Bentley Bentayga
Luxury SUV · 2015–present. This review has not established this model’s 2024 U.S. sales.
How it began
It was created by Bentley Motors, part of the Volkswagen Group since 1998. The 2012 EXP 9 F concept was presented during Wolfgang Dürheimer’s chairmanship; Dirk van Braeckel was Head of Design. The engineering board member’s name was Rolf Frech, as identified in his 2011 appointment announcement and Bentley’s 2015 releases. Sangyup Lee explained the production exterior design. The 2020 update arrived with Adrian Hallmark as CEO, Chris Cole as Bentayga product line director, JP Gregory leading exterior design and Darren Day leading interior design.
Bentley describes the Bentayga as designed, engineered and handcrafted in Crewe, England, where it has produced cars since 1946. A 2020 document described a dedicated line with 230 craftspeople. Wards’ original launch coverage identifies shared underpinnings with the Audi Q7. U.S. Bentaygas are imported from Crewe.
The EXP 9 F concept appeared in Geneva in 2012. The Bentayga name was announced in January 2015; that month, Wards quoted Dürheimer confirming deposits from 4,000 potential customers. The production model’s public unveiling took place on September 15, 2015, in Frankfurt. A November 27 factory report documented the first production car, and Bentley later confirmed first deliveries at the start of 2016. U.S. coverage identified the Bentayga as a 2017 model.
The name blends three ideas: the Taiga, the vast snowy forest that spans continents; the Roque Bentayga, a rock peak on Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands; and the surname of founder W.O. Bentley.
Bentley identified customers interested in an SUV with a distinct level of luxury. The brief combined supercar performance, limousine comfort, off-road ability and the brand’s craftsmanship. Dürheimer called it the Bentley of SUVs. It was Bentley’s first SUV, and the brand later said that up to 70 percent of its original owners were new to the company.
Generation by generation
- Gen. 12015–2020
Bentley's first SUV
Photo: Vauxford · CC BY-SA 4.0 What changed. It was Bentley’s first SUV. It debuted with a 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 rated at 608 PS, equivalent to 600 bhp, and 900 Nm, with advertised performance of 0 to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds and a 301 km/h top speed. Aluminum construction saved 236 kg compared with a steel body, according to Bentley. The global range later added a 550 PS twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8, a diesel, the V6 plug-in hybrid unveiled in Geneva in March 2018 and the 190 mph Speed, approximately 306 km/h. Powertrains and availability varied by market.
The innovation. Bentley Dynamic Ride uses a 48-volt electrical system to control body roll actively. It counters lateral forces in corners and adapts its response to preserve straight-road comfort. Bentley presented the 48-volt application as a technological first.
If you buy one usedNHTSA recalls for these years: 16V816000 (2017 built March to September 2016: seat and instrument panel joints may not be properly tightened, 378 units); 18V632000 (2018: rearview camera image); 20V154000 (2018–2020 with third-row seats: upper seat belt anchor, 281 units); 20V092000 (2018–2020: curtain air bags, 4 units); 20V321000 (2019–2020: fuel line quick connector leak) and 23V592000 (2017–2023: fuel pump module wiring can overheat and melt the flange, risking a fuel leak and fire, 3,527 units). Ask for proof of each repair by VIN. The 20V092 record reports all four affected cars repaired by October 29, 2020; verify the actual VIN’s service history. Other work depends on the VIN and component inspection; 23V592 requires replacing the flange and wiring. - Gen. 22020–present
Redesign, extended wheelbase and a new V8 Speed
Photo: Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0 What changed. Revealed on June 30, 2020 as the first car of the Beyond100 plan. The front and rear were completely redone: a larger, more upright grille, elliptical LED matrix headlamps sitting 30 mm higher, a full-width tailgate and a 20 mm wider rear track. Inside came a 10.9-inch screen, wireless Apple CarPlay and up to 100 mm more rear legroom. The Extended Wheelbase (EWB) version, 180 mm longer, arrived in 2022, and in June 2025 the new Speed swapped the W12 for a 650 PS, 850 Nm twin-turbo 4.0 V8: 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and 193 mph (310 km/h).
The innovation. The available Airline Seat Specification for Bentayga EWB combines 22-way adjustment with occupant-temperature and surface-humidity sensing to regulate heating and ventilation. Its postural adjustment can apply up to 177 pressure changes across six zones over three hours; in Relax mode, the seat reclines up to 40 degrees. Bentley presented this package’s automatic climate sensing and postural adjustment as firsts of their kind.
If you buy one usedNHTSA recalls: 21V276000 (2021: the rear trailing arm lock nut can break from stress corrosion, 206 units); 21V605000 (2021: front passenger seat belt retractor for child seats); 21V647000 (2021: stability control software); 22V257000 and 23V386000 (2021–2023: second-row seats that might not be locked on their rails); 22V743000 (2021–2022: blank rearview camera); 23V592000 (through 2023: fuel module wiring); 25V811000 (2023 Bentayga Hybrid: the high-voltage battery may overheat while charging, 120 units); 26V181000 and 26V231000 (2025 and 2026: tire placard with wrong data). Look up the VIN before buying. The 2022–2023 seat-rail expansion 23V386 specifically names five-seat cars. The 2025 placard campaign 26V181 concerns tire size/pressure; 26V231 concerns MY2026 capacity weight. Hybrid battery 25V811 uses software plus battery replacement as necessary. Confirm the actual VIN, seat configuration and completed work.
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