Bentley Bentayga
The Bentley Bentayga is a mid-size, front-engine, all-wheel drive, five-door luxury crossover marketed by Bentley, beginning with model year 2016. Its body is manufactured at the Volkswagen Zwickau-Mosel plant, then painted by Paintbox Editions in Banbury, and finally assembled at the company's Crewe factory.
Bentley Bentayga | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Bentley |
Production | December 2015–present[1] |
Assembly | United Kingdom: Crewe |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Mid-size[2] luxury crossover SUV[3][4] |
Body style | 5-door SUV |
Layout | F4 layout |
Platform | Volkswagen Group MLBevo |
Related | Audi Q7 Audi Q8 Lamborghini Urus Porsche Cayenne Volkswagen Touareg Bentley Continental GT Bentley Flying Spur |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 6.0 L twin-turbo W12 petrol 4.0 L twin-turbo V8 diesel 4.0 L twin-turbo V8 petrol 3.0 L turbo V6 petrol PHEV |
Transmission | 8-speed automatic |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | 2,992 mm (117.8 in) |
Length | 5,141 mm (202.4 in) |
Width | 1,998 mm (78.7 in) |
Height | 1,742 mm (68.6 in) |
Kerb weight | 2,440 kg (5,379 lb) |
Chronology | |
Predecessor | Bentley Dominator[5] |
Development
An evolution of the 2012 Bentley EXP 9 F concept car, the production Bentayga debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2015 as Bentley's first SUV[6][7] — using 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 and the third-generation Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q8, and Lamborghini Urus.
Available in seating configurations for four, five or seven, the Bentayga was claimed by the manufacturer as the SUV which has the highest top speed 187 mph (301 km/h) as well as the second most expensive production SUV.
Bentley officially unveiled the name "Bentayga" in January 2015.[8] The name comes from Roque Bentayga, an emblematic highland rock situated in Tejeda, Gran Canaria,[9][10] the subtropical Canary Island. The company also drew inspiration from a portmanteau of Bentley and Taiga, the world’s largest transcontinental snow forest, composed of the first four letters of Bentley and an altered spelling of taiga.[11] Bentayga also means "carried interest" in Swahili.[12]
Bentley EXP 9 F
Bentley's first production SUV was first previewed as the Bentley EXP 9 F concept car at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. The concept car was based upon the Volkswagen Group MLB platform, powered by a 6.0 L W12 engine producing 600 hp (447 kW).[12] The initial design of the EXP 9 F was redesigned to achieve "more traditional SUV proportions and less retro surfacing."[13]
The production version was announced in July 2013. The Bentley EXP 9 F's design proved to be controversial, and it received a mixed response from the automobile press. After some criticism for the design of the EXP 9 F, Bentley announced that it would change the styling for the production versions.
2020-2021 facelift
The optional W12 version of the updated Bentley Bentayga will be no longer available, which means that the base model of the updated Bentayga will be powered by a 4.0L twin-turbocharged V8 engine generating 542HP. The other optional engine choice is the V6 plug-in hybrid which will come to the market by late 2020. The updated Bentayga Speed will keep the same 6.0L twin-turbocharged W12 engine with the current Bentayga Speed and it is expected to be on the market by the year of 2021.
Detail changes include new 3D elliptical tail-lights with animated LEDs, similar to those on the Continental GT, and a rear numberplate repositioned onto the bumper to allow for ‘Bentley’ to be spelled out across the tailgate.
There’s also a larger rear spoiler, new side vents and a new 22in wheel design, plus two new paint colours. New oval-shaped split tailpipes, heated wipers with 22 washer jets in each arm and an optional Blackline variant with blacked-out chrome complete the external alterations.
There are significant changes to the cabin, too, most significantly in the rear, where new seat frames in combination with extra reclining allow a 100mm increase in knee space.
There are ventilated rear seats, too, while the Bentayga can still be had with four, five or seven seats. Rear passengers also receive an updated 5.0in removable touchscreen tablet to control entertainment and comfort functions.
Up front, the ageing infotainment is overhauled with a new system shown on a high-resolution 10.9in touchscreen. This gets as standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Further up-to-date features include USB-C ports, air ionisers, wireless smartphone charging and an embedded SIM card for data services.
