Bentley Bentayga review

The Bentley Bentayga marked a whole new direction for the prestigious British brand, as its first ever SUV. When it arrived, it was a trailblazer for high-end luxury SUVs and was virtually unchallenged at its price point.

Since then, the competition has hotted up, with cars including the performance-focused Aston Martin DBX and ultra-luxurious Rolls-Royce Cullinan following in the Bentayga's wake. But it doesn't just face rivalry from those. There's no shortage of luxury SUVs that cost far less than the Bentley, such as the Audi Q7, BMW X7 and Range Rover, snapping at its heels. 

To help fend off those rivals, the Bentayga was treated to a wide-ranging update in 2020, because although it was the fastest-selling Bentley of all time, the public’s reaction to the car's looks at launch was, shall we say, rather mixed. 

Bentley tweaked the exterior to bring it in line with the current generation Bentley Continental GT and Bentley Flying Spur saloon, so you’ll notice that the latest Bentayga wears a larger and more upright grille, elliptical front and rear lights, a larger rear wing and a more aggressive stance. The bodywork and wide rear track (the distance between the left and right wheels) allow the car's 21-inch wheels (22s are optional) to more fully fill the wheel arches.

Underneath all that new dressing, though, the recipe was much the same as ever. The chassis is still based on Audi’s flagship SUV, while under the bonnet you'll find Bentley’s familiar 542bhp twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine. In time, a range-topping 6.0-litre W12 Speed model will arrive, followed by the tech-laden V6 plug-in hybrid. To no one's surprise, the discontinued V8 diesel won’t be making a return. 

So, does the Bentley Bentayga still have what it takes to stand out in an increasingly competitive class? That's what we'll be exploring over the next few pages of this review, putting it up against some of its rivals, including the Lamborghini Urus, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S and the Rolls-Royce Cullinan we mentioned earlier.

Then, if your interest is piqued in buying a new car – even if you can't quite stretch to the Bentayga – you could save thousands of pounds on any make and model of vehicle by looking for the best deals on the free What Car? New Car Buying service, which has some tempting Bentley Bentayga deals.