First Drive: Bentley’s Bentayga Speed is here to combine luxury and performance

What is it?

You’re looking at the Bentley Bentayga Speed: the most powerful Bentayga yet, and in theory, the most dynamic to drive too.

If you’re getting deja vu, don’t be surprised: this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a ‘Speed’ version of this ever-so-posh SUV. You’ve not been able to buy one for a little while, though – not since Bentley discontinued its signature 6.0-litre W12 engine back in 2023.

Think of this like the SV version of a Range Rover, or a Turbo version of a Porsche Cayenne: the most serious performance version of an otherwise quite luxurious barge.

What’s new?

Well, for starters, there’s the engine – more on that in a minute – now also paired with an optional Akrapovic titanium exhaust. Bentley’s also had a play with the adaptive dampers, which when in Sport mode, are now 15% stiffer than a regular Bentayga.

There are some tweaks to the electronic stability control too: a new ‘Dynamic’ mode is set up to allow for some sideways action, which isn’t exactly a typical Bentayga trait.

That’s only possible if you opt for the enormous set of carbon ceramic brakes, mind, which does go some way to demonstrating the kind of customer Bentley thinks will want to use this new mode.

What’s under the bonnet?

Here’s where Bentley has spent all of its engineering money. The Speed now features a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8, which despite being relatively svelte compared to the old 6.0-litre, manages to put out fractionally more power.

It’s good for 641bhp – up 15bhp on the old car – helping it hit 0-60 in 3.4 seconds, just under half a second quicker than the W12 managed.

It’s also quite a bit more powerful than the regular V8-powered Bentayga. Bentley has increased the size of the two turbochargers – and some other engineering magic – to squeeze an extra 100bhp out compared to the regular car.

What’s it like to drive?

Firstly, a bit of a caveat: the Speed has no desire to become some sort of Nurburgring track weapon. This is a hugely luxurious, comfortable and refined SUV, that just so happens to have been given 641bhp to play with.

But generally, the Bentayga handles far better than a 2.5-ton SUV has any right to. Our test route in Montana majored on straight, wide roads rather than anything too tight or twisty, but the Speed does a decent job of keeping you engaged.

Like all Bentleys, it’s great at flattering its drivers too. Exterior dimensions aside, this is an incredibly easy car to drive: either in anger, or at more regular speeds.

Aside from the raucous (and addictive) soundtrack of the Akrapovic exhaust, there’s not much to suggest you’re in the most powerful Bentayga on sale.

Even the way the Speed accelerates is deliberately statesman-like. Those clever engineers in Crewe have spent a lot of time and effort making sure the Bentayga gathers speed (no pun intended) in a way that befits a Bentley. Which is to say, in an extremely linear fashion – there’s not a hint of turbo lag hiding here.

That’s jolly nice, but it does remove a little of the drama from having 641bhp ready to go under your right foot – even if it is a more Bentley-appropriate way of delivering power.

Thankfully ,as well, there’s very little drama when it comes to getting the Speed to slow down – or, at least, that’s the case with the carbon ceramic brakes fitted to our car. They’re fantastic actually: progressive, natural feeling and totally predictable, but with some serious stopping power when you properly stomp on the pedal.

How does it look?

Bentley has thrown all sorts of unique trim options at the Speed, starting with dark-tinted ‘brightware’ – chrome bits to you and I – and a black roof, either in gloss or satin finish.

They’ve even found room for some even bigger alloys: 23-inch alloys are now available as an option, up from the standard 22s. They look pretty good, but they do have a detrimental effect on Bentley’s otherwise sumptuous ride quality.

That aside, the Bentayga seems to be ageing relatively gracefully – and as SUVs go these days, it’s pretty sensibly designed. There’s no swooping coupe-like roofline here, for example, no doubt because it would impede your rear passengers’ headroom.

As usual with a Bentley, though, customisation is key: for the Speed, even the brake calipers come in seven different colour choices. It’s no wonder that Bentley reckons there are billions of different colour, trim and spec combinations for each car.

What’s it like inside?

It is, perhaps unsurprisingly, supremely comfortable and spacious. As with other Bentaygas, there’s the option for lavish, individual rear seats that recline, massage and even track the temperature of their occupants.

There’s acres of space front and back, and while the standard wheelbase model isn’t exactly short on leg room, there’s also an extended – or ‘EWB’ – version of the Speed for particularly cavernous rear space.

To say the Speed is plush would be putting it lightly, too. Every possible surface inside is covered in some sort of luxurious material – the type and colour of which being, of course, to the customer’s exacting choice. So posh is it that you get the impression Bentley would put quilted leather on the windows if it could.

What’s the spec like?

There are a few handy hints that you’ve picked a Speed over any other Bentayga, of course – not least the speed motif etched into the seats. There’s a new, unique diamond-shaped design for the quilted leather on the doors, and some fancy two-tone leather options for the rest of the cabin.

All that leather and wood can’t hide that the Bentayga is showing its age in terms of technology, however. The 10.9-inch touch screen in the centre of the dash is starting to feel a bit miniature compared not only to its rivals, but newer cars in Bentley’s range.

While we’re a big fan of having physical buttons for most things, too, a few too many are quite obviously borrowed from the VW Group parts bin. It would be nice, for example, if the Bentayga got the same knurled metal stalks as the Continental GT, rather than those from an Audi A4. Sometimes it’s the little things.

That pickiness aside, you won’t find much missing from the Bentayga Speed’s list of options. The usual fantastic Naim 20-speaker audio system is here, along with ‘postural adjust’ seats that have a three-hour massage and climate programme – even measuring your body temperature to within 0.1 degree every 25 milliseconds. Just don’t expect much of it to come as standard.

Verdict

It’s a little too easy to think of the Bentayga Speed in the same vein as other ‘hot’ SUVs – the likes of the Range Rover Sport SV, or Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid.

But that would be doing it a disservice: despite all its extra power, carbon ceramic brakes and so on, this is not an SUV that has any pretences of being a sports car in disguise.

Think of the Speed simply as the fastest and most powerful version of a supremely capable ultra-luxury SUV, and you’ll get an idea of its intended purpose.

And impressively, it still feels like a Bentley.