Bentley Bentayga: The Luxury SUV From W12 to Plug-in Hybrid

The Bentley Bentayga is the British marque's first luxury crossover SUV, unveiled at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. It pairs a unibody with permanent all-wheel drive and offers petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid power. Bentley's own forecast was badly beaten, and the car went on to become its most popular model.

Where did the Bentayga come from?

Bentley's first SUV was previewed as the EXP 9 F concept at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. That car used the Volkswagen Group MLB platform and a 6.0 L W12 rated at 600 hp (447 kW). Bentley revised the design after press criticism, and the production Bentayga was announced in July 2013 before its Frankfurt debut in September 2015.

An early working name for the model was the Falcon. The concept's design drew a mixed response from the motoring press, so the production car was reworked for more traditional SUV proportions.

The final name was revealed in January 2015. It comes from Roque Bentayga, a highland rock in Tejeda on Gran Canaria, and it blends the Bentley name with Taiga, the world's largest transcontinental snow forest.

A luxury SUV that outsold its own forecast and became the marque's most popular model.

Where is the Bentayga built?

The Bentayga is assembled at Bentley's factory in Crewe, England, after a British Government agreement moved production away from the Volkswagen Bratislava Plant. Its unibody is made at the Volkswagen Zwickau-Mosel Plant in Germany, then painted and assembled in Crewe, the British factory that Bentley expanded for the model.

Bentley invested GBP 800 million in the Crewe facility and hired 1,000 new employees to support the model. Body shell production stayed at the Bratislava facility for a time before moving to the Zwickau-Mosel Plant at the end of 2016.

What engines did the Bentayga offer?

The launch car used a 6.0 L twin-turbo W12 that could switch off six of its twelve cylinders. A 4.0 L twin-turbo diesel V8 followed in 2017, then a 4.0 L petrol V8 in 2018 and a 3.0 L V6 plug-in hybrid. Each unit sat alongside the W12 in the range.

Bentley claimed 4.1 seconds for 0-100 km/h and a top speed of 301 km/h (187 mph) for the W12. The Bentayga Speed raised the bar in 2020, with a claimed 3.9 seconds for 0-100 km/h from its updated W12.

The diesel was Bentley's first diesel and appeared only in the Bentayga. Bentley claimed 4.8 seconds for 0-100 km/h, with 270 km/h (168 mph) at the top end for the diesel V8.

The petrol V8, which arrived in 2018, was claimed to reach 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds and to top out at 290 km/h (180 mph). Its combined CO2 output was 272 g/km, and its combined fuel use was rated at 12.0 L/100 km (23.5 mpg-imp; 19.6 mpg-US).

The plug-in hybrid was revealed at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show and went on sale in October 2019. Its 3.0 L turbo V6 and electric motor produced a system output of 449 PS (330 kW; 443 hp) and 700 Nm (516 lbf ft) of torque. A 17.3 kWh (62 MJ) lithium-ion battery gave a claimed 51.0 km (31.7 miles) of range on NEDC testing.

How does the Bentayga drive?

The Bentayga uses permanent all-wheel drive, with a Torsen self-locking centre differential and an asymmetric 40/60 front-to-rear torque split. It is a unibody vehicle with seating for four, five or seven, built on the MLB platform it shares with the Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q8 and Lamborghini Urus.

The extended wheelbase version adds active anti-roll bars and rear wheel steering, which set it apart from the standard car. The S variant takes its own chassis route, which is covered in the variants section below.

What changed with the 2020 facelift?

The facelift arrived in June 2020 with 3D elliptical tail-lights, a rear number plate moved onto the bumper and an enlarged rear spoiler. Inside, a 10.9-in touchscreen gained Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while the instrument dials gave way to a digital display. USB-C ports and wireless smartphone charging were added too.

Rear passengers gained 100 mm (3.9 in) of extra knee space in the facelift, and the car still came in four, five or seven seat layouts. The standard stereo is a 790W, 12-speaker system, and an optional Naim setup raises output to 1780W across 20 speakers.

The exterior also gained new side vents and a 22 in (560 mm) wheel design, along with oval split tailpipes and heated wipers with 22 washer jets.

Which Bentayga variants were released?

