Bentley Bentley Review 2019: V8

When Bentley introduced its Bentayga in 2015, the British brand called it "the world's fastest, most powerful, most luxurious and most exclusive SUV".

Those are exciting words, but a lot has happened since then. Things like the Rolls Royce Cullinan, the Lamborghini Urus and the Bentayga V8 are the car we're looking at.

You see, the first Bentayga was powered by a W12 engine, but the SUV we have was introduced in 2018 with a twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine and a reduced price tag.

So how does this more affordable and less powerful Bentayga compare to Bentley's lofty ambitions?

Well, you've come to the right place, because along with the speed, power, luxury and exclusivity, I can also talk about the other attributes of the Bentayga V8, such as what it's like to park, drive the kids to school, shop at and even walk through "drive through".

Yes, a Bentley Bentayga V8 is staying with my family for a week, and as with any guest, you quickly learn what's good about them...and then there are times when you find them not at their best.

Bentley Bentayga 2019: V8 (5 mest)
Safety Rating	-
engine's type	4.0 L turbo
fuel type	Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel efficiency	11.4l / 100km
Landing	5 Places
Price from	$274,500

Does it represent good value for money? What functions does it have? 6/10

It's a question that those who can't afford a Bentley Bentayga V8 want to know, and one that those who can't don't ask.

I am in the first group so I can tell you that the Bentley Bentayga V8 has a list price of $334,700. Our car had $87,412 in the options we will review, but including travel expenses, our test car cost $454,918.

Standard interior features include a choice of five leather upholstery, Dark Fiddleback Eucalyptus veneer, a three-spoke leather steering wheel, 'B' embossed pedals, Bentley embossed door sills, an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android. Auto, sat-nav, 10-speaker stereo, CD player, digital radio, four-zone climate control and paddle shifters.

Exterior standard features include 21-inch wheels, black painted brake calipers, air suspension with four height settings, a choice of seven paint colors, gloss black grille, black lower bumper grille, LED headlights and LED taillights, dual quad exhaust pipe. and a panoramic sun roof.

Our car was equipped with many options, which is typical for cars loaned to the media. Car companies often use these vehicles to showcase available options, rather than represent a typical customer specification.

There is "Artica White" paint from Mulliner's bespoke line for $14,536; "Our" car's 22-inch wheels weigh $9999, as do the fixed side steps; hitch and brake controller (with Audi Q7 badge, see images) $6989; The body-colored underbody is $2781 and the LED lights are $2116.

Then there's acoustic glazing for $2667, "Comfort Specification" front seats for $7422, and then $8080 for "Hot Spur" primary leather upholstery and "Beluga" secondary leather upholstery, $3825 piano black veneer trim, and if you want a Bentley. the logo embroidered on the headrests (like our car) costs $1387.

Does it represent good value for money? Not by ordinary standards, but Bentleys are not ordinary cars at all, and those who buy them tend not to look at prices.

But as with every car I review (whether it costs $30,000 or $300,000), I ask the manufacturer for a list of options installed on the test car and a post-test price, and I always include these options and their cost in the report. my review.

Is there anything interesting about its design? 7/10

The Bentayga is undeniably a Bentley, but I doubt that the British brand's first attempt at an SUV was a design success.

For me, a three-quarter rear view is the best angle with those signature hind thighs, but the front view shows an overbite that I can't unsee.

The same face works great on the Continental GT coupe, as well as the Flying Spur and Mulsanne sedans, but on the taller Bentayga, the grille and headlights feel too high.

But then again, maybe I'm in bad taste, I mean, I think the Lamborghini Urus SUV, which uses the same MLB Evo platform, is a work of art in its design, staying true to the sports cars in the family while getting its own bold view.

This MLB Evo platform also underpins the Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne.

I was also disappointed with the interior of the Bentayga V8. Not in terms of overall craftsmanship, but rather in terms of outdated technology and simple style.

For me, a three-quarter rear view is the best angle with those signature rear thighs.

