Bentley Bentayga review

Given Bentley has never before ventured into the SUV market, the Bentayga is an impressive effort. It offers astounding pace whichever engine you go for, surprisingly agile handling and superb refinement. There's also plenty of craftsmanship in the cabin and the ability to endlessly personalise the Bentayga inside and out.

However, we were surprised to discover that the new Bentley doesn't quite have the Range Rover's sense of occasion or kit count. Yes, it's a hugely polished and capable car, but it drives rather too much like a top-spec Audi Q7 and lacks the up-to-date cabin tech of its sibling. And while that's fine in essence, given the Bentayga costs more than twice as much (and the rest if you hit the options list) we expected a bit more. Fortunately, there's plenty of room at the top end of the market for an SUV that gives the rich a chance to demonstrate their wealth.

About the Bentley Bentayga

Bentley has gone bold with its first ever SUV. Claiming unrivalled performance, handling, off-road ability and luxury, the Bentayga promises to raise the bar for upmarket off-roaders. It shares a fair chunk of its underpinnings with the current Audi Q7 SUV, as Audi is one of Bentley’s sister companies in the VW Group.

Used - available now

2018 Bentley

Bentayga

90,000 milesAutomaticDiesel4.0L

Cash £51,995

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2018 Bentley

Bentayga

68,512 milesAutomaticPetrol6.0L

Cash £50,000

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2025 Bentley

Bentayga

9,139 milesAutomaticPetrol4.0L

Cash £112,990

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2020 Bentley

Bentayga

42,500 milesAutomaticPetrol4.0L

Cash £69,900

View Bentayga

Now into its second generation, there are three engines to choose from in the Bentayga. range For the purest Bentley experience of all, you can opt for a heavily revised version of the 626bhp 6.0-litre W12 that we’ve seen in the Continental GT. This engine is a version of the W12 engine VW introduced in the record-breaking Volkswagen Nardo W12 Coupe that averaged 183mph for 24 hours around the Nardo test track in Italy in 2001. Production versions of the W12 have since appeared in the Audi A8, VW Phaeton and VW Touareg, as well as the Continental GT, so you might say that it’s tried and tested. That said, redesigned cylinder block and heads attest to the Bentayga engine’s ‘newness’.

We prefer the mid-range engine, though. It’s a 542bhp V8 with close links to those used by Porsche and Audi, and it pushes out 770Nm of torque – 0-62mph takes just 4.4 seconds and top speed is 180mph.

Those looking for a more frugal Bentley can consider the Bentayga Hybrid, a plug-in hybrid that shares its basic powertrain with the Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid. Power comes from a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine and electric motor that produce 443bhp; 0-60mph takes 5.2 seconds and top speed is 158mph. The Bentayga Hybrid can travel up to 24 miles on electric power alone – perfect for fuel-free short commutes or school runs.

Bentayga Hybrid, V8 and S models make up the core of the range, along with the range-topping, go-faster Bentayga Speed. The big SUV is primarily a four-seater, although you can specify a three-person rear bench, and is largely modeled on the EXP 9 F concept that Bentley revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show back in 2012.

The Bentayga’s body-in-white is put together at the Volkswagen Group’s SUV factory in Slovakia, which is where its Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne and VW Touareg sister models are also built. However, while the aforementioned trio roll off the Bratislava Plant production lines complete, the Bentayga bodies are shipped as aluminium skeletons to Bentley’s factory in Crewe for final assembly.

The engines are assembled at Crewe, the bodies completed and the peerlessly-crafted leather and wood interiors are stitched, sawn and polished there too, ensuring the Bentayga can boast genuinely bespoke finishes that are worthy of the famous British marque.

Engines, performance and drive

In a bid to ensure its first SUV is up to scratch from behind the wheel, Bentley has tapped into the vast off-roader knowledge bank of owner Volkswagen. The Bentayga is based on the same MLB architecture as the Q7 and next-generation Cayenne, so composed and agile handling should be standard.

There’s barely any wind noise, and the air-suspension’s soft ride means it handles bumps with supple composure, although broken surfaces send a shudder through the cabin as is typical with air set-ups.

In a corner, however, the Bentley responds with the poise and agility of a car half its size. You can choose from Comfort, Bentley, Custom and Sport driving modes, and in the latter, the air springs tense up, plus the Dynamic Ride roll control function keeps the car remarkably flat and stable. Yet our car struggled when braking hard. The combination of torque vectoring and the hefty 2,440kg kerbweight meant the all-disc set-up wilted under the exertion of even moderate use.

