2024 Bentley Bentayga S V8 tested: Old-fashioned yet brilliant

The shock waves caused by the first SUV in the company's history have long since died down. This could be due to the fact that the Bentley Bentayga has already been on the market for more than eight years. Just another example of how time flies.

The practical luxury freighter has long since become an integral part of the British company's portfolio, accounting for a good 50 per cent of sales and being the undisputed bestseller in the ultra-luxury SUV segment alongside the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, Aston Martin DBX707, Mercedes-Maybach GLS, and Range Rover. 

What you see here is shockingly pink and there's a reason for that. Because as of late, you can add a horrendous chunk of money to the Bentayga's already intimidating price tag by ordering the "Curated by Mulliner" package. Mulliner is Bentley's "we really do make ANYTHING possible" division and thankfully has other colours in its range (probably thousands), but you get the point. 

What else the Bentayga's latest facelift offers and whether the car is still a recommendation after nearly nine years in the business - we've found out.

What is it?

After the demise of the marvellously opulent Mulsanne a few years ago, does the Bentayga really now occupy something like flagship status at Bentley? An SUV? Well, that's debatable, because there's also the Flying Spur. But there is no doubt that the Bentayga is the most important car for the British company from a commercial point of view. 

In terms of model cycles, it is already an old gentleman. Launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2015, market launch in 2016, and then a major facelift in 2020, which at least made it look much sportier. Somehow it was never a natural beauty. There were also more than 1,000 new components. 

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The first plug-in hybrid followed in 2021, followed by the EWB (Extended Wheel Base), an XXL version with a long wheelbase, in 2022. This was followed in 2024 by another subtle revision with the aforementioned option for even more Mulliner customisation, rear-wheel steering also for the "short" wheelbase variants and a revision of the hybrid drivetrain.

The latter should not be of any interest to us here today, as our matt silver-pink eye-catcher is a Bentayga S with a good old V8. And following the discontinuation of the W12 at the beginning of the year, it is currently even the top model. At least until the new V8 plug-in hybrid with its lavish 780 bhp appears at some point. It recently celebrated its premiere in the new Continental GT and will probably also electrify the Bentayga sooner or later (since the V6 PHEV is not quite Bentley-like in terms of performance either). 

But now back to the sportiest offering in the Bentayga cosmos. The S uses the 4.0-litre biturbo V8, which we all know from various rather speedy VW Group offerings. In the high-riding Bentley, it has always delivered 550 bhp and a generous 770 Nm of torque. 

Despite a weight of around 2,400 kilograms, this is more than enough for ambitious acceleration. 0-62 mph takes 4.5 seconds, the sprint to 100 mph is completed in 9.9 seconds. The acceleration ends at 180 mph. Bentley experts or people who spend too much time in configurators will recognise that all these figures are exactly the same as for a conventional Bentayga V8. So why is the Bentayga S labelled with an "S"?

Quite simply, we are dealing here with a subtle sportingisation of the noble glider. This applies to the individual, somewhat firmer suspension set-up, the slightly more relaxed approach of the stability control at the touch of a button and a new sports exhaust system throughout.

A bit of athletic training, then, although the Bentayga is certainly not aiming to compete with the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, Aston Martin DBX707 or Lamborghini Urus. Nevertheless, there are "a huge number of customers who enjoy the dynamic performance of their Bentayga on the road," says Bentley. 

The 48-volt roll stabilisation system, which comes as standard here, also makes a huge contribution. And if you click the large driving mode selector on the centre console from the standard "Bentley" mode to "Sport", the car responds with a 15 per cent tightening of the dampers, a sharpening of the steering and a slight loosening of the ESP restraints. In addition, the torque vectoring system, which works with brake interventions, has been retuned for the S. 

Gallery: 2024 Bentley Bentayga S V8 test

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Source: Motor1.com

You can see that a Bentley SUV is also a Bentley not only from the almost unbelievable quality of the materials and workmanship or the almost manic attention to detail (we'll come to this in the interior chapter), but first and foremost from the pricing. Let's not kid ourselves: Even if 70 per cent of Bentayga customers are new to the brand, they will need very, very deep pockets to afford it. 

Exterior

Before I say anything about dimensions here (and yes, they are bloody massive): If, for whatever reason, you feel that you don't get enough attention and reactions in your life, then for God's sake buy a matt silver Bentley SUV with bright pink stripes. You'll get more attention than if the Pope ran through your town wearing a Donald Trump mask. And the reactions were largely positive, which is not a given for a 5.13-metre SUV with the value of an average 3-bedroom flat. 