The 8.0-inch screen is almost identical to the one used in the 2016 Volkswagen Golf. But in 7.5, the Golf received the Mk 2017 update, and with it an amazing touchscreen that the Bentayga hasn't seen before.

The steering wheel also has the same switchgear as the $42 Audi A3 I reviewed two weeks ago, and you can also add indicators and wiper switches to that mix.

While the fit and finish of the upholstery was outstanding, interior trim was lacking in some areas. For example, the cup holders had rough and sharp plastic edges, the shift lever was also plastic and felt flimsy, and the rear seat recline armrest also lacked sophistication in the way it was designed and lowered without damping.

At just over 5.1m long, 2.2m wide (including side mirrors) and just over 1.7m high, the Bentayga is large, but the same length and width as the Urus, and slightly taller. The Bentayga's wheelbase is just 7.0mm shorter than the Urus's at 2995mm.

The Bentayga isn't the longest Bentley, that's for sure. The Mulsanne is 5.6m long and the Flying Spur is 5.3m. So the Bentayga V8 is almost “funny size” from a Bentley point of view, even though it is big.

The Bentayga is manufactured in the United Kingdom at Bentley's (since 1946) home in Crewe.

What are the main characteristics of the engine and transmission? 9/10

So far, the scores I've given the Bentayga V8 are underwhelming, but now we're on to the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8.

Based on the same unit as the Audi RS6, this V8 turbo-petrol engine delivers 404 kW/770 Nm. That's enough to propel this 2.4-ton beast from parked in your garage to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds, assuming your driveway is at least 163.04 m long, which some owners are quite capable of.

It's not as fast as the Urus, which can do it in 3.6 seconds, but although Lamborghini uses the same engine, it's tuned for 478kW/850Nm and this SUV is about 200kg lighter.

Shifting beautifully in the Bentayga V8 is the eight-speed automatic transmission, which is a better match for the Bentley with smooth, but not too hasty shifting than the same unit in the Urus.

While there are those who think the W12, like the first Bentayga, is more in the spirit of Bentley, I think this V8 is superb in power and sounds subtle but great.

The traction force of the Bentley Bentayga with brakes is 3500 kg. 

What is it like to drive? 9/10

Comfortable and (believe it or not) sporty, sums it up. And the only thing that stops me from adding another word, like "light", is the forward vision, which I noticed at the moment when I taxied out of the dealership and drove into the roadway.

But first, let me tell you the comfortable and sporty good news. The Bentayga is anything but what it looks like when driving - my eyes told me that in driving it should be more of a sumo wrestler than a ninja, but they were wrong.

Despite its sheer size and hefty weight, the Bentayga V8 felt remarkably nimble and well-handled for an SUV of its size.

That the Urus, which I'd tested a few weeks before, also felt sporty didn't seem all that surprising since the styling suggested it was nimble and fast.

The point is, this shouldn't come as a surprise given that the Urus and Bentley share the same MLB EVO platform.

Maintaining a comfort mode makes for a relaxed and flexible ride.

Four standard driving modes allow you to change the character of the Bentayga V8 from "Comfort" to "Sport". There is also a "B" mode, which is a combination of throttle response, suspension tuning and steering that Bentley calls the best for all driving conditions. Or you can create your own drive mode in the "Custom" settings.

Maintaining a comfort mode makes for a relaxed and flexible ride. Self-levelling air suspension with continuous damping is standard, but flip the switch to Sport and the suspension is stiff, but not to the point where the ride is compromised.

I spent most of my nearly 200 kilometers testing it in sport mode, which did nothing to help save fuel but pleased my ears with the purr of the V8.

Now about forward visibility. I'm concerned about the Bentayga's nose design; in particular, the way the wheel guards are pushed down from the hood.

All I knew was that I was about 100mm wider than it looked from the driver's seat - I don't like that kind of guesswork when I'm piloting a half million dollars down a narrow street or parking lot. As you will see in the video, I came up with a solution to the problem.   

However, I won't let that nose get in the way of a bad rating. In addition, the owners will eventually get used to it.

