Bentayga Bentley Bentayga First Drives/Reviews

[tristatez28lt1]

2017 Bentley Bentayga First Drive Review
The 21st Century Grand Tourer
By Angus MacKenzie | June 23, 2015 |

There's a gap in the trees on the right hand side of the trail; beyond it, a sheet of rock falling steeply away from us, stepped and creased and made slick by the light rain. We tiptoe gently over the edge, and point the nose down the hill. It's so slippery we're advised to disengage the hill descent control and inch down on the brake, toes feeling for grip all the way. Every so often there's a sickening lurch as gravity overcomes the tenacious traction of the big Pirelli Scorpion tires, and the occasional crunch of metal on rock as topography triumphs over technology. But we make it down.That's the good news. The bad news is they now want us to go back up. One of the test drivers shows us how it's done, deftly horsing the big SUV up the rock ledges. Once over the worst of them, though, there's little opportunity for finesse in the treacherous conditions: Titanic torque and a ton of horsepower gets the job done. All four wheels spinning, more than $200,000 worth of leather-lined, wood-trimmed Bentley scrabbles over the lip and back onto the trail. Yes, that's right. Bentley.The 2017 Bentley Bentayga (prototypes shown here) is a truly extraordinary beast; a 12-cylinder, ultra-lux SUV with a claimed top speed in excess of 170 mph, and the off-road chops to take it places few, if any, buyers will ever dare take it. The product of the fastest vehicle development program in Bentley's history — just 42 months, from concept approval to production — it is an extremely accomplished SUV from an automaker that has never built an SUV before.

But why build a Bentley SUV in the first place? Because luxury SUVs are shaping up to be the Next Big Thing, that's why. Bentayga sales chief Marcus Abbott says the segment, currently defined by Range Rover, Porsche Cayenne, and the more expensive Mercedes-Benz GL and BMW X5 models, will grow more than 60 percent to more than 30,000 vehicles a year by 2020. Bentley's target is to sell between 4,000 and 5,000 Bentaygas annually, with the U.S., China, Great Britain, and Germany its four biggest markets.Being a part of the giant VW Group gave the Bentley team plenty to work with when developing the Bentayga. It's built on the PL73 version of VW Group's MLB (longitudinal front engine, all-wheel drive) platform architecture that also underpins the new Audi Q7. However, the Bentley gets its own suspension and brakes (the brakes will later be shared with the next-gen Porsche Cayenne) and debuts VW Group's new 6.0-liter W-12 engine. With the exterior and interior designed in-house at Crewe, Bentayga project leader Peter Guest says 80 percent of the car is unique to Bentley."When we started, we had no idea what a Bentley SUV should be," says Guest. Extensive research revealed that potential buyers wanted something that offered the practicality of an SUV, but also wanted something sporty and, of course, fitted and finished like a proper Bentley. Off-road capability was important, not because anyone would seriously consider attacking the Rubicon in their Bentayga, but because of the credibility it delivered in the country club parking lot. Customers in oil-rich Middle Eastern countries are the exception, says Guest: "They all drive Range Rovers around town, but when they go out in the desert, they take their Toyota Land Cruisers. Now they will want to take their Bentleys instead."

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The EXP 9 F concept unveiled at the 2012 Geneva show was an exercise in nouveau bling that's thankfully been dialed well back for the production Bentayga. The front end is much more restrained, sharing much more design DNA with the Continental GT and Flying Spur. One clever evolution: The headlights are fully flush with the body surface, with the headlight washer hidden in the outer unit containing the daylight running lights. Careful surfacing of the front corner takes your eye away from the long front overhang that's an unavoidable side effect of using the MLB architecture.Exterior designer Sang Yup Lee has given the Bentayga's body side a strong character line running back from a B-themed front vent, and a hint of a Continental-style haunch over the rear wheel. The body side stamping, which includes the one-piece rear quarter panel and the door apertures, is the largest, deepest draw aluminum pressing in the world. At the rear are taillights that reprise the B-theme, and two large exhaust outlets.In profile it's obvious there's been no concession to approach and departure angles. And that's deliberately so: "The overwhelming majority of potential customers preferred a more sporty design, something more toward Porsche Cayenne than Range Rover," says Guest. Says designer Lee: "This is a crossover with off-road capability."The interior, designed by Darren Day, is beautifully executed, and rich in signature Bentley cues such as quilted leather and knurled metal. The dash fascia combines design themes from both Continental and Mulsanne, and the latest iterations of familiar Bentley instruments and switchgear. The attention to detail is impressive, from the ultra-thin chrome surrounds for the switchgear that are carefully placed to sit within 0.1 mm of the wood veneers, to the etched covers for the sound system speakers that look like woven metal. Four- and five-seat versions of the car will be offered, along with a choice of nine wood veneers.

