MOTORING
Tees Life’s motor man Graeme Courtney reviews perhaps the most surprising
SUV yet, the Bentley Bentayga.
4 x 4 x wow!
W
ho would have thought that
one of Britain’s most iconic
manufacturers of luxury cars
would launch a 4x4 SUV?
But the Bentley Bentayga has been a
massive success for the company. Yes, it’s
outrageous that this vast car can hurtle
along at 190mph, but the fact that it can also
hold its own ploughing across a soggy field,
scrambling along rutted tracks, reversing a
boat into the water or towing a 3.5-tonne
trailer shows that this car is an engineering
miracle.
When the designers were given the initial
brief, they must have been rather stunned.
For many people, the Bentley Bentayga
is a Marmite car - you either love the
design or loathe it. The one thing you can’t
deny, however, is that it’s a brilliant piece
of engineering with an interior that oozes
quality.
There are now five models in the range,
with the Bentayga Speed at the pinnacle. It
costs £192,200. This version is the world’s
fastest SUV, topping 190mph with a 0-60
time of 3.9 seconds. For a car which weighs
2.0 tonnes, these are astonishing figures.
The Bentayga V8 offers a dynamic
sporting edge, while Bentayga V8 Design
Series adds extra trim. Both will reach
186mph. If you want economy, try to find a
Bentayga Diesel, which is able to travel more
than 600 miles on one tank of fuel, yet still
hit 168mph.
The diesel version is no longer available
to order in the UK, but there are still some
at a few dealers. It’s a really good car, but the
trend against diesel in Europe has seen it
killed off on our shores.
And finally, the most
recent Bentayga to arrive
is the hybrid version, which rates as the
world’s first-ever luxury plug-in hybrid SUV.
It is still incredibly quick with a top speed of
156mph.
So, in this country, three engines are
available - 4.0 litre V8, 6.0 litre W12 or 3.0
litre hybrid. The V8 model is our favourite,
starting at around £136,000. It will hit
60mph in under five seconds. If you can find
the V8 diesel model, you’ll enjoy around
mid-30s mpg.
The hybrid Bentayga, which uses a
six-cylinder, 3.0-litre petrol engine, is the
cheapest model at £130,000. It’ll still hit
60 mph in around 5.5 seconds, but you’ll
be able to travel for around 25 miles using
battery power only. Make full use of the
hybrid system and Bentley reckon you’ll
manage 80mpg.
We’ll not bother to list the sort of kit
because, well, you get everything. The
options list is endless and of course, because
it’s a Bentley, if you want something totally
unique, that’ll be fine. Their designers will
create it for you.
The Bentayga is stunning to drive. Fun
too. If you want to really enjoy the sound
from the engine, you can order a sports
OUR CHOICE Jaguar E-PACE
Best model Bentayga V8
Price £136,900
Best engine 4.0 litre petrol V8
Power 542hp
0-60 4.5 seconds
Top speed 180 mph
MPG 24.8 mpg
exhaust. You’ll want that.
Every model has all-wheel drive and
adaptive air suspension. You can also
select various driving modes depending on
what sort of mood you’re in. The seats are
wonderfully supportive and comfy. You can
have a five-seat model or opt for four ‘captain
style’ seats.
Overall, assuming you like the look of
the Bentayga, this has to rate as to best of
the super SUVs. Stunning build quality,
shattering performance but still with the
rounded ability to trundle around town or
take your surf board onto the beach.
Brilliant Bentley Bentayga.
tees-life.co.uk
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