When someone tells you they’ve just picked up the keys to a Bentley, you think of a razor-sharp coupe that oozes elegance and opulence in equal measure, with a turn of pace to make the cheeks wobble… 

not an SUV. But that’s exactly the market Bentley has tried to breach with the launch of its all-new Bentayga.

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Although unexpected, it’s a car Bentley has been wanting to make for years – it just had a few issues that needed addressing first. One: is there demand in the market for an SUV that costs the best part of £200,000? Two: can we make the ultimate luxury SUV that can hit the heights of 180mph?

 

Well, the answers are simple – yes and yes.

 

This is a truly sector-defining SUV, and one that completely redefines the definition of an upmarket crossover. It’s the Bentley of SUVs, if you will. The Bentayga introduces Bentley’s renowned modern British luxury to limitless destinations, with an impressive combination of on and off-road performance. 

 

At the heart of the world's fastest and most powerful luxury diesel SUV is an all-new, technologically advanced, triple-charged, 4.0-litre V8 engine. It kicks out 429 bhp and 900 Nm of torque, making it capable of hitting a top speed of 168 mph and racing from 0-60 mph in just 4.6 seconds.

 

New clean technology gives the Bentayga Diesel the lowest CO2 emissions of any Bentley ever made, as well as a range of over 621 miles – allowing owners to, for example, drive from London to Verbier, Bordeaux or the Scottish Highlands on a single tank.

 

Inside, the Bentayga retains the innovative features, advanced technologies and handcrafted luxury for which Bentley is renowned. 

 

Wolfgang Dürheimer, chairman and chief executive of Bentley Motors, said: “The Bentayga Diesel represents a moment of immense significance in Bentley’s history, by giving the world its fastest luxury diesel SUV. Immense power, grand touring capabilities and superb refinement – this is a true Bentley. Only Bentley could produce a car so powerful, yet so refined.”