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The all-new W-12 under the Bentayga's hood shares basic architectural elements such as bore spacings with the outgoing engine, but is 66 pounds lighter and features direct and port injection to help it meet emissions, performance, drivability, and cold start targets. A cylinder deactivation system shuts down one bank of cylinders. The twin-scroll turbochargers are integrated into the exhaust manifolds, and a new oil system has been developed, with pickups that ensure good oil supply throughout the engine, plus suction pumps to scavenge oil from the turbochargers, even when the Bentayga is tilted at extreme angles.Final power and torque figures have yet to be confirmed — the cars we drove were lightly disguised, near production-ready prototypes undergoing final calibration testing — but Bentley powertrain director Paul Williams says the new W-12 will deliver "well over" 550 hp and "more torque" than the 531 lb-ft of the current W-12. That's grunt enough to hurl the 5,000-pound Bentayga to 60 mph in less than 5.0 seconds and more than 170 mph, says Guest.Our quick drive suggests those numbers are anything but idle boasts. The new W-12 delivers an effortless, endless surge of acceleration the moment you squeeze the gas pedal. You have the option to shift the eight-speed automatic transmission manually via the steering wheel-mounted paddles, but there's really no point as there's always an abundance of torque when you want it. On the freeway the Bentayga feels stupid fast, barreling past 100 mph like a freight train. On a winding switchback it will easily humble a Range Rover, and probably humiliate a Porsche Cayenne Turbo, the standard 40/60 front/rear torque split helping it grunt hard out of the turns.

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Bentley offers four on-road dynamic modes: Comfort, Bentley, Sport, and Custom. (Bentley mode represents what Guest and his team believe is the ideal setup for the car.) The steering feel can be changed in Custom mode if you want, though there's really no need, as the nicely weighted and impressively linear helm helps you accurately place the big Bentley through turns.The Bentayga's killer app, however, is a trick anti-roll system called EWAS that uses fast-acting 48-volt motors to twist the anti-roll bars in the opposite direction to the cornering forces, keeping the car flat through turns. The EWAS system, which will be standard on 12-cylinder Bentaygas and optional on the V-8 versions that will arrive in the 2018 model year, works beautifully when you get the big Bentley among the switchbacks, keeping it uncannily calm and composed, yet feeling remarkably agile and light on its feet. Even better, there's no negative impact on the ride, which is probably the best yet from a VW Group-era Bentley.In the Bentayga prototypes we drove, the Sport setting gave the most body control, with Bentley and Comfort allowing progressively more roll. However, the Bentley engineers were debating whether to make that level standard across all settings. They should. It's that good.

