FIRST FOR NEWS AND REVIEWS EVERY WEEK autocar.co.uk Reprinted from 14/21 December 2016, 1 February, 21 February and 5 April 2017

BENTLEY BENTAYGA DIESEL Sacrilege or sense? The complete Driving up a river in luxury SUV a Bentayga Frugal, usable, muscular, refined

AAAAA ROAD TEST

BREAKING A ‘MOTORING TABOO’ BENTAYGA’S MISSING PIECE Why Bentley has launched a diesel Head and shoulders above all others ROAD TEST entley Motors Limited To the disgust of some and the will celebrate its delight of others, Bentley now makes WE LIKE B centenary before the a high-sided sports utility vehicle: ROAD TEST No 5314 end of this decade. So far the £163,000, 2.4-tonne, 600bhp Incredible diesel refinement  Effortless low-rev in its near hundred-year life it has Bentayga W12, introduced last year. moved twice, been sold twice, been And no doubt equally appalling thrust  Improved ride  700-mile cruising range bought three times, won Le Mans six to traditionalists, Bentley has just  Usual Bentley-brand cabin opulence times and made large, luxurious and introduced a new engine for the car BENTLEY BENTAYGA DIESEL exclusive passenger cars as different they already hate. The Bentayga WE DON’T LIKE as the 1971 Corniche , Diesel becomes Crewe’s first ever the original 1985 Turbo R and the diesel-engined production model. The price of the options Crewe’s first diesel-fuelled production car strives for SUV perfection landmark Speed Six of 1928. The source of the diesel engine is The firm’s history has been short as contentious as the fuel it quaffs: MODEL TESTED DIESEL on neither boldness nor incident, ’s factory in Gyor, Hungary. The Price £135,800 Power 429bhp Torque 664lb ft 0-60mph 5.2sec 30-70mph in fourth 5.7sec but the past two years have brought 4.0-litre V8 multi-stage turbodiesel Fuel economy 29.6mpg CO2 emissions 210g/km 70-0mph 46.5m Skidpan 1.11g greater and more contentious change motor is materially the same as the than the preceding 96 did. one used by Audi’s SQ7. So while owners of a Bentayga W12 can claim that the beating heart of their car is every bit as ‘Bentley’ as the walnut veneer on its fascia, buyers of this version won’t be able to follow suit. The engine capitalises on the Bentayga’s 48V electrical architecture to even greater profit than the W12. It uses twin sequential turbochargers  Spotting a Bentayga Diesel is easy  Bentley doesn’t stoop to the kind of and a smaller electrically driven from the front. W12s get a bright silver bootlid badges that identify other cars compressor, the latter primarily to radiator grille as standard, the diesel but should you want ‘diesel’ on your car, take driveability to new heights and gets a black one — with chromed accent it will fit you this discreet one on the banish any vestige of turbo lag. The detailing at extra cost. front wing. At extra cost, of course. electronic governance of the engine and the particulars of its installation are all Crewe’s own work. So is this a Bentley to be welcomed? Is it good enough to win over those at once sceptical that an engine such as this belongs in a Bentley and that the winged crest should adorn an SUV? DESIGN AND ENGINEERING AAAAB Bentley’s headline claim for the Bentayga is that it’s “the fastest, most  These grey-painted, diamond-  Brightwork is as beautiful as ever, but powerful, most luxurious and most turned two-tone 21in alloy wheels are if it’s a bit fuddy-duddy for your tastes, exclusive SUV in the world”. Ten a feature of Bentley’s Mulliner Driving most of it can be replaced with mirror- months ago, we reported that there Specification option pack, which matched carbonfibre body trim as part was just enough permeability to an costs £11,165. of the Styling Specification option. almost watertight fulfilment of that brief to justify denying the W12 a half-star’s worth of recognition. On paper, the Diesel comes to market with almost 30% less power than the W12 and priced at £25k less – facts that don’t immediately promise it will satisfy at least 50% of the Bentayga’s mission statement any better than its rangemate. But a delve into this car’s particulars reveals some of the ways in which it might upstage its petrol counterpart.  