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Bentley’s New Bentayga V8 Proves it’s Still the Luxury SUV Frontrunner
With a lock on luxury, Bentley Australia is bringing its new Bentayga V8 SUV onto native soil. It’s the first car launched under the brand’s Beyond100 strategic business plan, which maps out the next two decades of innovation and aims to achieve end-to-end carbon neutrality by the year 2030. Between the Bentayga’s impressive design and generous fuel economy, that plan is certainly off to a promising start. Naturally, the privilege of owning one will cost you…a lot.
Image: Bentley
The original Bentayga was a sector-defining game-changer when it first appeared back in 2015. Raising the bar on performance and style alike, it matched a luxurious layout with Grand Touring capability. This latest iteration continues both themes with absolute finesse, deftly handling city roads and rocky terrains and looking downright sleek in the process.
Image: Bentley
Already a definitive SUV, the new Bentayga V8 improves upon its distinguished DNA in no shortage of ways. A masterpiece of both beauty and brawn, it features new exterior design elements such as a larger and more predominant matrix grille, new LED headlamp technology, and a more aggressive front bumper. It’s also the first Bentley to introduce heated wet-arm windscreen wipers with 22 washer jets in each arm.
Image: Bentley
Inside, the Bentayga V8 is a haven of luxury (as if the brand would have it any other way). Updated features include all-new seats and trim along with increased legroom. At the front of the cabin is a next-generation infotainment system with a 10.9″ display, which has been gracefully integrated into the handcrafted ‘wing’ dashboard design. With its edge-to-edge graphics, adjustable settings, and a brand new super-resolution digital display, the infotainment leaves nothing to be desired.
Image: Bentley
Powering the Bentayga V8 is a 4.0-litre, 32-valve dual twin-scroll turbocharged V8 petrol engine, joined by an eight-speed automatic gearbox. From these ultra-premium guts comes incredible fuel economy, a range of 639 km, 770 Nm of torque, 542 bhp, and CO2 emissions of 302 g/km. The engine’s improved efficiency is partly owed to its ability to automatically deactivate four of the eight cylinders when confronted with certain environmental changes, all without making compromises to its performance.
Image: Bentley
Thanks to Bentley’s Drive Dynamics Mode and an optional All-Terrain specification, the Bentayga V8 employs more on and off-road drive settings than any SUV on the market. There are up to eight modes in total and they’re split evenly between on-road and off. Meanwhile, Bentley Dynamic Ride—i.e. the world’s first active roll control technology—has been improved upon to the tune of a 20mm track increase at the rear. Good for a variety of functions, this technology reduces steering effort, enhances responsiveness, and produces best-in-class cabin stability and comfort.
Image: Bentley
Bentley describes their luxury SUV as being equal parts grand tourer, limo, off-roader, and family car, and who are we to disagree? Every model is handcrafted in England, sexy by design, and fully loaded with technological features. Bentley Signature Audio is included in standard models, blasting 590 W of power through 12 speakers. True (and wealthy) music lovers can also opt for the Naim system upgrade, which delivers 1,780 W of power through a whopping 20 speakers.
Image: Bentley
For a limited time, the brand is offering a Bentayga V8 First Edition, which features a number of desirable options as standard. That includes Bentley Dynamic Ride, Mulliner Driving Specification, and a Touring Specification package that includes Night Vision and Bentley Safeguard Plus, amongst other things. To drive home the one-of-a-kind vibe, the First Edition model displays signature badging on the interior and exterior along with illuminated treadplates.
Image: Bentley
The Bentayga V8 doesn’t come cheap but you knew that as soon as you saw the word “Bentley.” Expect a starting price of $364,800 AUD for the standard model and $448,219 AUD for the First Edition. And thus the planet becomes your playground.
Mr Mark Jessen
Mark Jessen studied English at Brigham Young University, completing a double emphasis in creative writing and professional writing/editing. After graduating, Mark went to work for a small publisher as their book editor. After a brief time as a freelance writer, Mark entered the corporate world as a copywriter. These days, his hours are spent mostly in proofing and editing, though he continues to create content for a wide variety of projects. In 2017, Mark completed UCLA's Creative Writing Certification. A prolific writer, Mark has over 20 years of experience in journalism.