Turn off the beaten track and the Bentayga will take some serious mud-plugging in its stride. It’s not quite as accomplished as a Range Rover, but the combination of variable ride height, sophisticated four-wheel drive and hill descent control allows you to explore places few other luxury cars can reach.

Keen drivers are best served by the Bentayga V8 – it sounds suitably characterful, offers huge performance and, thanks to a slight weight saving over the W12, feels a little lighter on its feet through corners. The ZF eight-speed automatic is slick, yet allows for very fast shifts in manual mode. It's not all about performance though – at a cruise, the V8 can shut down half of its cylinders to help save fuel on the motorway.

The cheapest and slowest car in the range is the Bentayga Hybrid – acceleration is yawning by Bentley standards (5.2 seconds to 60mph) but still more than fast enough for everyday driving. Refinement is serene at low speeds in fully electric mode around town, but the V6's strained engine note at higher speeds isn't entirely in-keeping with the Bentley's character. It's still the best choice if you live in an urban area and can keep the battery topped up, however.

Engines, 0-60 acceleration and top speed 

It’s the Bentley’s twin-turbo 6.0-litre W12 that’ll grab your attention first. Boasting an eye-popping 626bhp and 900Nm of torque at just 1,350rpm, it bestows on the Bentayga amazing performance. In our test, the quick-shifting eight-speed auto box helped it sprint from 0-60mph in just 4.1 seconds, which is one second faster than the supercharged V8 Range Rover we tested it against. Yet in other respects, the W12 is a model of unflustered refinement. It’s near silent at idle and when cruising, while pushing hard only results in a muted growl.

The  V8 petrol unit acts as a halfway house between the Hybrid and the W12. It delivers 542bhp and 700Nm of torque, hitting 0-62mph in 4.4 seconds en route to a top speed of 180mph. This is despite a sizeable kerbweight of 2,508kg.

The Hybrid model uses a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine with a 17.3kWh battery powering the electric motor, to provide a combined output of 443bhp and 700 Nm of torque. This allows a 0-60 mph time of 5.2 seconds and a top speed of 158mph.

MPG, CO2 and running costs

If you’re already considering forking out well over £180,000 on an SUV, it’s unlikely you’ll be put off by the Bentayga’s high running costs. The hefty 2.5-tonne kerbweight and mammoth 6.0-litre engine of the W12 Speed model result in hefty 325g/km CO2 emissions, placing the car in the top tax bracket – which is just what buyers will expect.

On test, our Bentayga W12 managed only 17.5mpg, so if you reckon you may get annoyed by making regular visits to the filling station, then the Hybrid model is the best choice. Bentley claim a combined a fuel economy figure of 83.1mpg, with an all-electric range of up to 24.8 miles.

Regardless of which model you choose, the Bentley’s high list price makes it a pretty costly company vehicle, so limo and private hire firms will probably prefer the Audi Q7. 

Insurance groups

With its staggering performance, and a breath-taking price, you won’t be surprised to learn the Bentayga falls into the top Group 50 insurance category regardless of engine.

Depreciation

Initial strong demand and a long waiting list meant nearly new cars were selling at a premium, with First Edition versions advertised for nearly £300,000. The Bentayga V8 models are expected to hold onto around 57-60 per cent of their original value over three years and 36,000 miles, although the four-seat variants take more of a hit, retaining about 51 per cent on average. 

Whatever model you choose you will see a significant drop in value over the three year period, but again that’s nothing out of the ordinary in the luxury sector. However, the bespoke nature of the Bentley brand means those owners lured into shelling out small fortunes for special interior trims, finishes and accessories could be faced with actual residual values far below those predicted for the standard model. 

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Interior, design and technology

While the unashamedly bold Bentayga won’t be to all tastes, there’s no denying the imposing newcomer attracts attention. The raised ride height and boxy SUV proportions will be unfamiliar to fans of the brand’s traditional coupés, convertibles and saloons, but the new creation is recognisably a Bentley. Styling revisions for the second generation model include a larger, more upright grille, a redesigned rear end and new oval tailpipes. 

Climb into the Bentayga and you’re immediately struck by the opulence of its handcrafted cabin, but it’s not perfect. For instance, the cup-holders are made from cheap plastic. Plus, the cabin lacks the airy and spacious feel of the Range Rover – take the luxury fittings out, and you could be in a Q7 or Porsche Cayenne. Even so, the combination of lustrous wood trim, soft leather and cool metal inserts gives the interior a cosseting club-class atmosphere, while the exquisite fit and finish lifts the Bentley above mainstream premium machines.