Bentayga W12 comes with wide oval  Roof rails can’t be replaced by Torque is the first of them. The twin tailpipes; the Diesel swaps them carbonfibre but can carry cross bars for 3956cc ‘triple-charged’ V8 in the for these more angular ones, which look a ski and snowboard carrier or a roofbox Bentayga Diesel produces precisely a bit like sunglasses. Or dumb bells. Or that can carry 320 litres of cargo. the same 664lb ft as the 5950cc twin- moustaches. turbo W12 in the regular Bentayga. But while the W12 needs 1350rpm on the tacho to make it, the V8 diesel has it on tap from just 1000rpm, or, as near as makes almost no difference, from idle. That should ◊ JOHN BRADSHAW JOHN  LED tail-lights mirror the ‘Flying B’  … the car’s reversing light is motif that has distinguished so many integrated centrally and lower down, Bentleys. They’re particularly clean and here at the join of the rear bumper panel uncluttered looking because… and mock diffuser. PHOTOGRAPHY Speed Six of 1928 was a landmark Bentley 2 AUTOCAR.CO.UK REPRINTED FROM AUTOCAR 5 APRIL 2017 REPRINTED FROM AUTOCAR 5 APRIL 2017 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 3 ROAD TEST ∆ make it stronger and more f lexible INTERIOR on in-gear acceleration than the already f lexible W12 and could be AAAAA an even bigger boon for towing, Cabin appointment – working with crawling and other things that big wood, leather and metal to quite SUVs are commonly asked to do. breathtaking effect, and applying The eight-speed automatic standards and techniques that no gearbox in the Diesel is identical to other car maker could hope to match the one in the petrol, right down to – is what Bentley does best. Under individual gear ratios and final drive. ’s careful custodianship, Like the W12, the Diesel sends its this has become Crewe’s gift to power to all four wheels via a Torsen making. This is our second centre differential and an open rear acquaintance with a Bentayga’s differential, with electronic torque cabin, and yet that bit of familiarity vectoring doing some of the job that a didn’t make sitting in the Bentayga locking axle diff might otherwise do. Diesel any less of an event. Bentley’s modifications to the Audi The driving position is far from  ‘Liquid amber’ is a new addition to the Bentayga  This drive mode selector doubles handily as the  Two ‘Bentayga Edition’ Breitling watches are V8 diesel are confined mainly to ECU typical of a large SUV’s. It’s only range of wood veneers. It looks particularly lovely set engine starter. It prepares the car for a quickened road available as options — one ladies’, one men’s — but software changes. Anxious that this moderately high, although widely against Bentley’s trademark fascia brightwork. pace, a desert track or just about anything in between. neither is as nice as this timepiece on the dashboard. car sounded and felt like a Bentley adjustable and superbly comfortable first and a diesel a distant second, – so if you want a more lofty view of Crewe’s engineers have softened the road, you can have one. Leave the the sound of the V8’s combustion in a typical setting, though, and and fitted ‘intelligent’ engine you get an almost perfect balance mounts and lined the engine bay and of cocooning and commanding  The Bentayga’s driving position is semi-recumbent and balances fine visibility tunnel with even more impressions from behind the wheel. against a sense of cocooned luxury. insulation than a W12 gets. The door consoles rise higher at Fans of the Audi SQ7 may wonder your side than you expect them to. why that car’s four-wheel steering The window profile above that is system and its optional locking slimmer than in a traditional SUV ‘sport’ rear diff haven’t been adopted. and the roof line just a touch closer According to Bentley engineering to your scalp (although head room chief Rolf Frech, it’s because the remains beyond reproach). The effect systems “aren’t mature enough” to is of a cockpit that you might imagine suit the character of a Bentley yet – belonged to an exotic saloon, albeit “but we never say never”. one suspended at least a foot ◊