The traditional instrument dials have been replaced with a digital display, like in newer Bentleys, and the head-up display shows much more data.
The audio system has been upgraded, too. As standard, there is a 790W, 12-speaker stereo, with an optional Naim for Bentley system taking that to 1780W and 20 speakers.
Powertrains
W12
The 2016 Bentayga was the first to receive Bentley's new twin-turbo W12 engine. Initially, the W12 was the only engine option for the Bentayga, capable of bypassing 6 cylinders if needed.[14] The 6.0 L, twin-turbo gives the Bentayga performance figures of 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) in 4.0 seconds (0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) in 4.1 s) and a top speed of 187 mph (301 km/h).[15]
The W12 Bentayga now has a top speed of 187 mph (301 km/h) and can go from 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) in 4.0 seconds.[16] [17] The manufacturer self-proclaimed the vehicle to be the world's fastest production SUV in 2016.[18]
The Speed version gets 0-60 mph time of 3.8 seconds (0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds) and a top speed of 190 mph (306 km/h).
The Bentayga uses a 48 volt electrical system to control its electrically controlled active anti-roll bar (EWAS), which helps the heavy SUV reduce body roll.[14]
Diesel
Starting in 2017, the Bentayga received an additional powertrain: a diesel V8 derived from the VW Group diesel V8. This engine (in production since February 2017) is Bentley's first-ever diesel, and the Bentayga is only Bentley offered with a diesel powertrain. A Bentayga Diesel is identified by either the optional badge on the front wing, or the trapezoid quad exhaust tips. The performance of 4.0 L, twin-turbo version of the Bentayga include 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) in 4.6 seconds (0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) in 4.8 s) and a top speed of 168 mph (270 km/h).[19]
V8
The Bentayga V8 became available in 2018. The V8 version will have a lower MSRP than the W12. The 4.0 L, twin-turbo will have performance figures from 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) in 4.4 seconds (0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) in 4.5 s) and a top speed of 180 mph (290 km/h).[20]
Hybrid
A plug-in hybrid model was revealed at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show and went on sale in the UK, Europe, and North America in October 2019. It combines a 3.0L V6 turbo petrol engine and an electric motor, for a system output of 449 PS (330 kW; 443 hp) and 700 N⋅m (516 lbf⋅ft) of torque. The 17.3 kWh lithium-ion battery pack offers a range of 51 km / 31.7 miles as per NEDC testing.[21]
Engines
Source: Bentleymedia.com as of Jan 2018
Petrol Engines | |||
---|---|---|---|
Model | Year | Engine type | Power, torque at rpm |
W12 | 2016—2020 | 5,950 cc (5.95 L; 363 cu in) W12 twin turbo | 608 PS (447 kW; 600 hp) at 5,000-6,000, 900 N⋅m (664 lb⋅ft) at 1,350–4,000 |
V8 | 2018— | 3,956 cc (3.956 L; 241.4 cu in) V8 twin turbo | 550 PS (405 kW; 542 hp) at 6,000, 770 N⋅m (568 lb⋅ft) at 1,960–4,500 |
Hybrid | 2019— | 2,984 cc (2.984 L; 182.1 cu in) PHEV V6 turbo | 449 PS (330 kW; 443 hp) at 6,000, 700 N⋅m (516 lb⋅ft) at 1,100-4,500 |
Speed | 2019— | 5,950 cc (5.95 L; 363 cu in) W12 twin turbo | 635 PS (467 kW; 626 hp) at 6,000, 900 N⋅m (664 lb⋅ft) at 1,350–4,000 |
Diesel Engines | |||
Model | Year | Engine type | Power, torque at rpm |
Diesel | 2017— | 3,956 cc (3.956 L; 241.4 cu in) V8 twin turbo | 435 PS (320 kW; 429 hp) at 3,750-5,000, 900 N⋅m (664 lb⋅ft) at 1,000–3,250 |
Production
Originally slated by Volkswagen to be produced at the Volkswagen Bratislava Plant in Slovakia, the factory where all other models based on the platform are produced, an agreement was reached with the British Government for the model to be produced at the Crewe factory.[22] Bentley has invested £800 million in a new facility in Crewe and employed 1,000 new employees to meet the demand for 3,000–4,000 SUVs per year.[23]
Although assembly of the Bentayga was moved to Crewe, initially production of the Bentayga's body shell remained at the Bratislava facility.[24] Body shell production was moved to Volkswagen's Zwickau-Mosel plant at the end of 2016.