Bentley widened the range with the Bentayga S in May 2021, then added the Azure submodel across the range in May 2022. An extended wheelbase model was released the same month. Mulliner, Bentley's internal customisation company, is behind limited-edition options such as a Breitling-designed clock.

The S is the fourth model in the line-up. It uses a 542 hp (404 kW; 550 PS) 4.0-litre petrol V8, with black lower-body panels and a black oval sports exhaust. Its chassis brings 15% firmer dampers, a recalibrated torque vectoring system and Dynamic Ride as standard.

The Azure is aimed at wellbeing and comfort, in contrast with the sportier S. It is identified by Azure badging behind the front wheel, and its colour schemes are described as serene.

The extended wheelbase model was intended to replace the Bentley Mulsanne. Bentley made the longer body available on several submodels, including the S and the Azure.

Mulliner creates limited-edition options and accessories for the range. One such option is the Tourbillon clock designed with Breitling, whose rotating cage spins 3 times every 15 minutes.

How many Bentaygas were sold?

Bentley manufactured 608 First Edition cars at launch. The original 2016 forecast was 3,500 sales, but the whole year's production sold out early, so output rose and 5,586 units were sold. About 6370 Bentley Bentaygas were sold in 2022. The model became Bentley's most popular car in 2016.

Despite its high price, the car was a sales success for Bentley, and it was still selling strongly in 2022, when about 6370 were sold.

Why did the Bentayga matter to Bentley?

The Bentayga gave Bentley its first luxury crossover, and it became the marque's most popular car in 2016. Its sales success came despite a high price, and it helped lift the company's volumes through the years that followed. The model proved that a Bentley SUV could sell well beyond the forecast made before launch.

Bentley had forecast 3,500 sales for 2016 before the year's production sold out early. The company raised output and sold 5,586 units, a figure that made the crossover central to its business. Sales stayed strong in the years that followed.

Was the Bentayga the fastest production SUV?

At launch, Bentley claimed the Bentayga was the second most expensive and the fastest production SUV on sale. Later, the Speed version cut the claimed 0-100 km/h time to 3.9 seconds, which underlined the W12's strength. Bentley's figures were manufacturer claims rather than independent results.

The 2020 Speed update lifted the W12 to 626 hp (467 kW; 635 PS), and its claimed 3.9 seconds for 0-100 km/h became the headline figure for the model. Launch figures remained 4.1 seconds for the standard W12.

What did critics say about the Bentayga?

Critics focused mainly on size, with the car described as huge and gargantuan by British newspapers. The EXP 9 F concept had earlier drawn a mixed response, and Bentley changed the styling before production. Its scale was a constant theme, and buyers could choose seating for four, five or seven.

The Guardian and the Sunday Times used the word huge, while the Daily Telegraph chose gargantuan. Both descriptions point to physical scale rather than engineering, and they came alongside the concept's mixed reception.

Was the Bentayga recalled?

Yes. Bentley issued a recall for 378 cars in November 2016 after finding that some seats had not been properly secured during assembly. The recall covered only that group of cars and dealt only with that assembly fault. Buyers checking a used Bentayga should first confirm whether their car falls within it.

What are the Bentayga specifications?

The table lists the core figures for the launch W12, the diesel and petrol V8 engines, the plug-in hybrid and the Speed, with metric figures first and imperial in brackets. Times are Bentley's claimed figures, not independent test results, so they are best read as manufacturer targets.

Frequently asked questions

How much power did the Bentayga W12 produce?

The First Edition car used a 608 PS W12, and the Speed later reached 626 hp (467 kW; 635 PS) after its August 2020 update. The plug-in hybrid made 449 PS (330 kW; 443 hp) from its V6 and electric motor combined.

How fast is the Bentayga Speed?

The Speed carries a claimed 3.9 seconds for 0-100 km/h. Its W12 produced 626 hp (467 kW; 635 PS) after the August 2020 update.

Is there a plug-in hybrid Bentayga?

Yes. The plug-in hybrid paired a 3.0 L turbo V6 with an electric motor, and it went on sale in October 2019. Its battery offers a 51.0 km (31.7 miles) range under NEDC rules.

Does the Bentayga have a larger back seat?

Yes. The 2020 facelift added 100 mm (3.9 in) of rear knee space. The Bentayga can be specified with four, five or seven seats, depending on the layout chosen by the buyer.