HOW BIG IS IT?

0.34

mm max 0mm

94

1000 17

484 litres 42mm x m 780m 080mm ma 1 Typical leg room 780mm

Kerb weight: 2499kg 2995mm 5140mm  Three-seater rear bench actually offers slightly more leg room than two-seat VISIBILITY HEADLIGHTS equivalent, although the outer seatbacks are slightly narrower. High vantage point makes for excellent Standard LED headlights are superb on forward view, but high body sides both dipped and main beam. and slim glasshouse impinge on the commanding aspect in other directions.

g circle: Turnin 12.4m MULTIMEDIA SYSTEM 60mm 1689mm AAAAC 190mm The Bentayga’s infotainment Pay extra and you can add a digital Height 460-690mm conforms to luxury-class convention TV tuner (£965), and two 10in rear- by being fairly discreet in its scope seat entertainment tablets (£5635) and proportions. You can spend much that mount on the back of the front less on a Mercedes-Benz, Audi or headrests or can be removed to act BMW with a larger and more feature- like standard tablets. Our test car had Length 1150-2000mm Width 1100-1180mm rich multimedia set-up — and that’s Bentley’s Naim-supplied premium very much intended. In Crewe’s world audio system (£6615), too. Centre of opulence and calm, the neon glare Changeable digital reception made of technology is often best shut out. the TV add-on a bit pointless, but the 1693mm WHEEL AND PEDAL Even so, the car comes with an premium stereo and rear-seat tablets ALIGNMENT 8.0in touchscreen with built-in nav, impressed. And while many would jolt 11GB of storage, DAB radio, a CD/DVD at the idea of paying more than £12k Pedal box is identical to the W12’s. Brake player and the capacity to turn a 4G to upgrade a multimedia system, is wide enough to reach with either foot; smartphone into a wi-fi hotspot. Bentley says its customers don’t. there’s plenty of clearance around both  Boot is about typical on length and width for a large SUV, although others are 1998mm pedals for bulky footwear. deeper. Parcel shelf is removable but not exactly a lightweight item. 4 AUTOCAR.CO.UK REPRINTED FROM AUTOCAR 5 APRIL 2017 REPRINTED FROM AUTOCAR 5 APRIL 2017 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5 ROAD TEST ∆ above where it ought to be on the PERFORMANCE a little more tuneful when worked suave, rich and luxurious-feeling road and a generous cut above what’s hard, but the difference between pace is absolutely the kind that happening beneath. AAAAA the two engines on tonal richness is Bentley’s SUV should provide – and The main control interfaces This engine, in slightly different remarkably small. this one has it in glorious abundance. include a large, chromed, states of tune, has gone up against The W12 does move the Bentayga ❝ RIDE AND HANDLING no-nonsense gear selector that is our road test benchmarking gear a bit more forcefully at times, but Laid-back, luxurious-feeling pace is exactly well placed and easy to use. Behind twice already, in the Audi SQ7 and only when the accelerator is on its AAAAA that is a rotary dial that doubles as a the Panamera. We knew, stop and the tacho needle is spinning A dash of additional nose weight and the kind that Bentley’s SUV should provide push-button engine starter button therefore, how unlikely it would be to to the redline, which is a mode that a smidgeon of extra tyre sidewall and, by twisting it, allows you to let Bentley down, even allowing for you’d expect Bentayga owners rarely would appear to have effectively cycle through the Bentayga’s various the Bentayga’s 2645kg weight and to adopt. To hit a f lying 100mph addressed our criticisms of the ❞ ride, handling, traction and stability Crewe’s standards on driveability from standing, the Bentayga Diesel slightly busy and occasionally fidgety control modes (including Sport, and mechanical isolation. What we needs exactly a second longer than ride of the Bentayga W12. Comfort, Custom, Snow, Sand, Forest didn’t reckon on were where those its 12-cylinder rangemate and more The Diesel was supplied on 21in and Track). Grouping those drive standards would take this car above than two seconds more than a Range wheels (last year’s W12 was on 22s), modes like that is particularly clever and beyond the refinement we’ve Rover Sport SVR. But to spirit itself and Crewe’s claimed kerb weight because the starter button is always already experienced elsewhere. from 40-100mph in sixth, which has it at 32kg more than the petrol going to be an important point of The Diesel is astonishingly smooth is a much more telling measure of model – a difference attributed to the contact for the driver, and giving and quiet. Its V8 declines to send any accessible on-road pace, the DieselT5 is iron blockT6 and relatively complicated it a secondary job somehow makes of the shudders that a compression- 1.4sec quicker than the W12 and more induction system of that diesel V8. f licking between modes feel more ignition engine can transmit into the than four seconds quicker than the There is also a bespoke softwareT7 intuitive than it might. cabin on start-up, and it settles to a SVRT3 (and with another 60mph still to tuning for the car’s air suspension, Complaints are so few in number remote, demure idle that isn’t even gain before it needed another gear). adaptive dampers and active anti- as to hardly deserve a mention. faintly clattery or brusque. Frankly, You can imagineT4 how easy roll bars here, ofT8 course, intended to Pedants might point out that there it’s barely audible. The engine that performance would make give the Bentayga Diesel a dynamic are Audi parts bin column stalks raises its voice just loud enough to motorway driving and the towing of character all of its own – and very and headlight controls in evidence, hear it as you move off but remains heavy trailers, and in what kind of likely a slightly softer and more T2 T1 solid and pleasant though they pleasant and sweet-sounding as it incredibly relaxedStar stylet/finish the Bentayga supple one than the W12 has. are. Honestly, we very much doubt spins faster, and even at high revs Diesel could pick off slower cars on Whatever the cause, the result is Bentley could have sourced better. it never intrudes. Bentley’s W12 is well-sighted A-roads. Laid-back, a Bentayga that massages away an

