The Bentley Bentayga in the Real World
Harry Metcalfe drives the Bentley Bentayga across Europe and tells us what it’s really like to live with.
The Bentley Bentayga is a polarizing vehicle for the brand. It’s exterior appearance is the main sticking point for people. Much in the way that the original Porsche Cayenne looked like a 911 on stilts, the Bentayga’s aesthetic akin to a stretched out Continental. However, looking at the specs on paper, it begins to make sense in the context of a modern Bentley. It has a twin-turbocharged W12 engine that produces 600 horsepower. Coming in at a massive 5,400lbs, it actually weighs about the same as the Conti. The ubiquitous quilted leather interior and Bentley switchgear are all present as well.
We’ve established what it is, but how does it work in the real world? Fortunately, Harry Metcalfe has one on loan, and just in time for the Geneva motor show. Metcalfe uses the Bentayga as a long distance shuttle to get him from his home in the UK to Geneva. En route, he takes the Autobahn, as well as the winding roads of the Swiss Alps. On this road trip, the Bentayga averaged 21 MPG Imperial (~18MPG), not bad for a 5,400lb lux0barge. The comfort, handling and general quality of the Bentley was exactly what people have come to expect from the brand. Apparently the 600 horsepower W12 acquits itself pretty well, to boot. On the cold start, it sounds very aggressive for a factory effort, luxury vehicle. Metcalfe’s walk around offers an up close perspective on the details, of which there are a lot. Of course, for more than $240,000, you expect gadgets and toys, and in this way, the Bentayga does not disappoint. Of course, Bentley’s are not technobaubles on wheels, the quality is in the materials, but it’s not hurting for driver assistance aids that make long distance cruising a cinch.
