Bentley Shows Bentayga Undergoing Offroad Testing in Spain

Most people who buy Range Rovers and G-Wagons seldom do anything serious with them. But that doesn't mean the locking diffs don't have to work correctly under all kinds of conditions. It's the same with the Bentayga.

To prove their first ever SUV is up to the challenge, the Brits have released this clip that shows the Bentayga climbing some rocky hills in northern Spain. There's nothing out of the ordinary here. In fact, Land Rover's adventure park back in the UK would have been far more challenging.

But it is remarkable how Bentley went from making sportscars to uber-luxury Range Rover rivals. Luxury will be standard, but technology will also be available in copious quantities. We're expecting to see a night vision camera, all-digital instrument cluster, augmented reality windshield and a 3D sound system.

Mind you, Spain isn't the only place Bentley is testing this car. Bentayga prototypes have been seen in Colorado, Nevada, Dubai and the Nurburgring.

In the powertrain department, the SUV will rely on an all-new 6-liter W12 TSI engine that co-developers at Volkswagen say has already been honed for all-wheel drive use. It's fitted with all sorts of new technologies while delivering 608 PS (6,000 rpm) and a maximum torque of 900 Nm (1,500 - 4,500 rpm).

Considering a base price of around £120,000 will be attached to the Bentayga's fresh bodywork, we expect the 4-liter twin-turbo V8 to be available on some models.

Editor's note: The underbody looks similar to the Audi Q7. I think they're using the brakes to mimic locking diffs to make the SUV lighter.