Of course, there is one problem with this story: the satin-finished Light Grey costs almost £25,000 alone, while the "Curated by Mulliner" exterior (and interior) features cost a further £22,835. On the other hand, another highlight comes at no extra cost: these are the magnificent new headlights, which sparkle even when they are not on thanks to heaps of cut crystal. The S also features a relatively large amount of gloss black, for example on the wheels, grille and wing mirrors. 

Interior

The Bentayga offers plenty of choice when it comes to filling the cabin with seats. Four, five or seven seats - no problem at all. If you choose the four-seater, you have the option of Airline Seat Specification with retractable footrests and picnic tables. In comparison, our five-seater is almost boring. Although boring is certainly the wrong word for this interior. 

If you want to understand why a Bentayga is so expensive, you simply have to sit in it. The cabin of this car is an incredibly wonderful place. The insane workmanship of the leather, the thick carpets, the splendid decor on the panels, the many chrome switches, the smell - everything here overflows with quality and speciality. And this is despite the fact that Bentley's SUV is not quite as playful as the Flying Spur or the Conti GT. The Toblerone-like flip screen, for example, which turns from a navigation system into an analogue display or wood decor at the touch of a button, is not available here. 

What we do have in abundance, however, is... pink. This is another Mulliner special effect that sends rappers, gamers, and my 9-year-old daughter into complete ecstasy. The traditionally inclined car tester, on the other hand, is much more appreciative of the large number of classic buttons and switches for operating the vehicle. 

Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are now standard, as are a whole bunch of USB-C ports. What is at least interesting is that the graphics on the instrument display and the infotainment screen still look like what Audi discarded around 8 years ago. There is no loss of operating technology as a result, but at least there you can see that the Bentayga has been around for a few years. 

The space in the rear is what you would expect from a stately SUV with a flying "B" - it is absolutely opulent. 484 litres of boot space is rather the opposite, but should you really want to stuff your dirty mountain bike or - God forbid - your IKEA shopping into the back, the car swallows up a solid 1,774 litres after folding down the rear seat.

Driving report

Despite the V8 and "S" treatment, the Bentayga is certainly not a performance SUV. Its role is that of a large, imperturbable traveller that lets its occupants float as if they were permanently standing on a magic carpet while driving. 

Interestingly, the pithy, rather youthfully brash eight-cylinder engine suits this character much better than you might think. And actually better than the silky, large-volume, extremely potent W12, which has been discontinued a few months ago. The 4.0-litre biturbo powers almost everything in the Volkswagen Group that is luxurious and reasonably fast (Audi RS 6, Lamborghini Urus, Porsche Cayenne).

So it doesn't have a Bentley character of its own. But that doesn't matter, because it is smooth at the bottom of the rev range, but with a broad chest, then becomes more venomous further up, very receptive to inputs and very willing. It also has a throaty roar if you want it to. Although the misfiring in Sport mode is not necessarily... necessary. 

Another advantage of the eight-cylinder engine in this car is that the lower weight on the front axle makes it a good deal more agile than with the mighty W12. The fact that the Bentayga S V8 is not a hyper-agile sports car does not mean that it is incapable of moving sensibly. 

It will always let you know what it weighs (namely a lot), but thanks to the multitude of clever little helpers (such as the electric roll stabilisation) and the now slightly wider track at the rear axle, it will never let you down, even in faster, tighter bends. Everything holds together formidably, the large body more than skilfully squeezed into the tight driving dynamics corset. 

So it can do it when it has to. But it just doesn't want to have to. It prefers to spoil you with excellent suspension, marvellous quietness and a strong feeling of security and imperturbability.

Conclusion: 8/10

The Bentayga is definitely no longer the youngest, but it has the advantage of genuine craftsmanship, the highest level of luxury and wonderful materials are not subject to fashion and never really get old. Its interior is still an absolute show, giving you a feeling that you can't get anywhere else, despite the odd corporate switch.

But it also has the depth of technical development, the impeccable build quality and a sense of unshakeable robustness to seriously underpin its show elements. It never was and never will be a sports SUV. Even if it can be moved relatively nimbly thanks to various driving dynamics aids, it is at its strongest when it plays out its superb comfort, calmness, composure and outstanding level of luxury. 

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The V8 doesn't have the grandeur of the W12, which is no longer available, and comes across as much more rebellious and marketable.

Despite all its undisputed qualities, it is difficult to rationalise the fact that our test car costs almost 360,000 euros. But anyone who argues rationally and doesn't feel that these vehicles are transporting has not understood the brand and can now really find plenty of alternatives.

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- The Motor1.com Team