Bentley has taken a considered approach to expanding its Bentayga SUV line-up. The W12 was the only initial option available at launch in 2015, but it was then joined the following year by the V8 powered Bentayga Diesel. Now there’s the new £136,200 V8 petrol engined model positioned between the two in the line-up, with a hybrid powertrain set to join the range later this year.
The 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 is shared with Porsche’s latest Cayenne Turbo, and despite some tweaking from Bentley’s engineers to suit their delivery requirements, the twin-scroll turbocharged engine produces identical power and torque outputs (543bhp and 770Nm of torque) driving through an eight-speed ZF auto gearbox and an adaptive four-wheel drive system. It allows the 2,388kg SUV to reach 60mph in 4.4 seconds and top 180mph; four-tenths and 7mph slower than the 600bhp W12.
• Bentley Bentayga Diesel review
It’s not only on straight-line speed where the new turbocharged V8 gets within a leather stitch of the range topping W12. With peak torque arriving at less than 2,000rpm the V8’s throttle response is on a par with that of the W12’s, if not sharper. With more urgency too, it pushes on to utilise every last drop of performance available, feeling all the better for it across the board. And unlike the 12-cylinder car, the eight is happy to be revved to its peak, almost encouraging you to do so. It may not have the serenity of the W12 but this twin-turbo V8 makes up for it in other key areas.
Where the Bentayga V8 does rank ahead of the W12 is in how it steers and takes apart a road. Although it still struggles to mask its bulk despite a 25kg weight saving in the engine department, and the ride quality fails to live up to expectations (it never settles to the silent glide you expect, with constant interference infiltrating the cabin), the V8 is more agile and responsive with the engineers in Crewe achieving something quite remarkable when it comes to the Bentayga V8’s dynamics.
Its size requires the right road to maximise those dynamics, but when you do find such a route it will demonstrate its impressive abilities with aplomb. Yes, more feel, any feel, would be welcome from the steering but you can still position it precisely on the road and enjoy a measured and impressive performance. How it transitions through quick corners is especially impressive for a car of its size. With the optional carbon-ceramic brakes (a first for the Bentayga and soon to be offered across the range) you’re soon pushing the V8 harder than you would either of its stable mates, reassured that you’ll easily wipe off the momentum you’ve gained.
It’s that inconsistent ride quality that undoes the V8’s grand work, however. The winter tyres fitted to our test car will have exaggerated the issue, but it’s something we have experienced on all Bentaygas and we’d be surprised if the ride improves vastly with summer tyres fitted, but we’ll be happy to be proved wrong. In this regard it still has some way to go to catch a Range Rover, despite the chassis technology working tirelessly to minimise body roll and control that hard to hide mass.
This sharper and more responsive Bentayga also comes at a price. The V8 petrol may cost less than a £1000 more than the diesel, but at the pumps the petrol returns a claimed combined mpg of 24.8mpg compared to the 35.2mpg of the diesel, a near 200-mile difference in theoretical range from the 85-litre tank. Then again, the additional fuel stops are, in our view, worth it because the new Bentayga V8 is the pick of the range.
- Model: Bentley Bentayga V8
- Price: £136,200
- Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol
- Transmission: Eight-speed ZF automatic
- Power/torque: 543bhp/770Nm
- 0-62mph: 4.4 seconds
- Top speed: 180mph
- Economy/CO2: 24.8mpg/260g/km
- On sale: Now
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