Off-road capability these days is increasingly determined by specialist software rather than specialized hardware, so it's perhaps no surprise the Bentayga boasts 90 different ECUs, more than double the number in a Continental GT. Bentley offers four off-road modes — Snow/Wet Grass, Gravel, Mud/Ruts, and Sand/Desert — all of which vary parameters such as ride height, throttle response, traction, steering, and transmission shift protocols to optimize performance in marginal conditions.The Bentayga won't outperform a Jeep or a Range Rover in really rough stuff, but it will go a lot further than you think. Approach and departure angles are the limiting factors off-road; if you can get traction, there's so much torque available you don't need a low range crawler gear.To be officially unveiled at the Frankfurt show later this year, the 2017 Bentley Bentayga is the real deal: It's both a proper Bentley, and a genuine SUV. The Bentayga's mission, says project leader Guest, is to take luxury to new places, from the city and the freeway, to sand dunes and mountains. "This really is a 21st century Grand Tourer," he says. And he's right.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/suvs/1506_2017_bentley_bentayga_first_drive_review/
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/suvs/1506_2017_bentley_bentayga_first_drive_review/#

 

[Human]

With the exception of some Middle-Eastern countries I doubt that any Bentayga will see any off-roading. Maybe it sounds like a cliché because it was said when the new RR was launched etc.
This time around I think it will definitely be the case.

I hope and pray that when the heavy camo comes off it'll look better...geez it's an ugly bastard.

 

[SDNR]

I try to avoid looking at it for too long. Then again, maybe I'm being unreasonable, only a few SUVs are particularly good-looking.

One thing's certain, it will be very expensive.

 

[EnI]

One thing's certain, it will be very expensive.

And the Cullinan by Rolls-Royce will be even more. Until Bugatti SUV comes to life ... if ever.

 

[Human]

And the Cullinan by Rolls-Royce will be even more. Until Bugatti SUV comes to life ... if ever.

It's already here in the form of this Bentley. Just a quick sheet metal change, recalibrating the dampers and steering and issuing it with the W16.
VAG Badge engineering in a nutshell

 

[Soup]

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[Merc1]

In looking at that video I really wish this thing was better looking. Bentley was supposed to kill it and they didn't when it comes to the design. The interior, THAT ENGINE and everything else is right, but it's just too ugly to thrive.

M

 

[Deleted member 25]

Cool vid, the car is more digestible in live footage but it looks even more Q7ish.

 

[SDNR]

Cool vid, the car is more digestible in live footage but it looks even more Q7ish.

I agree. I think there is a risk of convincing ourselves we hate it before we've actually given it a chance. If I really try to be objective and view this thing without prejudice, it isn't as ugly as it could've been.

 

[SDNR]

And the Cullinan by Rolls-Royce will be even more. Until Bugatti SUV comes to life ... if ever.

Honestly, I think a Bugatti SUV is unlikely .......but I still hold out some hope for the Lambo

 

[Soup]

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[Monster]

^ The most interesting and surprising part of the video is seeing Steve Sutcliffe joining Auto Express.

 

[Merc1]

My goodness is this thing ugly.

M

 

[Soup]

He joined AE sometime ago, it's been over 5 months.....

Stucliffe ?

 

[Monster]

He joined AE sometime ago, it's been over 5 months.....

Stucliffe ?

I think they got his name wrong...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Sutcliffe

 

[Rainer271]

My goodness is this thing ugly.

M

I think it's hard to believe it but I like it.

 

[GTA45E]

Bentley rules the world


What is it?

It’s a winner, guaranteed.

With no hint of reticence, Bentley calls the 2017 Bentayga the “fastest, most powerful, most luxurious and most exclusive SUV in the world.” The Bentayga comes with 600 hp, 664 lb-ft of torque and a top speed approaching 200 mph. It can tow 7,700 pounds, has four ride heights and nearly 10 inches of ground clearance. It has Tesla-style autonomous driving electronics, the world’s first 48-volt automotive system and 90 separate ECUs processing 100 million lines of code.

Inside are the hides of four cows, 15 separate pieces of veneer, mineral glass gauge covers, milled aluminum accents and tolerances measured in tenths of a millimeter. All this is before options; they can include a self-winding Breitling Mulliner Tourbillon watch in place of the standard timepiece, cast of solid gold with a diamond-studded mother of pearl face, still to be priced but certainly in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Just for the watch.

