Bentley’s least iconic vehicle, the Bentayga has received a facelift. It was first introduced in 2015 and became the best-selling vehicle in the Bentley portfolio. In my opinion, this is not surprising, it should have been introduced a decade ago. The Bentayga is based on the Audi Q7 using the same MLBevo modular platform. It essentially shares everything with the Audi Q7.
Honestly, on paper, there is nothing not to like about the Bentayga, yet the exterior design is nothing short of a nightmare. When it was first introduced it had the same outdated front-end aesthetic from the Continental range. The Bentley Continental family was introduced in 2004, and ultimately, the Bentayga possessed this same 1990s years later, past the millennium!
Even despite this, loyal customers continued to order the Bentayga with its outdated look. Thankfully, Bentley decided to upgrade the front-end, giving it a complete overhaul. The result; the front-end is now improved, and the rear-end resembles a real estate version of Flying Spur.
Sadly, Bentayga’s design needs to be revised and taken back to the drawing board. Whatever they do, one side of the SUV looks terrible. I saw the rejuvenated Bentayga recently, and yes from the front, it looks better, but it looks terrible from behind and even more bizarre from the side. Despite this absurd design issue, the price tag is floating around £200,000!
The interior received a make-over as well, and now it looks the same as those in the Continental family, which is positive. Don’t expect different interiors for different vehicles, that era passed a long time ago. Nowadays, car companies try to keep costs as low as possible to survive. If the interior is designed well and is easy to use, I am happy to see it inside different models under the same brand.
Long story short, the Bentayga will be Bentley’s saving grace in these uncertain economic times. If you are looking for an SUV that is capable of performing under light off-road conditions, is reliable (I am betting that Audi is part sharing), and exudes luxury, then the Bentayga is your SUV!
Images // Bentley