TRACK NOTES While heavier than the W12 and lacking  Power-on understeer presents some of the active chassis systems of DRY CIRCUIT T3 through both T3 and T7, forcing you to the Audi SQ7, the Diesel was the most Bentley Bentayga Diesel deploy engine torque gradually on exit. balanced and controllable on track. 1min 17.9sec On steel discs, with so much mass to Turbo S T6 slow down, the brakes don’t last long on (2016) T2 T5 T7 a circuit. Long enough, though, to prove 1min 16.2sec even wider variety of lumps, ridges character than its sibling, the Diesel that grip and body control are good and bumps that travel under its remains a better-handling and more enough to stand proper scrutiny. T1 wheels than the last one we tested, engaging prospect than almost The Bentayga will pull 1.11g of lateral T4 Start/finish and which, driven at just the right anything else that offers the same cornering load — comparable with a hot pace, could convey you hundreds amount of luxury, or almost any other hatch or sports saloon — and maintain of miles on a mix of surfaces while SUV of a similar size. well-balanced grip and well-contained maintaining a near perfectly cradled BUYING AND OWNING roll in steady-state cornering. Traction T5 and consistent sense of isolation. and stability control systems prevent T6 The Diesel’s ride does permit AAAAB the powertrain from disrupting grip too WET CIRCUIT The most important figure to note T7 some surface noise into the cabin: much, but turn them off and it’s easy to Bentley Bentayga Diesel T3 just a faint background road roar, here starts with a ‘3’ – but could trigger understeer if you’re impatient 1min 8.3sec amplified a bit, no doubt, by the air reasonably be approximated to a on the throttle. The benefit of disabling Porsche Cayenne Turbo S spheres suspending its hubs. But round ‘40’ if you wanted to sum the ESP, however, is unexpected (2016) T4 T8 even allowing for that distant hum, up neatly the real-world touring adjustability on a trailing throttle. na the car is supremely supple and quiet. economy you could get from this Active anti-roll bars help to shift the  Leave the car in Snow and Ice mode A matching sense of isolation can 429bhp, 2.6-tonne luxur y SU V. car’s mass and unload the rear axle and the ESP is in an almost constant be felt through the steering wheel, As unlikely as it may seem, the T2 T1 but discreet state of intervention. when you lift off quickly in a bend. Start/finish which acts more directly on the car’s Bentayga Diesel returned 38.9mpg front wheels than most SUV owners on our touring test. That is a better ACCELERATION will be expecting. Even in Sport result than the SQ7 (which was also mode it’s typically short on feedback on 21in alloys) achieved in its road Bentley Bentayga Diesel (8deg C, dry) and suffers with slightly wavering test last year, and a figure that makes Standing quarter mile 13.8sec at 104.1mph, standing km 25.0sec at 131.9mph, 30-70mph 4.6sec, 30-70mph in fourth 5.7sec weight during hard cornering, but at the oilburner almost 60% cheaper to 30mph 40 50 60 70mph 80mph 90mph 100mph 110mph 120mph 130mph 140mph least in the former respect, that’s how fuel than its petrol equivalent. 2.0s 2.9s 4.0s 5.2s 6.6s 8.3s 10.3s 12.6s T3 15.6s 19.3s 23.9s 30.1s Bentley owners will want it. Those planning to use their 0 10s 20s 30s Contrary to what the car’s sheer Bentayga every day will appreciate Porsche Cayenne Turbo S (2016) (12deg C, damp) heft and light control weights lead a range that could exceed 700 miles Standing quarter mile 12.5sec at 113.8mph, standing km 22.7sec at 144.3mph, 30-70mph 3.5sec, 30-70mph in fourth 7.8sec T6 you to expect, the Diesel’s body – having to stop at the services for 30mph 40 50 60 70mph 80mph 90mph 100mph 110mph 120mph 130mph T2 140mphT5 T7 control is surprisingly f lat and very a 1am splash and dash after a long 1.8s 2.553.3s 4.4s .6s 6.9s 8.5s 10.3s 12.5s 15.1s 18.3s 22.6s smartly reined in when pitched day’s driving is, after all, considerably 0 10s 20s into a bend. It’s much gentler when less luxurious than not having to. tracking straight (particularly in Depreciation is a familiar cost for T1 BRAKING 60-0mph: 2.86sec Comfort mode), though, and while it plenty of Bentley owners, but now the T4 Start/finish Bentley Bentayga Diesel (8deg C, dry) allows plenty of vertical movement firm’s ‘approved used’ programme 30mph-0 50mph-0 70mph-0 over larger undulations, it seldom is in place, things are changing. CAP 8.8m 23.8m 46.5m permits the considerable mass to expects the Diesel to do very well rebound unchecked. Grip levels on residual value and, bought now, 0 10m 20m 30m 40m are always high, stability is strong, to hold on to a greater proportion of Porsche Cayenne Turbo S (2016) (12deg C, damp) 30mph-0 50mph-0 70mph-0 handling response is excellent and its showroom price over three years the car reacts well to being driven and 36,000 miles, starting at that 8.8m 24.3m 47.5m quickly when the mood takes you. £135,800 list price, than an Audi SQ7  A slightly heavier nose, smaller wheels and recalibrated suspension give the Diesel 0 10m 20m 30m 40m Despite a marginally softer-riding does from just under £72,000. ◊ a calmer ride and a better-resolved sense of isolation than the W12 tested last year 6 AUTOCAR.CO.UK REPRINTED FROM AUTOCAR 5 APRIL 2017 REPRINTED FROM AUTOCAR 5 APRIL 2017 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 7 ROAD TEST DATA LOG BENTLEY BENTAYGA DIESEL

On-the-road price £135,800 Price as tested £197,200 Value after 3yrs/36k miles £82,425 Contract hire pcm na Cost per mile £1.80 Insurance/typical quote 50/£1195 85 litres EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST Mulliner Driving Specification (inc. 21in diamond-turned alloys, diamond quilting to and doors and drilled sports pedals) £11,165 Extended paint, Portofino £5550 All Terrain Specification (inc. drive dynamics control, luggage management system, top-view camera and underfloor protection) £4955 City Specification (inc. park assist, TECHNICAL LAYOUT city safeguard, reverse traffic Mixed-metal monocoque houses ‘triple-charged’ V8 diesel engine longways up warning and traffic sign recognition) £4330 front, driving all four wheels through an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox and a Front Seat Comfort Specification £2805 Torsen centre diff. There’s no locking rear differential offered and no four-wheel Sunshine Specification £1630 steering. MIRA’s scales had the car at 2645kg all up (146kg more than Bentley’s Touring Specification (inc. adaptive claim, which doesn’t take account of options), split 55% front, 45% rear. VERDICT cruise control and head-up display) £6195 Heated duo-tone steering wheel £750 ENGINE POWER & TORQUE CHASSIS & BODY TESTERS’ Liquid Amber veneer £1445 Installation Front, longitudinal, Construction Aluminium and steel 800 800 N OTES Rear seat entertainment £5635 all-wheel drive 295lb ft at monocoque BENTLEY BENTAYGA DIESEL Naim for Bentley audio £6615 Type V8, 3956cc, diesel with 700 1000-3250rpm 700 Weight/as tested 2499kg/2645kg MATT Bentley dynamic ride system £3885 twin turbochargers and Drag coefficient 0.34 SAUNDERS Options in bold fitted to test car electric compressor 600 600 Wheels 9.0Jx21in Bentley’s vision of the perfect SUV gets its missing piece I like the = Standard Made of Iron block, aluminium head Tyres 285/45 ZR21, combined