This inventory of superlatives provides only part of the reason Bentayga is as surefire as the auto biz can deliver. The rest is that the sky is no longer falling. The Great Recession is mostly a memory and the 1 percent is buying again. The luxury good sales have risen steadily most everywhere over the last 18 months. The Bentayga debuts right on time and ahead of a brace of higher-than-Range Rover, ultra-lux SUVS (confirmed from Lamborghini and Maserati, widely assumed from Rolls-Royce).

Traditionalists might scoff at the idea of a Bentley SUV, as they did at a BMW or Porsche or Jaguar SUV, but the reality remains: For much of the car-buying world, big, honking SUVs now symbolize success, achievement, status -- not some staid coupe or sedan, no matter how many cows the upholstery requires. Car companies built on the idea of demonstrating success, achievement and status can no longer ignore SUVs.

The Bentayga is related to other large SUVs from companies within the VW Group, including the Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7. But at nearly 17 feet in length, the Bentley is longer, wider and heavier than them. Its exterior metal is aluminum, with Bentley’s Superform process (pressed with high-pressure air heated to 950 degrees) producing the sharp creases. Some structural elements are steel for deformation and crash-protection properties. Bentley engineers say the Bentayga’s side panel is the largest single-piece aluminum stamping in the world, and its aluminum intensive build saves 520 pounds compared to all-steel construction.

The roof panel is 60 percent glass. Bentayga’s LED headlights are flush to the surface of the seamless front end, flanking Bentley’s big, bold matrix grille. There’s a familiar power line along each flank, familiar, severe creases in Bentayga’s rear haunches and a B graphic in each split taillight. Wheels measure 20 to 22 inches and an optional Styling Pack adds carbon-fiber body elements. Either way the Bentayga looks like a Bentley -- a tall Bentley with optional roof rack

Under Bentayga’s hood sits a new 6.0-liter W12 -- not one part carryover, according to Bentley -- better described as two V6s joined at the crank. It has plasma-spray cylinder linings, both port and high-pressure direct injection, three separate water pumps (block, heads, turbos) and four oil pumps. Twin-scroll turbochargers are spun by alternating exhaust pulses from staggered cylinders. The new W12 weighs 70 pounds less than Bentley’s previous 6.0, according to engineers, and it’s built at the Bentley works in Crewe, England.

The 600 brake hp peaks flat between 5,000 and 6,000 rpm. The full 660 lb-ft start at 1,350 rpm and hold through 4,500. The thrust takes the 5,400-pound Bentayga from 0 to 60 mph in four seconds flat, according to Bentley -- .1 second quicker than Porsche’s figure for the new-gen 911 Carrera with manual transmission, and half a second quicker than Lexus’s new GS F ultra-performance midsize sedan. Bentayga’s published 187 mph top speed surpasses both the Porsche and Lexus.

In a nod to efficiency, the new W12 is equipped with a stop/start feature and variable-displacement technology. Six of the 12 cylinders shut down during steady-throttle operation if torque demand is below 220 lb-ft.

All Bentaygas get an eight-speed ZF automatic and permanent, variable all-wheel drive with a Torsen center differential. The optional All-Terrain Pack adds four off-road specific drive modes, hill-descent control and a range of skid plates.

The Bentayga is suspended with self-leveling air springs and adaptive shocks. Yet the big news in the chassis is Bentley Dynamic Ride, similar in objective to active roll management systems from BMW and Mercedes-Benz, and key to the Bentayga’s balanced suspension performance on- or off-road. On road, BDR manipulates the anti-roll bars to counteract lateral roll force and keep Bentayga’s mass level as speed builds. It works independently front and rear and at each wheel. Off-road, BDR effectively de-couples the sway bars to allow full wheel travel exceeding nine inches.

The new development? Rather than using hydraulics to torque the sway bars, as in previous active roll management systems, Bentley uses electric motors. Engineers say the motors react three times faster, in more finite increments. They’re powered by 48 volts of electromotive force, up-converted from the 12-volt charging system and stored in a super capacitor with enough reserve to complete full-bore laps around the 13-mile Nürburgring. Rolf Frech, Bentley’s board member for engineering, expects introducing 48 volts in Bentayga will spark more applications across the auto industry, including electrically operated turbos.

