Bentley Bentayga W12 – Sports cars or luxury SUV?

The Bentley Bentayga W12 is an SUV super luxurious car which came under the title of a “Sports Car”. Well, let’s not make any decision this quick rather look at everything Bentayga is giving and see your opinion polarizing itself. Bentayga is Bentley’s first SUV with 600bhp, 12-cylinder, twin-turbocharged 4x4. This car is all luxury, if not style.

Bentley Bentayga was first introduced in 2012 with the EXP-9 F show-car and then went into production process revealing that the car is being tailored with slightly more handsome lines than those of the concept car. Bentayga look is all sophisticated, preppy, classic and luxury however we find absolutely nothing like sport’s look or racer’s expressionin the Bentley’s outlook anywhere.

The luxurious cabin with impressive chassis and overall built by Bentley is an exemplary combination ofengineering, manufacturing and technology avenues; driving resulting vehicle of Bentayga as the most advanced & luxurious car in present the Crewe production line.

Now let’s talk about some specifications.

Engine, transmission, 0-60 time

A 6-litre W12 engine with 600 brake horse power and a spectacular 663lb ft of torque gushes power stream into the Bentley Bentayga. Weight of the car is whopping 2422kg.

The W12 engine meets with Euro 6 emissions and features twin-scroll turbos (for faster response times) plus a variable displacement (to cut half the cylinders when under light load). The ZF 8-speed automatic gearbox is fitted inside the car; directing power to all four wheels equally.

Gear up the throttle pedal and Bentayga will sprint from 0 to 60mph in 4.0 seconds flat. Top speed is 187mph.

Technical Highlights

The car chassis has eight settings - four on-road modes (Comfort, Sport, ‘Bentley’ & Custom), other four are all terrain modes (Snow and Grass, Dirt and Gravel, Sand Dunes, Mud and Trail). Aside these, a ‘mix and match’ mode is also available.

Quite an incredible rear entertainment systemin the car carries a pair of optional 10.2in removable tablets while elsewhere features like electric power steering, adaptive radar cruise, night vision, heads-up display, etc are experienced.

The new ‘Bentley Dynamic Ride’ is an active roll system using only 48V of electronics instead of hydraulics to control and manage the driving system. Bentley believes this feature in the Bentayga significantly improves time consumption span while counter-acting with lateral-rolling forces.

The Drive

Drive Bentayga with love but with a caveat.There’s least doubt that theBentley’s chassisengineers have worked wonders in controlling forces generated by the car’shuge weight.The electric steering is firm, precise and fluid, with solid weighing feel.

Acceleration is vivid and becomes less intense as you enter into the fourth gear.

The controls in the car are all firm and consistent; including braking which are of steel. However, ceramics braking option might also unveil in near future.

Okay now to the caveat, so the Bentayga does a mighty job in convincing you with the impressive pace, stability and the overall indomitable feeling but it does not tick well at performing on a challenging road design.

So yes Bentley has got Bentayga, all the necessary luxuries of an SUV car but if it cannot handle well all kinds of roads and thorns, then its missing the point of a sports car.

The Bentley surprisingly rides well in Comfort mode over small imperfections on the road, but the moment it hits a larger bump or pot hole, the weakness of its suspension becomes evident – it becomes crashy and unsettling. Bentayga isn’t quite as refined as a Bentley should be.

It certainly does not show up as brilliant as Range Rover for long distance comfort, despite costing as much as twice the Rover’s cost.

The Bentayga’s straight-line performance is really extraordinary, but that doesn’t still makes it a sporting SUV in the mould of a BMW X5 M. We think Bentley is more of a luxury 4x4 than any sports 4x4.

As it clearly lacks the direct, immediate steering response and smooth drive on a bumpy road.

Price & Rivals

Bentayga costs £160,200(29,640,668 PKR) which is £50,000 (9,251,145 PKR) more than a Range Rover V8 Autobiography long-wheelbase, or about the same as a Mercedes Maybach S-class.There is no other car with off road capability that’s as fast on road or as luxurious as the Bentayga. In that respect – Bentayga is free of rivals.