2017 Bentley Bentayga is a ground-shaking, groundbreaking luxury SUV (pictures)
Bentley's first-ever SUV is here, and it's a big-shouldered approach to high-level luxury.
Bentley's Bentayga essentially has the ultra-lux SUV mountaintop alone to itself...for now.
The proportions of the Bentayga depend on the use of oversized wheels. This example features 21-inch black-painted and diamond-turned alloys, a $1,700 option.
The color on this model is known as Damson, and it's a $5,715 "extended paint range" option.
Headlamps are cornering LED units.
The Bentayga shares its wheelbase with the Audi Q7, which also resides on the Volkswagen Group's MLB Evo platform. However, the two look nothing alike.
The Bentayga's nose is imposing and controversial, which is another way of saying it's 100 percent Bentley.
The rear end is the Bentayga's most generic aspect. Its most interesting feature is the "horseshoe" surfacing of the hatch itself.
Note the Bentayga's strong rear haunches, which have become a design hallmark for the Flying B.
The Bentayga's layered dashboard is said to be inspired by the wings on Bentley's Flying B emblem.
The Bentayga's steering wheel is surprisingly small and sporty for an SUV of this size.
Heated and cooled seats have 22-way power articulation, massage, and quilting on the shoulders, like an upscale hunting jacket.
The Bentayga comes standard with a bench rear seat, but this four-seat Comfort Specification comes with a full-length console and a quilted cargo divider. More importantly, the rear buckets feature the same amenities as the front chairs, all for $11,015.
The Bentayga's cargo area is 15.2 cubic feet in four-seat specification, or 17.1 cubic feet with the three-across bench seat.
This Bentayga's $3,200 "Event Specification" includes a fold-out quilted leather bench seat for sophisticated tailgating. The idea behind this is to combine the seat-like utility of the Land Rover Range Rover without the awkward cargo loading.
The hand-built second-generation 6.0-liter W-12 engine cranks out 600 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque.
Surprisingly modern typeface and look for this engine badge.
That painted center in the outboard light? It hides a motorized washer.
The generic-looking tail lamps at least have B-shaped light pipes inside to add a bit of character.
There are eight different wheel patterns in three different sizes, from 20 to 22 inches.
Classy, legible analog gauges sit behind mineral glass. Nearly every modern vehicle locates their instrument binnacle behind clear plastic.
The multifunction screen in the gauge cluster can keep tabs on everything from music selection and navigation directions to vehicle settings and advanced driver-assist systems.
This European-spec model features gauges and readouts in kilometers.
Bentley's signature bullseye vents are opened and closed using organ-stop plungers.
This Bentayga features burr walnut veneers with Portland and Damson hides.
Power seat controls feature 22-way adjustment. Note the massage function.
Beautiful quilted leather adorns the doors. Note the heavy metal lidded ashtrays as part of the $590 Smoker's Specification.
This model is fitted with the top-shelf "Naim for Bentley" audio system, a $4,690 option. It features 18 speakers, 19 channels and 1,950 watts of power.
Just in case you forgot what you were driving, Bentley's Winged B crests are available on the seatbacks.
If it looks like metal in the Bentayga's interior, it invariably is.
The Bentayga's chunky gearshift includes an awkwardly placed Park button.
Bentley's drive selector features four on-road modes (Sport, Bentley, Comfort and Custom) and four off-road modes (snow and wet grass; gravel; mud and ruts; and sand). Note the engine stop/start override.
Climate-control switchgear feels good, but certain functions also require the touchscreen, which seems unnecessarily complex.
Steering wheel controls include Bluetooth telephony, voice control, heated wheel and audio functions.
The W-12 engine's lubrication system has been engineered to have no problem with 35-degree tilts in every direction without suffering from oil starvation issues.
The Bentayga rides on a four-link double wishbone front suspension, and the rear end sits atop a rear trapezoidal multilink setup, with both ends featuring self-leveling air springs and continuously variable damping.
While I didn't have the chance to test it, the Bentayga's water fording depth is 20 inches.