Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
Introduced with great pomp and circumstance in 2012 as the EXP 9 F concept, what became the Bentayga in 2015 is Bentley’s biggest seller since then. Not only does it feature the luxury appointments you’d expect from such a high-priced SUV, but the Bentayga also knows a thing or two about performance and off-roading.
However, 2015 is five years ago. It’s high time for Bentley to introduce a mid-cycle refresh to the gentle giant, and the facelift is reportedly going official towards the end of 2020 for the 2021 model year. From this set of spy shots, it’s more than apparent the front fascia and rear end are influenced by the Flying Spur.
Smaller headlights and slimmer taillights are pretty much obvious despite the camo-clad specification, and the interior is heavily disguised as well. Like the Continental GT and the Mulsanne-replacing sedan, the Bentayga will receive more techy stuff in the form of updated multimedia, better connectivity, and new software.
The design of the exhaust finishers leads us into believing that a twin-turbo W12 hides under the hood, not the twin-turbo V8 or plug-in V6 option. The Bentayga used to be offered with a Volkswagen Group turbo diesel V8 but Bentley dropped that engine option after realizing that it’s unfit for the Flying B’s customers.
At the present moment, the Bentayga Speed offers the most suck-squeeze-bang-blow as well as the highest top speed. 306 km/h (190 mph) makes this fellow faster than the Lamborghini Urus by a single kilometer per hour, coming courtesy of 635 PS (626 horsepower) and an enormous torque rating. However, there is room for improvement if you remember the previous-gen Continental GT Supersports.
The big question is, will the W12 and V8 soldier on without any kind of electrification? 2021 is when the fleet average target for carbon-dioxide emissions drops to 95 grams per kilometer, a tall order for Bentley’s turbo leviathans. The Audi S8, for reference, packs mild hybridization as standard in the guise of a 48-volt BAS (belt-driven alternator/starter system).
Smaller headlights and slimmer taillights are pretty much obvious despite the camo-clad specification, and the interior is heavily disguised as well. Like the Continental GT and the Mulsanne-replacing sedan, the Bentayga will receive more techy stuff in the form of updated multimedia, better connectivity, and new software.
The design of the exhaust finishers leads us into believing that a twin-turbo W12 hides under the hood, not the twin-turbo V8 or plug-in V6 option. The Bentayga used to be offered with a Volkswagen Group turbo diesel V8 but Bentley dropped that engine option after realizing that it’s unfit for the Flying B’s customers.
At the present moment, the Bentayga Speed offers the most suck-squeeze-bang-blow as well as the highest top speed. 306 km/h (190 mph) makes this fellow faster than the Lamborghini Urus by a single kilometer per hour, coming courtesy of 635 PS (626 horsepower) and an enormous torque rating. However, there is room for improvement if you remember the previous-gen Continental GT Supersports.
The big question is, will the W12 and V8 soldier on without any kind of electrification? 2021 is when the fleet average target for carbon-dioxide emissions drops to 95 grams per kilometer, a tall order for Bentley’s turbo leviathans. The Audi S8, for reference, packs mild hybridization as standard in the guise of a 48-volt BAS (belt-driven alternator/starter system).
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