The Bentley Bentayga. We like it a lot. And now, there’s even more reason to like it because Bentley has fitted its super-SUV with a more sensible engine.
The original Bentayga, you’ll recall, is powered by a 6.0-litre W12 monster developing 600 bhp. And while that makes for an excellent 0-100 km/h time of 4.0 seconds, it does mean that you’ll be spending an awful lot of time at fuel filling stations.
In fact, by our calculation, you’d have to refill the W12 Bentayga’s 85-litre fuel tank with Super 98 petrol every 350 km or so.
Enter the Bentley Bentayga V8. Essentially, it’s the same car as the original model, but instead of a big, thirsty W12 under the bonnet, it packs a more modest 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8.
But just because the engine is smaller, don’t go thinking that the Bentayga V8 will be a slouch. It develops a might 542 bhp and 770 Nm of torque. The 0-100 km/h dash is taken care of in 4.5 seconds, and the top speed is 290 km/h. So, basically, it still delivers all the speed you could possibly need from a 2.4-tonne SUV.
And though bores us to say it, the V8’s efficiency is where the magic really happens. Bentley claims 11.4 l/100 km, compared to the W12’s 25.3 l/100 km. That means a range of 746 km. It achieves this through clever software that deactivates four of the eight cylinders when you don’t need much power (for example, cruising down JBR Walk). And if you want to kick things up a notch, the other four cylinders come alive in 20 milliseconds, so you don’t notice a thing.
Elsewhere, this is the same Bentayga we know and love. It comes with twin-quad exhaust pipes, optional ceramic brakes, an amazing suspension system capable of delivering driving thrills on the road, and go-anywhere ability off of it.
Bentley hasn’t told us how much the Bentayga V8 will cost, but we don’t think it’ll be that much cheaper than the W12. That model will just be reserved for those who want ultimate bragging rights, but for anyone who wants a super-SUV that’s friendlier as a daily driver, we reckon the V8 is the one to go for.
More pics below.
