The New Bentley Bentayga 2021
Bentley freshened up the Bentayga’s styling for 2021 with a more upright grille, new taillamps, and updated wheel designs. The SUV takes styling cues from the brand’s new Continental GT coupe and Flying Spur sedan. The Bentayga’s cabin sees a new 10.9-inch infotainment display, tweaked dashboard styling, Apple CarPlay compatibility, a revised rear-seat entertainment system, and a wireless smartphone charging pad.
Pricing
Bentley hasn’t released pricing for the 2021 Bentayga yet and says the Hybrid and Speed models won’t be available until later in the year. That said, we like the V-8 model best. Even though the Speed’s powerful W-12 engine puts more pep in this big SUV’s step, its price premium over the V-8 is substantial. We’d suggest sticking with the eight-cylinder model and adding some niceties to it, such as the adaptive suspension, the rear-seat entertainment system, and the 20-speaker Naim stereo. And choosing the Touring Specification package will give you a suite of driver-assistance features.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
Bentley offers a variety of powertrains for the Bentayga. On the low end, you have a 443-hp hybrid arrangement with a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 and an electric motor. Then there’s the 542-hp twin-turbo V-8 engine. We haven’t driven the former, but we can tell you that the latter emits a hearty burble on its way to 60 mph, which it does in just 3.8 seconds. The Bentayga Speed ups the ante with a 626-hp W-12. Back in 2017, when the Speed made 600 ponies, this supersmooth powerhouse delivered a 3.6-second result in our 60-mph test. The W-12’s power delivery is creamier than the V-8’s, and its performance felt more robust during passing maneuvers. Bentley claims that the Bentayga Speed, with a claimed top speed of 190 mph, is the fastest SUV in the world (although the Lamborghini Urus might have something to say about that). Regardless of what’s under the hood, all Bentaygas utilize an eight-speed automatic transmission and come standard with all-wheel drive.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
It should come as no surprise that the Bentayga Hybrid pulls in the best EPA fuel-economy ratings of the range. It also offers up to 18 miles of electric-only driving before the turbocharged V-6 fires up. The V-8-powered model’s ratings of 14 mpg city, 23 mpg highway, and 17 mpg combined aren’t bad for a large SUV, but the W-12’s are. It earns estimates of 12 mpg city, 17 mpg highway, and 14 mpg combined. That said, on our 200-mile highway fuel-economy route, the 12-cylinder Bentayga surprised us with a 23-mpg result.