500 187bhp at 500 To na = not available Bore/stroke 83.0/91.4mm 3750-5000rpm rque (lb ft Pirelli P Zero AAAAA starter button/drive Compression ratio 16.0:1 400 400 Spare Spacesaver mode selector, not least RANGE AT A GLANCE Valve gear 4 per cyl because of its Bentley ) o the Bentley Bentayga - its dynamic foibles so adroitly corrected, its ownership ENGINES POWER FROM Power 429bhp at 3750-5000rpm 300 300 TRANSMISSION mode. Saves you shouting 4.0 Diesel 429bhp £135,800 Torque 664lb ft at 1000-3250rpm Power output (bhp ) Type 8-spd automatic case strengthened and its engine bay furnished with a ‘triple-charged’ V8 diesel “Just set the thing up 6.0 W12 600bhp £162,700 Red line 5000rpm 200 200 Ratios/mph per 1000rpm S like the chief engineer Power to weight 172bhp per tonne 100 100 1st 4.71/6.9 2nd 3.14/10.3 3rd 2.1/15.5 that makes it more frugal, more usable, more muscular, more fit for a luxury would have it!” on your TRANSMISSIONS Torque to weight 266lb ft per tonne 4th 1.67/19.4 5th 1.28/25.2 6th 1.0/32.5 umpteenth flit between 8-spd automatic Specific output 108bhp per litre 0 Engine (rpm) 0 7th 0.84/38.7 8th 0.67/48.7 SUV’s purposes and still just as refined – becomes our second five-star car of the year. Sport and Comfort. 0 2000 4000 6000 Final drive ratio 2.85:1 A critic might say it’s empty praise, with so few established super-luxury SUV rivals yet MATT PRIOR ECONOMY SUSPENSION BRAKES SAFETY available to set a standard. But to deny Bentley the recognition it deserves on that basis Interesting to TEST Track 14.5mpg Front Double wishbones, air springs, adaptive Front 400mm ventilated discs Euro NCAP crash rating Not tested compare interior Touring 38.9mpg dampers, active anti-roll bar Rear 380mm ventilated discs would be to ignore the commitment it has shown to get into what will soon enough be a measurements Average 29.6mpg Rear Multi-link, air springs, adaptive dampers, Anti-lock Standard, with brake assist EMISSIONS & TAX on Bentaygas with and active anti-roll bar CO2 emissions 210g/km well-populated market niche. It would also underplay the risk it has taken in using its VW without the two-seat CLAIMED Urban 31.3mpg CABIN NOISE Tax at 20/40% pcm £837/£1675 rear cabin. Three-seater Extra-urban 38.2mpg STEERING Idle 41dB Max rpm in 3rd gear 75dB Group connections to broaden the reach of its line-up by adding a diesel string to its bow versions have slightly Combined 35.8mpg Type Electromechanical, rack and pinion 30mph 58dB 50mph 64dB 70mph 65dB more rear leg room and Turns lock to lock 2.3 in the faith that its expert engineering team would make sure it felt like no ordinary diesel. almost 100mm more boot Tank size 85 litres Turning circle 12.4m This car rises head and shoulders above any other in fulfilling the role of the length behind the seats. Test range 553 miles consummate, complete, luxury SUV. And in five years, when there may be rivals from SPEC ADVICE ACCELERATION ACCELERATION IN GEAR MAX SPEEDS IN GEAR RESIDUALS MPH TIME (sec) mph 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 200 Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, and others, we won’t be surprised if it still does. Pick the Diesel. After 0-30 2.0 20-40 1.8 2.3 - - - - - that, allow yourself to get 1 34mph 5000rpm Range Rover SV Autobiography LWB 0-40 2.9 30-50 2.0 2.3 2.9 3.5 4.9 - - ROAD TEST RIVALS lost in the choice of body 0-50 4.0 40-60 - 2.3 2.8 3.6 4.6 5.7 - 2 52mph 5000rpm 150 colours (107), hides (25) 0-60 5.2 50-70 - 2.6 2.9 3.7 4.6 5.6 7.6 Bentley Bentayga Diesel and veneers (8). Stick 0-70 6.6 60-80 - - 3.2 3.7 4.9 6.0 8.0 3 77mph 5000rpm 1 2 3 4 5 to smaller wheels (there 0-80 8.3 70-90 - - 3.7 3.9 5.1 6.6 8.5 4 97mph 5000rpm 100 are 11 of those). Have alue (£1000s)

