2024 Bentley Bentayga EWB Review

We live in a strange world. A world wherein more and more young people are acquainted with brands like Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, and Porsche because of the SUVs that they make. There is Alfa Romeo and Ferrari, too, selling SUVs and somehow the world hasn’t come screeching to a blasphemous halt. Clearly these ‘super SUVs’ are making sense to enough people in the world that we keep seeing a completely new model every other year since the arrival of the Bentley Bentayga, which I believe is the original ‘super SUV’.

Here, we are driving the new long-wheelbase version of the Bentayga and it is as opulent as a medieval castle. The incredibly detailed, twin-pod headlights are unmistakably Bentley and the longer profile only adds to this super SUV’s road presence. For this long-wheelbase version, there’s a new front grille, polished 22-inch wheels, and a repositioned sunroof. In fact, the sunroof has been moved rearwards because of the extended cabin.

Climb into the Bentayga and you will immediately get a sense that Bentley is the sort of brand that likes doing things differently. The overall ambience is rich and flamboyant and not restrained by the norms that the Germans have fashioned. That said, the cabin also looks busy, with so many buttons, and if I am honest, it's difficult to not miss some of the VW Group stuff.

By this I mean the buttons on the steering wheel and the way the menus are laid out on the digital driver’s display. It all looks familiar. What’s not familiar at all is the extra level of craftsmanship that has gone into building this First Edition version that we have here. You get extremely nice quilted seats, mood lighting, higher quality Naim sound system, metal overlays in the veneer (I will get to that later), and more stuff when it comes to the driver assistance system. The Bentayga one-ups its competition with little details such as diamond illumination, where light is emitted through small perforations in the soft-touch door trim. Then, there are metal overlays in the veneer - an intricate design bonded by hand on the surface of the veneer before the part is lacquered and polished. What’s more, the rear door can also be electrically closed but that’s not the highlight of this cabin.

With this extended wheelbase version, you get something called a ‘Bentley Airline Seat’ specification. Here, the seat can be reclined by up to 40 degrees, while the passenger seat can be motored forward and a leather-trimmed footrest deploys from the back of the front passenger seat. In terms of actual seat comfort, there is legroom for days and the seat itself is more of a high-end lounge chair. All in all, those seated at the back would appreciate the business-class-like accommodation and thoughtful touches such as the powered doors and the magnitude of adjustments for the seats.

The Bentayga is nice, indeed, to drive. It displays the level of manners we have come to expect from a vehicle that costs this much money. It is extremely quiet and smooth, but at the same time, exhibits a certain degree of exuberance that’s missing in a GLS Maybach or a DBX. Also, I should add it requires an experienced driver to get used to the size especially, when driving in traffic.

The engine powering this thing is a 4.0-litre, turbocharged V8 petrol engine that makes 542bhp and 770Nm of torque. It picks up momentum from pretty much any speed with purpose and there is a sense of poise with which it does, which is something that’s missing in a lot of ultra-expensive cars. The engine remains quiet when you rev it, although it wakes up with a nice deep bellow when you rev it past 3,000rpm, at which point it’s pulling the Bentayga with a great degree of spirit. The eight-speed automatic, meanwhile, is classically competent and does a great job of masking the gear changes when you are driving calmly.

I am aware it’s an overused term in the automotive world but bear with me on this. The Bentayga delivers a magic carpet-like ride. Featuring air suspension on all four ends, this luxury barge simply glides over imperfections, ironing out long undulations with minor vertical movement. It does get affected by sudden changes in road conditions but you seldom hear the suspension working, which is a good thing.

The Bentayga looks and drives like a Bentley should but on the inside, if you look closely, you will see snippets of the Volkswagen Group universe and that takes away some of the bespoke feel that the rest of the car exudes. Nonetheless, the Bentayga is beautifully engineered, equally comfortable, and just screams pure class. It will make for a great purchase for those who want a ‘hatke’ luxury SUV with an old-school charm to it.

Pictures by Kapil Angane & Kaustubh Gandhi