There is only one powertrain available with this car and that would be a 6 L W 12 engine that is as powerful as it is refined. Although its acceleration feels like wafting, it can also snap your neck in half if you really give it the beans. With 626 horsepower available on tap, along with 664 lb-ft of torque, this car needs all wheel drive to put down all that power gently on the road. This SUV is also one of the fastest SUVs of all time, with a theoretical top speed of 187 mph. That might sound a bit excessive, but so is every other aspect of this car.
People looking for more speed will find that Bentley has a version named exactly that - the Bentley Bentayga Speed which is set to make its debut very soon. In the standard car, 0 to 60 mph is estimated to be around four seconds which is previously unexplored territory for an SUV. The 2017 Bentley Bentayga W 12 engine is a thing of beauty even when you look at the engine bay but is much more impressive when you’re behind the wheel of this super SUV.
Model
|
2017 Bentley Bentayga
|
2017 Land Rover Range Rover Supercharged SV Autobiography
|
2017 Mercedes-AMG G 65
|
2017 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S
|
MSRP
|
$231,825
|
$177,200
|
$222,700
|
$161,600
|
Engine
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6.0 Liter twin-turbo W12
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5.0 Liter Supercharged V8
|
6.0 Liter twin-turbo V12
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4.8 Liter twin-turbo V8
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Transmission
|
8-Speed Automatic
|
8-Speed Automatic
|
7-Speed Automatic
|
8-Speed Automatic
|
Drivetrain
|
All-wheel-drive
|
Four-wheel-drive
|
All-wheel-drive
|
All-wheel-drive
|
Horsepower
|
626 hp @ 5000 RPM
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550hp @ 6,000 RPM
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621hp @ 5,500 RPM
|
570hp @ 6,000 RPM
|
Torque
|
664 lb-ft. @ 1,350 RPM
|
502 lb-ft. @ 3,500 RPM
|
738 lb-ft.@ 2,300 RPM
|
590 lb-ft. @ 2,500 RPM
|
0-60 MPH
|
N/A
|
5.1 seconds
|
5.2 seconds
|
3.8 seconds
|
Quarter-mile
|
N/A
|
13.2 seconds
|
N/A
|
12.4 seconds
|
Top Speed
|
187 mph
|
140 mph
|
143 mph
|
171 mph
|
We can see that this category has good competition in terms of the powertrains but the Bentley kicks it out of the ballpark in terms of the power output as well as the top speed. One will also note that its price makes the entire competition feel like quite a bargain despite being very expensive individually. In terms of torque, the winner is the Mercedes-AMG G 65 and its capabilities when you run out of tarmac are also unmatched.
2017 Bentley Bentayga Ride and Handling
The Bentley has good ride quality and cocoons you in comfort. It does not feel very different from the luxury sedans offered by the brand when it comes to the ride quality but the handling is a clear divisive factor. The car is weighty at about 5269 lbs. and you feel all of it when you swing it around corners. Even with the adaptive suspension, the car feels a bit unsettled while cornering hard.
But complaining about the Bentley SUV not being fun around corners is a metric that becomes quite unfair. What you’re looking for here is whether this car can combine the practicality of an SUV along with the luxury of a Bentley. In that regard, the brand has outperformed every expectation we had with the project.
2017 Bentley Bentayga Braking Performance
The braking performance of the Bentayga is not a strong point either. In terms of size, they are quite huge with the rotors measuring 15.8 inches up front as well as 15.0 inches at the rear. The pedal feel is also quite decent and you feel the brakes really trying to bring that massive momentum down to a stop. However, there is nothing that beats simple physics, and the fact that the car is so heavy does make the job very hard for the brakes.
Model
|
2017 Bentley Bentayga
|
2017 Land Rover Range Rover Supercharged SV Autobiography
|
2017 Mercedes-AMG G 65
|
2017 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S
|
Brake Front (in.)
|
15.8
|
15.0
|
14.8
|
16.5
|
Brake Rear (in.)
|
15.0
|
14.4
|
13.0
|
15.6
|
Curb Weight (lbs.)
|
5269
|
5505
|
5691
|
4927
|
60-0 MPH (ft.)
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
106
|
For what it is worth, the Bentley does not perform well in terms of braking. The undisputed leader in this regard is the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S with its massive brakes measuring 16.5 inches in the front and 15.6 inches in the back. It is also the lightest by a standing mile and hence can shed speed faster than any other car in this class. The 60 to 0 mph stopping distance of 106 feet makes its benchmark near many supercars.