Luxurious, extremely powerful stereo, adaptive enjoyable ride
High fuel consumption, priced to match the luxury finish
Teased to within an inch of its life, the release of the Bentayga from Bentley has been much anticipated, and straplines like "the world’s first luxury SUV" have certainly helped build the brand momentum before launch.
So it was with some considerable expectation that WIRED went to the desert outside of Palm Spring in the States to put the Bentayga through its paces both from a performance point of view and technologically.
Firstly, the look of the Bentayga is undoubtedly Bentley-esque. The designers have done a superb job in making this vehicle, a significant departure for the marque, fit squarely in its aesthetic stable. The look is certainly confident, with that decidedly strong rear, and one that might not appeal to all. But spend some time with one and it will likely grow on you if at first you are uncertain.
The size of the car is also instantly apparent, being 5.14m long. At the moment there are merely five seats inside, but a seven-seater is coming, as are hybrid and diesel versions. But for now the current iteration has some serious get up and go for a car that weighs 2,420kg. The 6.0-litre W12 petrol twin-turbo engine can shift from 0-60mph in just four seconds, then onto a almost outrageous top speed of 187mph with 900Nm of torque. It is indeed very quick.
The ride is first-class, too, and there’s a reason for this. Traditionally, a rigid anti-roll bar at the front and rear of a car links the suspension, this gives the resistance and stops body roll while cornering. But this old system strikes a compromise between dynamic performance and ride comfort. I’ll explain: for a great dynamic ride you want a substantial, stiff roll bar -- but this stiffness means the ride suffers in other ways. And this is even more true on cars with high centre of gravity such as SUVs.
However, Bentley’s new innovative Dynamic Ride system can de-couple the left- and right-hand roll bars on the front and rear thanks to an electric motor in the middle. Why is this clever? Well, if you are driving in a straight line the motor will provide no resistance at all, so if you go over a pothole on one side that shock is not transmitted to the other side. But as soon as you start cornering with some vigour the electric motor instantly provides exactly the right amount of resistance required, keeping the car stable.
In short, the Bentayga’s ride is adaptive: comfort in a straight line and superb, flat cornering. Similar systems are out in the market that are hydraulic or low-voltage. But Bentley’s version boasts a powerful 48-volt electric system to make those reactions seemingly instantaneous.
Staying with the ride, the Bentayga has eight different Drive Dynamics modes to switch between. The on-road modes, which come as standard, include sport, comfort and custom, where you can vary powertrain settings and steering feel. An optional all-terrain package of four Responsive Off-Road modes sees the driver being able to select between snow and wet grass, dirt and gravel, mud and trail and, finally, sand.
Which brings us neatly to why WIRED is hooning up and down dunes in California. There is little point developing such a ridiculously powerful SUV unless if can take on a good amount of off-road punishment. The Bentayga can certainly hold its own in this regard. Where WIRED was testing the sand mode, locals in bespoke, hand-built dune buggies designed to take on this very terrain were watching incredulously as Bentayga after Bentayga sailed up and down dune after dune with relative ease.
And this caravan included drivers with a wide range of off-road abilities. But this was of little concern and the car was doing the hard work once you told it what surface you were driving on. Still, should you wish, you can keep the view from the front camera on the central screen in the cabin, which lets you see what you are about to encounter and adjust your driving accordingly.
There are urban driving modes as well that offer all sorts of assistance and motorway help, including City Safeguard, where, if the SUV detects its about to have a front-end prang, it will give an audio warning and immediately set up the car for the crash by closing windows, the sunroof and changing the seating orientation all in the blink of an eye. The car will also go from this warning to a full emergency stop almost instantaneously if the driver does not react in order to mitigate or avoid damage altogether.
However, WIRED was most impressed by the Bentayga’s optional Night Vision mode. An infrared camera scans the road ahead up to 300m, further than the visible range of the headlights. This camera is keyed to detect animals and pedestrians, so if something strays into the vehicle’s path this is then displayed in the driver’s information panel. What’s more, the system can discern the level of threat. If a dog or for that matter a grizzly bear is to the side of the road, then it is highlighted in yellow, to let you know of the potential danger and to stay alert. If it is in the direct path of the car then the warning is highlighted red. It is a clever and intuitive system that is a real advantage when nocturnal driving.
We should take a moment to mention the stereo, too. The top-of-the-range Naim for Bentley system comprises a gargantuan 1,960-watt setup with 20 speakers, a 21-channel amplifier and 300-watt subwoofer -- the most powerful system in any SUV. On top of this Bentley has seen fit to bolt bass "shakers" to the underside of the front seats, These don’t create sound, but vibrate with it, enhancing the feeling of the low frequencies. All this means the Bentayga hi-fi has a frequency range from 5hz to 40khz.
Finally, as well as on-board 4G wifi, in the rear seats there is an option for two 10in androids tablets with supplied wireless headphoness that are integrated into the entertainment system. These can be removed from the car and used as you would any other tablet at home, at work or in a hotel. But, to safeguard against theft, the tablets must be docked with the car every 30 days to carry on operating.
In summary, this is a superb SUV that can handle just about any terrain as well as perform on the flat. Those with eco-sensibilities may want to look elsewhere, but if you are in the market for a high-end SUV with more than its fair share of innovation and gadgetry, the Bentayga is a compelling choice.
Engine: 6.0-litre W12, petrol, twin-turbo
Transmission: 8-speed auto, four wheel drive
Power/torqu: e: 600bhp/900Nm
0-60mph: 4.0sec
Top speed: 187mph
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
