2017 Bentley Bentayga: Finally, Bentley's Ute Emerges

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It’s all over but the driving at this point. With this whole Bentayga thing, Bentley has teased us with the unceasing tenacity of Elisabeth Báthory under a bad moon. It started with the EXP 9 F concept unveiled at the Geneva auto show back in 2012. The conventional wisdom was that there was certainly a hole in the market large enough for Bentley to park an SUV in, but the reaction to what Crewe came up with was mixed, to put it rather charitably. And instead of the EXP 9 F’s vaguely Mulsanne-ish demeanor, we now have the Conti-fied new Bentayga.

To put it bluntly, we’re not entirely sure if the Bentayga is an aesthetic improvement over the EXP 9 F. The artist’s conception we ran earlier this year was close to spot-on, save for the production vehicle’s haloed headlamp washers. We like the fact that it has pop-out headlamp washers. As children of the ’70s and ’80s, pop-up or –out anything on the nose of a car strikes our fancy. We’re just not sure if Bentley’s implementation is what we were after when we fell asleep, hoping to dream of something, anything, to succeed the Cizeta V16T in oddball lights-and-actuators glory.

                         

Mechanical Fanciness

Washers aside, Bentley has packed the Bentayga to the rafters with bells and whistles. Courtesy of the company’s Drive Dynamics Mode and its optional Responsive Off-Road Setting, up to eight drive modes can be activated. Whether they actually will be probably has something to do with whether you’re a dune-hooning sheik or merely Newport Beach chic. Responsive Off-Road mode allows you to pick the surface closest to the one you’re currently motoring on. It’s accompanied by a handy display of pitch, roll, wheel articulation, steering angle, altitude, and direction. Perfect for those, “Hey! Earl of March! Hold my Lagavulin!” moments.

Bentley’s Dynamic Ride system uses a 48-volt system to adjust the air suspension to offer various heights—the ute can be lowered while standing at the tailgate—and Hill Descent Control makes traversing steep grades one-touch simple.

While diesel and hybrid options are on the horizon—and we wouldn’t be surprised to see an eventual V-8–powered Bentayga—at launch, power comes exclusively from the Volkswagen Group’s W-12 engine, routed through an eight-speed automatic transmission. Tuned in this application to crank out 600 horsepower and 663 lb-ft of torque, the updated W-12 now features cylinder deactivation. Bentley claims the Bentayga will hit 60 in four seconds flat and press on to 187 mph. Be on the lookout for undercover cops.

Crewe will happily point out to you that these numbers make it the most powerful and fastest SUV on the planet. We wonder, however, how long that might stand, especially given Bentley’s speedy, luxurious VW Group relatives. After all, the Lamborghini Urus is on the way, and would it do to have Sant’Agata’s hot, hot heat tempered by its cool, Brit cousin? And might not Zuffenhausen go to Weissach and say, “You must engineer harder, for the Cayenne Turbo S cannot be trumped by others within our group!” Future Porsche Cayenne GT2, anybody? Just because.

                            

What will not be trumped, however, is the Bentayga’s interior. We had a chance to sit in it, and the innards are good enough to make one forget the exterior aesthetics. Fifteen veneered pieces of wood trim go into the cabin, and customers can choose among seven different varieties of dead tree to accent one of 15 shades of naturally tanned bull hide. The leather covers 22-way adjustable front chairs with massage functionality, as well as 18-way adjustable rear seats in the four-place models. A rear bench also is available. And if you’re inclined to enjoy an especially lovely sunset or an impromptu shooting match, a folding “event seat” is available, upholstered to match your Bentayga’s interior and easily stowed in the boot.

Bentley’s extra-care Mulliner division offers a host of further customizations at the buyer’s request. As of launch, the opulence includes a “hamper set,” with custom Linley china, utensils and crystal, a fridge, and a storage area for dry goods. Sections of it can be removed and used for seats for impromptu al fresco dining. That, friends, is one heck of a pic-a-nic basket.

But perhaps the best interior option—in fact, it is very likely the best option, period—is the Mulliner Tourbillon by Breitling clock. Featuring a mechanical movement, the Mulliner Tourbillon is actually wound by the car. Oh, your Mercedes has an IWC timepiece? Is it machined from either white or rose gold? Does it have eight diamond indexes on the face? Might we ask you one last thing? Does your automobile wind your freaking clock? Chump, we heard our footman mention that there’s a sale at Kohl’s. You’d best be on your way.

As Always, the Most Opulence Is Inside