0-90 10.3 80-100 - - - 4.4 5.3 6.8 9.2 V All Terrain and Touring 0-100 12.6 90-110 - - - 5.4 5.6 7.1 10.2 5 126mph 5000rpm packs, too. 50 0-110 15.6 100-120 - - - - 6.6 7.9 11.6 6 162mph 5000rpm 0-120 19.3 110-130 - - - - 8.1 8.9 - Audi SQ7 Quattro JOBS FOR 0-130 23.9 120-140 ------168mph 4343rpm BENTLEY BENTAYGA DIESEL RANGE ROVER SPORT SVR, AUDI SQ7 4.0 TDI QUATTRO, RANGE ROVER SDV8 MERCEDES-AMG GLS63 7 0 THE FACELIFT 0-140 30.1 130-150 ------8 168mph* 3452rpm New 1 year 2 years 3 years 4 years £135,800 £96,900 £72,020 SVAUTOBIOGRAPHY LWB, 4MATIC, £104,805 0-150 - 140-160 ------* claimed  Strong predicted demand should lead Meets the super-luxury SUV An ultimate SUV of a different Uses most of the Bentley’s £157,800 If you’ve got to spend mega-  Ride could be a touch 0-160 - to outstanding residuals. W12 version is brief with an incredible show of mould entirely. Noisy, naughty, mechanical ingredients but to Longer than the Bentley, with money on a big AMG SUV and quieter. RPM in 8th at 70/80mph = 1439/1644 7% worse over three years. strength. Better than a W12 in a hoot to drive and loaded with slightly less intoxicating effect. even more room, but struggles you want modern luxury, make  A bit more natural

THE SMALL PRINT Power-to-weight and torque-to-weight figures are calculated using manufacturer’s claimed kerb weight. © 2017, most ways — and cheaper. feral character. Not so genteel. Complete, and brilliant value. to justify its price. it this one, not the G63. steering feel and Haymarket Media Group Ltd. Test results may not be reproduced without editor’s written permission. For information on the Bentayga AAAAA AAAAA AAAAB AAAAC AAABC consistent weight, if Diesel, contact Bentley Motors Customer Services, Pyms Lane, Crewe, Cheshire CW1 3PL (bentleymotors.com, 0808 100 5200). ROAD TEST No 5314 Insurance quote covers 35-year-old professional male with clean licence and full no-claims bonus living in Swindon; quote from Liverpool possible. Victoria (0800 066 5161, lv.com). Contract hire figure based on a three-year lease/36,000-mile contract including maintenance; Wessex  That apart, don’t Fleet Solutions (01722 322888). Read all of our road tests autocar.co.uk change a thing. 8 AUTOCAR.CO.UK REPRINTED FROM AUTOCAR 5 APRIL 2017 REPRINTED FROM AUTOCAR 5 APRIL 2017 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 9 BENTLEY BENTAYGA DIESEL DRIVE

O Bentley remains a grand prix engine but eschewed the much misunderstood layout because it didn’t provide the man. He liked trains mechanical refinement he sought. He W as much as cars, was wanted speed, but not at any price. a pretty hopeless His vision was one of effortless One of the last businessman and never set out to progress in an indestructible car. He build the world’s fastest cars. Speed was proud he could drive his Bentley was always in the formula, but only through France from coast to coast in part thereof. Back in 1919, when his a single day without needing the lights first engine burst into life on a bench and, years before anyone dreamt of in London’s New Street Mews (much an autoroute, rightly so. When one of to the annoyance of a nurse tending his cars won Le Mans in 1929 for the motoring taboos has a dying man next door), his stated third consecutive time, the engine vision was merely to build “a fast car, strip-down report simply read: a good car, the best in its class”. “Nothing to report.” These were Bentley was so unwedded to the massively engineered cars – over- idea of making the quickest thing engineered, in fact. Versatile, too: on four wheels that he deliberately one chassis off the line could win Le made his cars far heavier than they Mans; the next could be turned into been broken: you can now needed to be – inspiring Ettore a hearse. And at least one was. No danger of Frankel Bugatti’s well-known, unkind but So as the Bentayga Diesel gently getting his feet wet; not inaccurate “world’s fastest eased into the river and started Bentayga breezes it lorry” jibe – and less technologically confidently paddling upstream, I advanced than was possible, even at imagined the great man sitting in the the time. He was, for instance, a great back, a small smile turning into a company on the imposition of just around to doing a diesel Bentley. buy a diesel-powered admirer of Peugeot’s 1914 twin-cam broad grin as its engine note didn’t such an engine (a Ricardo-designed Bentleys have never been about waver as the waters drew deeper. 4.0-litre straight six) in a Bentley power or the high-rev histrionics Anything that extended the use of against his will. But the truth is that required to extract it from a Bentley and allowed its occupants the company was already past saving, modern petrol engines. The only to enjoy travelling in one would the Ricardo engine a symptom of measures that matter in a Bentley have been a good thing to him. Bentley’s troubles, not the cause. So are maximum torque and the revs Even a Bentley with an Audi- I think he’d have been very sniffy required to access it. And, if you Bentley. Is it sacrilege developed diesel engine? Well, about the Audi involvement, right up can believe it, its new engine makes Bentley didn’t like other people’s to the moment he drove it. 663lb ft of the stuff at an inaudible engines and blamed – in part, To me, the only surprise is that it 1000rpm. That’s the same torque at at least – the 1931 collapse of his has taken so long for Crewe to get fewer revs from 4.0 litres and eight ◊ or common sense? But not Bentley Motors, it would appear

