, adaptive air suspension, quad-zone climate control, programmable tailgate, heated & cooled massaging seats, head-up display, night vision, an 8-inch touchscreen with navigation, and an 18-speaker Naim sound system. Some of the Bentayga’s safety gizmos include permanent all-wheel drive system with different terrain modes, 8 airbags, all-around parking sensors with surround-view cameras, electronic stability and traction assist programs, and Traffic Sign Recognition.
Engine and performance
The twin-turbo W12 powerplant of the Bentley Bentayga displace six liters, and produces 600 horsepower and a colossal 900 Nm of torque. Shifting through an 8-speed gearbox and driving all four wheels, the Bentayga will blast past 100 km/h in a mere 4.1 seconds and continue accelerating to just north of 300 km/h. As for fuel economy, who cares?
Verdict
The 2019 Bentley Bentayga with the W12 engine starts at AED 1,005,000, sans extra options. Well, duh. Meanwhile, financing is available from AED 15,664.