Plus, the Bentayga was pretty easy to parallel park thanks to its light steering, good rearward visibility, and large side mirrors, while multi-storey mall parking lots were also surprisingly hassle-free to steer - it's not a very long, large SUV, after all. .

There was one excursion "by car" and again I am happy to report that I came out with burgers and no scratches on the other end.

So, I'm happy to throw in effortlessly and you can add serenity - this cabin felt like a bank vault isolated from the outside world. Don't ask me how I know this.

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How practical is the interior space? 7/10

The Bentayga V8 may be an SUV, but that doesn't immediately make it a god of practicality. While the front is roomy for the driver and co-pilot, the rear seats don't quite feel like a limousine, although at 191cm I can sit in about 100mm of space. Headroom is slightly limited by the edges of the panoramic sunroof for rear passengers.

There is plenty of storage space in the cabin: two cup holders and small door pockets in the back, and two more cup holders and large door pockets in the front. There's also a shallow storage box on the center console and two loose item bins in front of it.

The trunk of the Bentayga V8 with the rear seats installed has a capacity of 484 liters - this is measured to the trunk, and to the roof - 589 liters.

The luggage compartment is still smaller than the Lamborghini Urus (616 liters), and much smaller than the Audi Q7 and Cayenne, which also have 770 liters on the roof.

The system of lowering the load in height, which is controlled by a button located in the trunk, makes life easier.

The tailgate is powered, but the kick-open feature (standard on, say, the Audi Q5) is an option you'll have to pay for on the Bentayga.

When it comes to outlets and charging, the Bentayga is outdated here too. There is no wireless charger for phones, but there are two USB ports on the front and three 12-volt outlets (one on the front and two on the back) on board.

How much fuel does it consume? 7/10

A 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine pushing a 2.4-ton SUV loaded with people and possibly hauling a wagon will require fuel - a lot of fuel.

And that's even if the engine has cylinder deactivation, like the Bentayga V8, which can deactivate four out of eight when it's not under load.

The Bentayga V8's official combined fuel consumption is 11.4L/100km, but after 112km fuel testing on a combination of highways, suburban and city roads, I measured 21.1L/100km at a gas station.

I am not surprised. Most of the time I was either in sport mode or in traffic or both.

Warranty and safety rating

Basic Warranty

3 years / unlimited mileage


guarantee

What safety equipment is installed? What is the safety rating? 7/10

The Bentayga V8 hasn't passed ANCAP testing, but since it's based on the same platform as the five-star-rated Audi Q7, I have no reason to suspect that the Bentley will perform differently and won't be structurally safe.

However, safety standards have since been raised and a car will no longer be given a five-star ANCAP rating unless it has AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection.

We're tough on budget cars that don't come standard with AEB as well as high-end cars, and the Bentley Bentayga V8 doesn't shy away from that.

AEB is not standard on the Bentayga V8, and if you want other forms of advanced safety equipment like lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control and rear cross traffic alert, you'll have to choose from two packages - the "City Specification" for $12,042 16,402. and the "Tourist Spec" that was fitted to our $XNUMX car.

The Touring specification adds adaptive cruise, lane keeping assist, AEB, night vision, and a head-up display.

For child seats, you will find two ISOFIX points and two top cable attachment points on the second row.

How much does it cost to own? What kind of guarantee is provided? 6/10

The Bentayga V8 is covered by Bentley's XNUMX-year unlimited mileage warranty.

Service is recommended at 16,000 km/12 months intervals, however there is currently no fixed price plan.

Verdict

The Bentayga is Bentley's first foray into an SUV, and the Bentayga V8 is a recent addition to the range, providing an alternative to the W12, hybrid and diesel models.

There is no doubt that the Bentayga V8 delivers an exceptionally good driving experience with its power and athleticism, serene interior and comfortable ride.

What the Bentley Bentayga V8 seems to be lacking is cabin technology, which is outdated compared to other luxury SUVs, and standard advanced safety equipment. We expect this to be addressed in future versions of the SUV.

Does the Bentayga fit in with ultra-luxury SUVs? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.