❝ There is a magnificent incongruity about driving up a river in a Bentley WORDS ANDREW FRANKEL PHOTOGRAPHY LUC LACEY ❞

10 AUTOCAR.CO.UK REPRINTED FROM AUTOCAR 1 FEBRUARY 2017 REPRINTED FROM AUTOCAR 1 FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 BENTLEY BENTAYGA DIESEL DRIVE With 663lb ft at just 1000rpm, pace arrives effortlessly

Bentley’s first diesel is outstanding in its field

❝ To the Bentayga, Off-roading is possible, but mind the alloys diesel brings thrust, refinement and range ❞

∆ cylinders than the f lagship petrol can climb over rocks almost tread Indeed, it reverses the conventional characteristic as inherent in Bentley Bentayga manages on 6.0 and 12. block by tread block. With an electric wisdom that says you put the gearbox design. It’s high off the ground, but To a Bentley, diesel brings thrust, compressor working with sequential in Drive to relax and Manual when who’d not want a Bentley to have an BENTAYGA DIESEL ENGINE: TECHNICAL HIGHLIGHTS (FROM AUTOCAR, 21 SEPTEMBER 2016) refinement and range, and although turbocharging to provide naturally you want to get busy. In Drive, the imperious driving position? And it is I’m unaware of any engineering wish aspirated throttle response, there has Bentayga feels the need to hunt effortless, versatile, beautifully built, list WO might have created, had he probably never been an easier car to around its gears in its ceaseless comfortable, fabulously refined and done so, you can be pretty sure these drive slowly. Which is an odd string quest for the optimum ratio, whereas the first Bentley ever made that will three would have been in the top five. to the Bentley bow, I grant, but an in Manual, you just let the engine put more than 500 miles behind its It also makes the Bentayga better undeniably useful one. shoulder the burden. In something wheels between refills. Put in the off road. I know no owner is going to This talent transfers usefully to the like fourth, it will accelerate from a fortunate position of being able to go green-laning in their Bentayga, public road, too. The Bentayga Diesel crawl to a probably unspeakable and choose between the two, I’d have it but they will all want to know that it has eight gears but, in fact, needs certainly unpublishable velocity in even over its more expensive petrol can. And given the opportunity to do hardly any of them. I find it ironic one sweeping, majestic motion. It’s stablemate and its dozen cylinders. so in someone else’s, you would. that gearboxes were first used in cars not just highly satisfying; it is also Nearly 100 years ago, WO Bentley So I did. There is a magnificent specifically to address deficiencies very, very Bentley. set out to build “a fast car, a good incongruity about driving up a river in the internal combustion engine’s So what’s not Bentley about it? car, the best in its class”, and if I look in a Bentley, or wading axle deep ability to produce torque, and yet That’s the question for those who across Bentley’s ranges, from the through mud on a forest track. It’s the greater the torque produced and are unsure about the idea of a diesel- Continental GT and the Flying Spur like winning Le Mans in a Jeep. the wider the band across which it powered Bentley SUV and those who at one end to the Mulsanne at the There’s a sense of the surreal, of real is produced these days, the more car feel the Bentayga is already a step too other, I know the one that best fits naughtiness that adds materially makers seem obsessed with throwing far and black-pump refuelling simply this bill, and you’re looking at it. E-BOOSTER TRIPLE-CHARGING PACKAGING to the enjoyment, even before you more and more gears at them. The beyond the pale. The Bentayga Diesel may not be Electric supercharger requires 48V to power its The electric supercharger (on the bottom right) The three chargers are highlighted in red. The turbos realise it’s going places and doing most elegant engineering solution I still struggle with the Bentayga’s the most charming Bentley built 7kW motor, enabling it to spin from idle to feeds the cylinders at low revs for near-instant are located in the vee of the engine and the electric things that would give the finest would be a car with no gearbox at all, name and I now know I’ll never like since Volkswagen took over, but 70,000rpm in only 250 milliseconds. The torque. One exhaust valve is closed to intensify the supercharger is remotely mounted. A sliding cam, conventional SUVs pause for thought. one with so much torque at all engine its looks, but neither of these has assessed in terms of achieving the job result is maximum torque of 664lb ft from boost, while the exhaust gases prime the second in green, deactivates one exhaust valve when the What the diesel brings to this speeds that it can simply drive the anything to do with its configuration it was designed to do, it is clearly the only 1000rpm and superb motorway turbo (in the centre). All three chargers feed all eight supercharger operates. The blue sub-assembly is environment is an ability to mete out wheels directly itself. At times, the or power source. It’s heavy, but even best. More than that could not have on-ramp acceleration. cylinders and the turbos are twin-scroll. part of the cooling system. torque with such precision that you Bentayga Diesel feels like that car. Signor Bugatti recognised that been reasonably hoped. L 12 AUTOCAR.CO.UK REPRINTED FROM AUTOCAR 1 FEBRUARY 2017 REPRINTED FROM AUTOCAR 1 FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 13 FIRST DRIVES

❝ Versatile, luxurious and oh so effortlessly grown-up, this is a special car ❞

Even from this seat, you’ll be hard pressed to tell that this luxurious cabin has a diesel engine in front of it

