The long awaited Bentley Bentayga SUV will be finally making its public debut at the Frankfurt International Auto Show, but this week they gave us a very detailed look at the new king of the luxury SUV’s.
Looking much better than EXP 9 F Concept vehicle which gave us our first vista into this new luxury liner, the Bentley Bentayga’s underlying bones and architecture are actually shared with the 2016 Audi Q7.
While it’s not likely couth to bring that up here, it is evident in its overall silhouette and stance. In fact it shares its wheelbase and overall dimensions within an inch or two. When you turn on the lights and pull back the sheets though, the Bentley has its own styling and design from head to toe.
Its aluminum body has broad shoulders. It’s face has the brand’s signature round lights and finely crafted grille work. It has the strong bold shape of a true SUV, yet still manages to present as an elegant piece.
Fine details bring forth the Bentley B. These can be seen in many places if you look, and even give it a signature look at night. Buyers will be able to choose a myriad of bespoke colors and options here. Among them will be several wheel designs from 20 to 22-inches.
The cabin is also a playground for the craftsman’s touch. Dozens of fine leather hides, wood veneers and technological options will be available. Stainless steel details, highly crafted timepieces, and the latest infotainment features are just the start.
There’s too much to list actually, but the salient ones available are a night vision system and GPS enabled cruise control which can use real time traffic and terrain data. A removable 10.1 tablet gives passengers ease of play with high speed WiFi.
And passengers, they will much enjoy the infinite comforts of massaging seats both front and rear. The Bentayga will offer seating configurations for both 4 or 5 at launch, and a third row seating configuration will be available later.
The cabin is lit with a panoramic roof which occupies 60% of the real estate. Notable options include a rear mounted center with a refrigerator, crystal and china service, and an event seat for those romantic picnics in the country.
And getting there whether on the highway or off-road will be both effortless and fun. This is because this thing has lots of power, 600 horses to be exact. Bentley says it will accelerate from 0-60 in four seconds flat with a 187 mph top speed.
Its all-new twin-turbocharged W12 engine provides power to all-four wheels with a 40% front and 60% rear split. The drive system has a multi-drive mode selector with four modes for tarmac, and four modes for off-road use.
The air suspension automatically adjusts for height and stiffness, depending on the mode you select. And there’s an available 48-volt active anti-roll bar system which can automatically react and adjust on the fly.
Bentley says a high-performance version will come later, as if this one weren’t already. There will also be turbo-diesel and hybrid versions to come as well. Whether those will be available in the States, we don’t yet know.
At launch however it’s safe to say the Bentley Bentayga is the new top of the ladder for luxury SUV’s. The Range Rover SVAutobiography is really the only close contender here. Mercedes-Benz really doesn’t reach this far up yet.
When it comes to price, given it’s flagship status and bespoke hand-crafted nature being built Crewe, England, we can expect something in the low $200,000 range. But if you can afford it, that doesn’t matter much. Does it?