Bentayga buyers can choose either four or five seats. Five means a folding rear bench, while four puts two buckets in back -- identical to the standard 18-adjustment front seats and separated by a console, with a diamond-stitched leather partition in front of the cargo area. Both configurations come with a touch pad for rear climate and infotainment adjustments. It can be removed from the back of the front console and held on the lap so there’s no need to lean forward to adjust temperature or fan speed.

Generally the Bentayga has better accommodations than a Continental GT or Flying Spur for things like muddy Hunter wellies, and more SUV stuff. This includes modular storage systems, pet cages and a tailgate Event Seat. The queen might be the Mulliner Hamper -- a picnic kit with three leather-upholstered cubes, removable from the cargo space and used as seats. One is filled with Linley china, cutlery and crystal. Another is for dry goods and the third is refrigerated, for Dom and beluga.

There’s a ton of stuff, of course, from state of the art electronics to jewelry like the Tourbillon. An invisible metallic layer, also acting as a UV filter, heats the double-pane windscreen. There are 12 exterior ultrasonic sensors, five cameras with a composite top view, long-and short-distance radar, traffic sign recognition, night vision, head-up display and park assist -- which works with a trailer attached. The Android tablets delivering rear-seat video can be removed from behind the front headrests for full computer functionality. There’s a 60-gig onboard hard-drive and three audio systems, from the standard 700 watts to the 1,800-watt Naim.

The Bentayga has undergone the most rigorous testing in Bentley history, according to the company: more than a million road miles on five continents in temperatures from -22 to 125 F; more than 400 tuning laps around the Nürburgring. It’s the first Bentley subjected to towing tests. All electronic and mechanical systems are validated for full function when the vehicle is inclined 35 degrees in any direction. Top speed is validated at 105 F. ambient with no degradation in cooling capacity.

It takes 130 hours to build -- compared to about 10 for a mainstream midsize sedan -- before bespoke personalization. The paint is hand applied and polished. Hides are cut and sewn at Crewe and a dedicated staff of 58 hand-fashion and finish the wood veneers. The factory has undergone a $1.2 billion upgrade anticipating production.

The first customer Bentaygas start the process Nov. 27, and you can order yours now at $229,100 before delivery or options. Buyers who signed a purchase contract before the Bentayga was released get a special edition Breitling sport watch with GPS tracking.

Bentayga purchasers should be equally first-time Bentley buyers and people who already own Bentleys, according to the company (the typical U.S. Bentley owner has nine cars). The value of being first into the above-Range Rover SUV market should not be underestimated. To some extent, Bentayga defines expectations. By the time Lambo or Maserati or whoever else jumps in, Bentley will be ready with a diesel engine and possibly another, unspecified Bentayga variant CEO Wolfgang Durheimer says is already underway.

Love it or hate it, the Bentayga won’t fail. Don’t take our word for it: Durheimer says the business plan is built on 3,500 sales annually, but pre-orders and queries suggest Bentley can sell 5,500 the first full year if it can build them.

The company will sell at least 10,000 cars for the third straight year in 2015 and enjoy its most profitable year ever, according to Durheimer -- even with China in recession (now Bentley’s third largest market, behind the United States and Western Europe). The point in the Bentayga context is obvious.

If the rest of the line holds steady for 2016, Bentayga should account for more than a third of all Bentley sales by the end of its first year.

How’s it drive?

Like the Bentley of SUVs, all bases covered. Bentley boasts with Bentayga, “Ultra-luxury no longer ends where the road does.” Range Rover might take offense, but the assertion certainly applies to Bentley’s new SUV.

What’s to say about the W12 that output figures don’t already imply? Maybe that it’s also exceptionally smooth, with anything like a roar reserved only for full-throttle operation. There’s enough thrust to get an airliner to rotation speed. Nothing in a road test suggests Bentley’s 0-60 mph time is off the mark, and that says a lot. What it doesn’t say is, there’s no sweat, no fury, in the process -- no troublesome noises or rough edges. Just plant the gas pedal and the Bentayga flies toward the horizon -- any gear, any road speed -- in smooth, composed serenity, no issue with stability or mass.