TESTED 6.12.16, SPAIN ON SALE NOW PRICE £135,800 BENTLEY BENTAYGA DIESEL Rear passengers will appreciate the space, high-quality ambience and quiet, smooth, effortless progress

Can a diesel engine, even a sophisticated V8 one, ever feel right in a Bentley? it has a black radiator mesh, twin the smooth eight-speed automatic four and a half stars in our road test, quad exhausts and discreet badging. gearbox and let it make light work albeit both in petrol form. he Bentley Bentayga has the car from zero to 62mph in 4.8sec electrical system used to power supercharger, called an e-booster. Otherwise, physical changes are few of hauling along this 2.5-tonne Niggles – and that is all they are – confronted and batted away and on to 168mph. Between 25mph the electric supercharger and a Powered by the 48V electrics, it and far between and largely focus car. The revs rarely build beyond are few and far between. There’s little criticism from its inception, and and 75mph, it is pretty much on a par sophisticated exhaust cleansing primes the first of two twin-scroll on minor tuning of the suspension. peak delivery at just over 3000rpm, sense of connection with the road T here’s another hurdle for it to with the W12, too. Fuel economy is system that uses a selective catalytic turbochargers. This first turbo Bentley claims that, as the Bentayga and progress is swift and refined. through the tyres or steering wheel, clear: the arrival of a diesel engine, officially 35.8mpg combined and its reduction system, an AdBlue urea amplifies mid-range thrust and then was engineered with this engine in If you must, you can engage Sport the ride on large bumps at low speeds Bentley’s first. It raises all sorts of CO2 emissions are 210g/km. fuel supplement and an extra catalyst. a second twin-scroll turbo provides mind, it hasn’t required significant mode and stretch the revs to close could be slightly better and perhaps questions, chiefly over whether a The key technical breakthroughs The triple-charging system extra shove at mid to high revs. acoustic work to block out any to 5000rpm, but the extra thrust there are rather more driving modes BENTLEY BENTAYGA DIESEL diesel can ever deliver the driveability with this diesel are its triple-charging provides boost at low revs from the If you’re eagle-eyed, you’ll be able unwanted thrum. hardly seems necessary – although than anyone will ever use (Snow, and refinement that befits the brand. system, the 48V supplementary near-instantly reacting electric to spot a Bentayga Diesel because That’s pertinent because, even if it remains appealingly smooth and Sand or Wet Grass modes, anyone?). Crewe’s first diesel is a challenging Those are qualities that have served you try to provoke it by holding the progressive – and the impact on That the Bentayga is a hugely concept but, in reality, it is extremely Bentley well for 97 years, lest anyone revs as long as you can or by giving the cabin acoustics is slight and accomplished car wasn’t in doubt – successful and quite beguiling be in any doubt about the heritage the throttle a bootful in neutral, inoffensive. As befits a Bentley, and now, nor is the fact that a diesel AAAAB being toyed with here. there’s very little to tell you that impressive performance is delivered engine can be entirely appropriate This being a Bentley, it’s no there’s a diesel under the bonnet. in a civilised, discreet manner. for it. Versatile, luxurious and oh so Price £135,800 ordinary diesel, although it is one All that technology and deep Over our varied test route, the trip effortlessly grown-up, this is a special Engine V8, 3956cc, co-developed with Audi. It’s a engineering skill have pretty much computer claimed 26.5mpg. Although car that is close to being complete twin-turbo, electric triple-charged 4.0-litre V8, which disguised the potential negatives of that’s hardly a scientific means of and misses the full five stars by only compressor, diesel uses two twin-scroll turbochargers a diesel and left the way clear for you measurement, it is a fair improvement a whisker on this first acquaintance. Power 429bhp at 3750rpm supplemented by an electrically to enjoy the benefits: chief ly, a silky over the W12 and a reasonable Unless you need the W12’s Torque 664lb ft at 1000rpm driven supercharger, and it weighs torque delivery that pulls such a large indication of a comfortable real- blistering pace beyond 100mph, live Gearbox 8-spd automatic 3kg more than the f lagship twin- car along so effortlessly. It’s a marked world range of around 500 miles. in a country where diesel is hard to Kerb weight 2390kg turbo 6.0-litre W12 petrol engine. contrast to the manner in which the Everything else is the Bentayga as find or have long-term concerns over 0-62mph 4.8sec As in the Audi SQ7, the V8 develops SQ7 drives, too. The Bentley makes we know it, so it’s luxurious, spacious diesel emissions and their impact, Top speed 168mph 429bhp and – crucially – the same the Audi feel like a rather blunt – if and well appointed, and it bears this is the Bentayga for you. Economy 35.8mpg (combined) peak torque as the W12. However, appealingly sporty – instrument. repeating that this SUV has already JIM HOLDER CO2/ tax band 210g/km,37% the diesel’s 664lb ft extends from just Diesel Bentayga is £24,400 cheaper than the W12 version; acceleration within legal UK speeds is very similar Really, for most owners most of the seen off the Range Rover in an RIVALS Range Rover, Audi SQ7 1000rpm to 3250rpm, helping to fire time, all that is required is to engage Autocar group test and been awarded @jim_holder 14 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14/21 DECEMBER 2016 14/21 DECEMBER 2016 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 15