Stretched luxury SUV provides new extremes of space and opulence for rear seat occupants On sale November Price from £185,000 (est)
Lawrence Cheung Lawrence.Cheung@haymarket.com
WHILE LUXURY CARS can do a fantastic job of making journeys feel effortless, drivers actually get a bit of a raw deal. All the leather, sound deadening and electric seats in the world can’t put you in a completely relaxed state when you have to stay alert at the wheel and keep the car pointing in the right direction.
True luxury is the preserve of those who are lucky enough to travel in the back, employing someone else for driving duties as they waft towards their destination. And if that sounds like an appealing way to go, the Bentley Bentayga EWB (or Extended Wheelbase) has your best interests at heart.
Compared with the already indulgent regular Bentayga luxury SUV, the EWB has a greater distance between its front and rear axles, and there’s 180mm of additional rear leg room inside as a result. The change isn’t immediately obvious on the outside; all the extra bulk has been massaged into the larger rear doors. However, the EWB can be recognised by the vertical bars in its front grille, replacing the usual Bentley mesh.
Under the bonnet is Bentley’s 542bhp twin-turbo 4.0-litre petrol V8 engine. It’s smooth and has enough brawn to whisk this 2.5-tonne machine from 0-62mph in 4.6sec ( just 0.1sec slower than the standard model).
If you do have to take the wheel, you’ll find that the EWB behaves much like the standard V8 Bentayga, despite weighing around 100kg more. While it’s not the sharpest SUV to drive, it still has tighter body control than a Range Rover and meatier steering that’s more involving and reassuring in the bends. In fact, because the EWB also gains a four-wheel steering system, its turning circle is trimmed to be 0.6m tighter than the standard model’s, at 11.8m.
The ride in the EWB is marginally firmer than that of the Range Rover, but it’s still wonderfully compliant and settles down quickly after bumps. Overall, the EWB’s blend of comfort and composure means that enthusiastic chauffeurs can despatch fast sweeping roads with very little effort.
Passengers are kept even happier, though. The EWB’s exhaust system has been tweaked to be even quieter than the standard Bentayga’s, although it can be switched to Sport mode if they tire of the stereo and want to hear that V8 rumble instead.
Several interior layouts are offered. You can have a three-person rear bench or two airline-style reclining rear seats. There’s also a 4+1 layout with two full-sized