Look beyond the old-school luxury, though, and you’ll discover plenty of cutting-edge kit, such as an intuitive eight-inch infotainment system that dominates the centre console. As you’d expect with a car costing over £180,000 in top W12 form, it comes crammed with standard kit, including sat-nav, WiFi, soft-close doors, a panoramic roof and LED headlamps.

Of course, it is possible to personalise your car with bespoke wood veneer and leather finishes. Plus, you can add extras such as the £4,520 All Terrain spec, which brings underside protection and a surround view camera, or the £5,900 Touring Specification that bundles together safety kit such as adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and a head-up display.

Get carried away with the options and the price can soon rocket even more – our test car had over £30,000 of extras, taking it to nearly £200,000.

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Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

The optional 1,780-Watt 20-channel Naim audio system has eight listening modes to choose from. There are 20 speakers dotted around the cabin, including two bass speakers located in the lower seats backs and two  tweeters to enhance the high frequency range. In practice, the sound system seems to deliver on its promise – it's a must-tick option, if you can afford the lofty asking price.

A bigger 10.9-inch touchscreen display for the infotainment system replaces the previous 8-inch version, while there is a new multifunction steering wheel included.

Practicality, comfort and boot space

In spite of its large external dimensions, the Bentley can’t quite match its key rival, the Range Rover, for space and versatility. All things are relative though, and as you would expect the Bentayga certainly isn’t short of room or creature comforts.

Up front, the driver gets a wide range of seat and wheel adjustment, plus there’s plenty of handy storage. Luxury features include a hands-free power operated tailgate, and soft-close doors so you’ll never need to slam them.

The car is extremely hushed and refined on the move, which makes it a truly relaxing mile-muncher, although poor road surfaces can send judders and harshness into the cabin. That’s especially true if you’ve picked the largest 22-inch wheels, so on British roads at least, they’re probably best avoided. The Bentayga is not quite as competent an off-roader as the go-anywhere Range Rover, but it's best to choose smaller wheels if you plan to venture off-piste.

Dimensions and size

From its nose to its tail the Bentayga measures 5,141mm, and it’s 1,988mm wide and 1,742mm tall. The Range Rover is 4,999mm tall and 1,0983mm wide so takes up a similar amount of road space, but it’s also 1,910mm tall, which makes a considerable difference to the car’s physical presence.

Leg room, head room & passenger space

A four-seater layout with individual rear passenger chairs is an extra cost option, but in either four- or five-seat guise, there’s plenty of room. Despite its lower roofline even taller occupants will be able to stretch out in comfort.

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Boot space

Raising the powered tailgate reveals an open but disappointingly cramped 484-litre boot. Our car was fitted with the £2,400 retractable Event seat, which functions like the Range Rover’s split tailgate. It does eat into load space, though, plus it felt a little flimsy with two adults perched on it.

Reliability and safety

Bentley doesn't feature in our Driver Power satisfaction surveys due to its low sales volumes, but as the brand has an emphasis on bespoke customer service and a network of 25 carefully selected dealers, owning and running one of its cars should be a pleasure rather than a pain.

The revised W12 has been well proven in other models, while much of the Bentayga's structure and electronics are shared with the Audi Q7  – so we wouldn’t expect too many reliability or durability problems. Certainly the car feels extremely solidly put together.

While sharing steering wheel controls with an Audi may not be quite what some owners expect from their Bentley, the VW Group technology sharing philosophy is definitely beneficial in relation to the Bentayga’s extensive roster of safety kit. The new Bentley comes with eight airbags, stability control and tyre-pressure monitoring. You’ll have to pay extra for items like adaptive cruise control and a surround-view camera – both are standard on the top-spec Range Rover.

While independent crash-test assessor Euro NCAP is unlikely to get its hands on a Bentayga any time soon, they have crash-tested the Audi Q7 SUV and certified it as a five-star car. There seems little doubt the Bentayga should perform as well as its Audi relation under similar circumstances. 

Warranty

The Bentley Bentayga comes with the marque’s standard three-year/unlimited mileage warranty, which is pretty much par for the course in the luxury sector. The Range Rover has similar cover, although Rolls-Royce offers four years on its new cars, and also has a new 4x4 SUV model on the way. 

Servicing

The Bentayga has 10,000-mile service intervals, or annual services if you don’t drive it that much. You can expect to have to shell out a fair chunk to get that stamp in the service record too, as other Bentleys in the line-up are offered with a two-year service package costing £2,000.

If you're thinking of splashing out on a Bentley Bentayga, visit our Find a Car service for the latest deals or use our Free Car Valuation tool for the price of a specific car.