A total of 608 "First Edition" units were manufactured upon introduction, of which 75 were allocated to be sold in the US market.
The original prediction for 2016 was that 3,500 Bentaygas would be sold. When the entire production volume for the year sold out in advance, production was increased and resulted in 5,586 units being sold.[25] These additional 1,500 units were also reserved by buyers in advance. The Bentayga had an order backlog that stretched into 2017; in some markets, the Bentayga was sold out for the next two years.
Despite its high price tag, the car was a sales success for Bentley in 2016 and became Bentley's most popular model.[25]
Mulliner
Mulliner is Bentley's internal customisation company, which creates bespoke and limited-edition options and accessories for all new Bentley vehicles. Customers are able to customise the cars including custom paint and colours as well as interior hide and carpet colours. An option is the Mulliner Turbillon dashboard clock designed by luxury Swiss watchmaker Breitling. The clock spins 3 times every 15 minutes.[26]
Recall
Some seats had not been secured properly during assembly, and Bentley issued a recall for 378 cars in November 2016.[27]
References
- "Bentley Motors Website: World of Bentley: Our Story: News: 2015: First Bentley Bentayga Rolls off the Production Line". www.bentleymotors.com (Press release). Retrieved 22 October 2019.
- "Cargurus best midsize luxury SUVs".
- Walsworth, Jack (24 September 2018). "Bentayga Hybrid charts new course for Bentley". Automotive News. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
Bentayga: Bentley's crossover range is quickly being bulked up.
- "Bentley Bentayga Model Details". NADA Guides. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
- https://www.carscoops.com/2018/05/bentley-dominator-meet-rolls-royce-cullinans-long-lost-daddy/
- "Bentley boss discusses 4x4 and sports car plans". The Daily Telegraph. 23 April 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
- Ramsey, Jonathan (30 November 2015). "First production Bentley Bentayga rolls off the line". Autoblog.com. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
- "Bentley officially chooses Bentayga name for new SUV". Autoblog. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
- "Roque Bentayga (Tejeda) - 2018 All You Need to Know Before You Go (with Photos) - TripAdvisor". TripAdvisor. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
- Bentley Motors (2 June 2016), Marquetry by Mulliner, retrieved 9 August 2018
- Kalogianni, Alexander (12 January 2015). "Limitless Luxury: Bentley Bentayga is the name of the luxury brand's SUV". Retrieved 10 September 2015.
- Neil, Dan (12 March 2016). "Off-Road in a Bentley SUV? At Your Own Risk". The Wall Street Journal. p. D12.
- Huntingford, Steve (8 March 2012). "Bentley SUV redesign due". What Car?. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- "2017 Bentley Bentayga First Drive Review - Motor Trend All Pages". Motor Trend. 8 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- "Bentley Newsroom: Bentayga" (Press release). Bentley Motors. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
- "Bentayga: Exploring The Limits Of Performance" (Press release). Bentley Motors. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
- Lee, Kristen (8 September 2015). "2016 Bentley Bentayga: Bentley Creates Its Own Segment, Crowns Itself King". Road and Track. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- Dematio, Joe (June 2016). "Sandblaster". Road & Track. 67 (9): 83.
- "Bentley Newsroom: Bentayga Diesel" (Press release). Bentley Motors. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
- "Bentley News 2018: Performance and Precision: the Bentley Bentayga V8" (Press release). Bentley Motors. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
- "Bentley Bentayga plug-in hybrid now on sale in Europe and America". autodevot.com. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
- "Bentley's new luxury car to create 1,000 jobs". BBC News. 23 July 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
- "Bentley to build SUV in Crewe". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
- "Bentley Bentayga Bodies To Be Built Alongside Its Cousins". Pursuing W.O. Archived from the original on 5 May 2015. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
- "VWAG Annual Report 2016". VWAG. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
- Gibson, David K. (10 November 2015). "Bentley Bentayga's $160,000 option". BBC. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
- "Bentley already issues recall for brand new Bentayga SUV". Roadshow. CBS Interactive. 23 November 2016. Retrieved 23 November 2016.