2017 Bentley Bentayga Review

Bentley's Bentayga is the first of a generation of super-luxury SUVs to hit the market, with vehicles such as the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Lamborghini Urus following soon. Bentley has capitalized on this lead, apparently selling out its entire first year of global production.

Everything about the Bentayga is mega, from the price to the performance. With a 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 under the hood, the Bentayga promises a sprint to 60 mph in 4 seconds, making it one of the quickest production SUVs around. Advanced suspension components work to keep this hefty SUV flat when cornering yet comfortable on the highway. There's even some off-road capability thrown in for good measure.

The interior receives the full Bentley treatment, with high-quality handcrafted leather and wood in abundance. Customization options are as extensive as for any other Bentley, with hundreds of factory options and a bespoke program for those looking for the ultimate in personalization. There's even a $160,000 Breitling Tourbillon dashboard clock to be had, although only a few a year are produced, so you'll need to get your order in early.

Right now, the Bentayga's only competition is the top-level trims of vehicles with much lower starting prices. For example, a top-of-the-line Land Rover Range Rover SV Autobiography LWB starts below the cost of an entry-level Bentayga. The difference between what these vehicles offer is qualitative more than quantitative. The Land Rover has similar luxuries, features and capabilities on paper, but the Bentayga benefits from Bentley's extensive customization options and painstaking craftsmanship.

The 2017 Bentley Bentayga is offered in two standard trims: The regular Bentayga and the Bentayga Mulliner. For the vehicle's first year on the market, the Bentayga Onyx Edition is also available with a handful of unique options. Bentley offers quite a few packages, or Specifications, for the Bentayga that add on some useful features. And, as with every car Bentley makes, the company will be happy to customize the Bentayga however much you can imagine and afford.

The only engine available for the Bentayga is a turbocharged 6.0-liter 12-cylinder, which sends 600 horsepower to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. Beyond that, the regular Bentayga gets air suspension with adjustable ride height and performance settings, split-folding heated rear seats, three-zone climate control and separate controls for the rear seat, LED head- and taillights, a panoramic sunroof, power liftgate, an 8-inch touchscreen with navigation, and Wi-Fi connectivity. It should go without saying that leather upholstery and wood veneers also come standard.

The Mulliner Driving Specification also comes standard, which adds quilted leather panels to the seats, drilled sport pedals and a handful of other interior cues. The Bentayga also gets Bentley's trick Bentley Dynamic Ride, which uses electric motors built into the anti-roll bars to improve ride, handling and traction in all situations.

The Bentayga can be had in three seating configurations. The rear seat comes standard as a traditional three-seat bench with a fold-down center armrest. Four Seat Comfort Specification offers two rear thrones and replaces the center seat with a console that has additional storage and USB ports. The two rear seats get nearly the same number of power-adjustment options as the front seats, as well as winged headrests, ventilation and massage. Finally, the Seven Seat Specification adds a third row of seating and replaces the main rear bench with a more modest set of split-folding seats.

Bentley's option packages add some useful equipment. The City Specification adds automatic parking assistance, a top-view camera, traffic sign recognition, collision detection with automatic braking, and rear cross-traffic alert. Touring Specification adds adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, a head-up display, and night-vision system with a display in the gauge cluster. Drivers looking to spend time off-road will want the All Terrain Specification, which adds four off-road driving modes, underbody protection and a forward camera to help watch for obstacles.

There are quite a few more extras for the Bentayga. Bentley offers everything from extra sun visors and power sunshades, to special ashtrays and cigar lighters for the front and rear seats, to a leather bench that folds out of the trunk to provide outdoor event seating. There's also mood lighting, privacy glass, a valet key, lambswool rugs and a retractable tow bar.

Buyers looking for more entertainment technology have a choice of two upgraded stereo systems: a 12-speaker system or a Naim 21-speaker system. A rear-seat entertainment package adds two 10.2-inch touchscreen tables that mount on the front seatbacks and allow the user to tap into the SUV's infotainment system and watch digital TV.

The Bentayga Mulliner comes with the majority of these packages and features as standard equipment and gets special 22-inch wheels, roof rails, a chrome radiator grille, and unique interior and exterior colors and veneer. The Onyx Edition, on the other hand, comes as a more basic setup, without the Mulliner package or Dynamic Ride system, but with its own set of colors and appearance tweaks. It can also be upgraded with a special Breitling dashboard clock with a mother-of-pearl dial.