BRIAN HARPER
Ettore Bugatti, literally a maestro at creating some of the most stunning cars of the 1920s and ’30s, was no fan of rival W.O. Bentley’s large, plain-looking – but deceptively fast and quite robust – Le Mans-winning race cars. In fact, when asked his opinion, his reply was that they were “les camions les plus rapides du monde.” Translation? The fastest trucks in the world.
A backhanded compliment to be sure, but also prescient, for some 90 years later Bentley actually does make the fastest production trucks in the world, though the Volkswagen Group-owned British automaker uses more glowing terms to describe its über-posh Bentayga – and, with more than 20,000 built since its launch nearly five years ago, its most successful model. In a case of sibling rivalry, the aptly named Bentayga Speed, aided by its 626-horsepower, 12-cylinder engine, has a top speed of 306 km/h. This makes it about one km/h faster than the Lamborghini Urus.
Bentley has now debuted a refreshed Bentayga for the 2021 model year, with a reworked exterior that more closely adopts the company’s design DNA prevalent across its model range. Adrian Hallmark, chairman and CEO, refers to the big SUV as “the everyday car for our wealthy and successful customers.” And, with the new model, “we’re repositioning the pinnacle of the luxury SUV segment to be even higher, even further away from the competition. We’ve listened to our customers and made improvements to the areas most important to them, and the new Bentayga is a thoroughly modern and beautiful extension of the original car’s abilities and achievements.”
The Bentayga’s more dynamic look draws inspiration from the marque’s new design language, first seen on the third-generation Continental GT and also the new Flying Spur. Together, the three vehicles are more visually connected than ever before.
The restyling concentrates at both ends of the imposing sport-ute. The large matrix grille is now more upright, while new “intelligent” LED matrix headlamps include the signature Bentley design inspired by cut crystal glassware. A more aggressive front bumper emphasizes the Bentayga’s proven performance characteristics. Heated, ‘wet-arm’ windshield wipers are introduced for the first time, with 22 washer jets in each arm.
At the back, a total redesign of the rear includes a new full-width tailgate with new elliptical lamps, while the licence plate has been moved down and into the bumper for a cleaner appearance. A 20-millimetre increase to the rear track width repositions the wheels in their arches to improve the stance as well as handling. The wheels are a new design, unique to the SUV.
The Bentayga’s sumptuous interior sees significant revisions as well. Among the major changes are a new centre fascia and steering wheel, new door trims and all-new seats – now available with ventilation in the rear of the five-seat cabin option. Rear-seat occupants also enjoy appreciably more space, with legroom increased by up to 100 millimetres depending on the cabin configuration.
An upgraded infotainment system is integrated into the handcrafted Bentley “wing” dashboard design and features a 10.9-inch display with edge-to-edge graphics. The all-new digital display includes super high-resolution and dynamic graphics that are configurable to suit driver preferences. The latest hardware and software bring all-new navigation with satellite maps, online search and other features. Wireless Apple CarPlay is standard for the first time, along with Android Auto. Rear-seat passengers benefit from the introduction of a new, larger touchscreen remote control tablet, similar to that introduced in the new Flying Spur.
Connectivity around the Bentayga is significantly improved, with USB-C data ports and a wireless phone charger now standard. The SUV is now provided with an embedded SIM, as with the latest Continental GTs, meaning My Bentley connected car features no longer require customers to provide their own data connection. My Bentley in-car and remote services is a continually developing range of services available to customers through a dedicated app, available both on Apple iOS and Android platforms.
What hasn’t changed is the Bentayga’s formidable twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8. Mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, the V8 develops 542 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque, which will push the robust SUV to a top speed of 290 km/h and zero-to-100-km/h time of 4.5 seconds. Yet fuel efficiency hasn’t been completely ignored; the V8 can deactivate four of its cylinders under suitable conditions, without compromising the drive.
Later on, Bentayga will also be offered with a more efficient plug-in hybrid powertrain. This will be Bentley’s most efficient model ever and is the company’s first step towards electrification – a full-on electric version is at least five years away, Hallmark notes. At the other end of the spectrum, there will also again be a performance-focused, top-of-the-line Speed model, arriving next year and powered by Bentley’s 6.0L W12 engine.
Bentley Dynamic Ride – touted by the company as the world’s first electric active roll control technology – has been enhanced further in the Bentayga by a 20-mm track increase at the rear, reducing steering effort and improving response linearity. Bentley Dynamic Ride instantly counteracts lateral rolling forces when cornering and ensures maximum tire contact, improving cabin stability, comfort and handling in the process.
And for those not afraid of getting their Bentayga muddy, the SUV offers a wide range of on- and off-road drive settings courtesy of Bentley’s Drive Dynamics Mode and the optional All-Terrain Specification. Up to eight modes – four on- and four off-road – are available, allowing drivers to select the ideal dynamic setup for any surface or road condition.
The 2021 Bentayga V8 is now rolling out of the factory. Major markets – Europe, China and the U.S. – will see the SUV first, secondary markets later in the year and into 2021. Specific pricing has not been announced, though an increase of approximately five per cent was mentioned.
Copyright PostMedia Network, 2020