There’s a bit more firmness in the ride compared to a Spur, maybe, and definitely more wind noise than in a Mulsanne. Yet Bentayga is the first Bentley that literally drives itself. Engage lane keeping and the adaptive cruise control on the motorway or a fast B-road, and the Bentayga tracks curves, adjusts speed to maintain appropriate spacing and slows immediately if whatever’s ahead dictates such -- all without driver participation. Autonomous operation is supposed to work only when the driver is attentive, and safely disengages after a warning if he or she isn’t. Yet the failsafe senses a bit of weight (a hand) on the steering wheel. It can be defeated by hanging something -- how about an open wallet? -- over the wheel rim.

The Bentayga easily performs the obligatory off-road stunts. Maybe a few dozen owners outside of the Middle East will actually try them. Rutted, 35-degree grades are no problem, and they demand little technique thanks to the control electronics. There’s good underbody protection, and given the massive low-rev torque, a low range is almost silly. The more remarkable thing might be that a Bentley can camel its way over rocks and whoopee-dos. Even if an owner’s off-road excursions are limited to the dirt trail back to the polo grounds, not something one would consider undertaking in a Mulsanne.

The most remarkable thing might be driving the crap out of 5,400 two-box pounds of Bentayga on twisting mountain roads in Andalucía, Spain.

The Bentayga’s four on-road drive modes are labeled comfort, sport, custom -- and Bentley. How great is that? Shouldn’t a 488GTB’s Mannetino dial say sport, sport-plus and Ferrari? Bentley mode says, “you can set this however you want, but we know what’s best.” In operation it sets parameters somewhere between sport and comfort and it’s what the engineers who developed Bentayga would use as the default. Still, it’s the full sport setting that most obviously validates the Bentley Dynamic Ride roll-management system.

We’re not sure it’s exactly fun slamming a Bentayga through slow curves and switchbacks, but its stunning to anyone who remembers driving a 1980s Chevy Suburban -- or even a 2015. The active anti-roll bars keep close to three tons of tall Bentley bizarrely level and stable as lateral g increases. Steering feel builds with the load, and the suspension works to isolate the tires as the sole determinant of lateral grip. It’s big, high and heavy, of course, but as well managed as big, high and heavy can be. It’s no problem making passengers queasy if the driver has a cruel streak.

Is the Bentayga a Cayenne Turbo S in the twisties? Not exactly, but it can get close if you want it to. And you get Bentley, not Porsche, inside. The inspiration of Bentley’s wing logo is obvious in the dash layout. It’s comforting and maybe even timeless. Craftsmanship, time and cost are visible everywhere, with any of the standard 15 leather colors or seven veneer options.


Do I want it?

Almost certainly, though it’s possible you want the existing Cayenne Turbo S or the forthcoming Lamborghini SUV more. Blazing a trail to SUV price points well north of Range Rover is not an exact science. Whether you want the Bentayga or not, there are more than enough 1-percenters who do.

The 2017 Bentayga is not quite the eye-opener the Continental GT coupe was when it was introduced in 2003, launching Bentley’s march from irrelevance back to prominence. The Bentayga is more what industry insiders have been expecting. Yet it’s an even better fit than the Continental GT for today’s marketplace and exactly what the first Bentley SUV should be.



2017 Bentley Bentayga first drive

 

[Merc1]

"Yet it’s an even better fit than the Continental GT for today’s marketplace and exactly what the first Bentley SUV should be."

Except in exterior styling/looks!

M

 

[GTA45E]

^
lOl, the face/lift GLS63 is so ugly it actually makes the Bentayga look decent, J/K
I would take the Bentayga before the GLS63 anyway. If there were a catagory for the top
7 SUVs in the world right now the Bentayga would definately be on that list.

 

[ThroughandThrough]

Here's a POV of the Bentayga:

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