Consider this new luxury flagship a spiritual successors to the Mulsanne.
Bentley is bringing a new focus on wellness to its model range with the launch of the Bentayga Extended Wheelbase – a new grand touring SUV that builds on the strengths of the Bentayga to become a new luxury flagship, extending the latest product range to five models.
With a nine-figure development cost Bentley consider the Bentayga Extended Wheelbase as much more than just a stretch. It is a new model altogether.
The addition makes sense. The success of the Bentayga defined the growth of the luxury SUV market since launching in 2015 and it remains Bentley’s best-selling model, arguably the benchmark against which other luxury SUVs are measured.
The global luxury SUV market continues to expand, with the forecast increasing towards the end of the decade across all regions. However, this is not the same for the full size luxury sedan segment, which has been declining. The Bentayga Extended Wheelbase, then, has the potential to once again raise the ceiling of the luxury SUV market, with the spirit and prestige of former flagship, the Mulsanne.
Bentley forecast the Extended Wheelbase will be responsible for up to 45% of all Bentayga sales when the car goes on sale later this year. The Bentayga will therefore remain Bentley’s number one model, and the most successful and in-demand luxury SUV in the world.
The Bentayga Extended Wheelbase (EWB) builds on the latest second-generation Bentayga, extending the wheelbase and rear cabin space by an extra 180 mm. With structural changes to the underfloor, side panels, door and roof, Bentley’s design team have ensured the lines and proportions continue to exude style and presence.
This increase results in the wheelbase of the car stretching from 2995 mm to 3175 mm, with an overall length of 5322 mm. The increased length is all in the rear door, creating an exceptionally luxurious rear cabin area. With a larger cabin space than any other luxury competitor, an emphasis on wellness, and the introduction of the world’s first auto climate and advanced postural adjustment rear seat, extraordinary journeys are guaranteed.
The new Bentley Airline Seat specification is the most advanced seat ever fitted to a car. To enable maximum relaxation in the back, the seat backrests recline to 40 degrees, providing an ideal and comfortable position to sleep in.
The level of seat recline can be controlled through the Touch Screen Remote – Bentley’s dedicated handheld touchscreen device for controlling vehicle functions from the rear cabin. Additional switches are located in the door pocket area to set the seat to maximum recline (Relax Mode) or in its most upright position (Business Mode).
New for the Bentayga EWB are heated rear door and centre armrests, adding a level of detail entirely befitting of the most luxurious SUV cabin in the world.
As standard, a 4+1 seating configuration is offered with new auto climate seat technology that senses occupant temperature and surface humidity and then determines whether to apply heat, ventilation or both simultaneously to keep the occupant at optimum thermal wellbeing.
Meanwhile, the postural adjustment system automatically makes micro adjustments to the occupant’s seating position and pressure points, by measuring pressure across the seat surface. The system can apply 177 individual pressure changes across six fully independent pressure zones over a three-hour period improving comfort and minimising fatigue throughout a journey.
The new interior style of the rear door also includes a unique design showcasing the optional ‘Metal Overlay in Veneer’. Using a thin metal strip just 0.07 mm thick, an intricate design is bonded by hand on the surface of the veneer before the part is lacquered and polished.
New features like Bentley Diamond Illumination (where light is emitted through small perforations in the soft feel door trim) demonstrate how technology combines with contemporary craftsmanship to deliver incredibly modern design in luxurious materials. With 24 billion trim combinations alone (and a total number of possible specifications running into the trillions), the cabin of the Bentayga Extended Wheelbase is capable of offering the most individual Bentayga ever.
The introduction of Electronic All Wheel Steering, a first for the Bentayga, ensures that there is no shortfall of dynamic ability despite the longer wheelbase. In fact, the turning circle is 7% less than a standard Bentayga, at just 11.8 metres. This also guarantees no compromise between high-speed confidence and low speed convenience.
At fast, highway speeds the system makes small adjustments to the direction of travel of the rear wheels, in tandem with the direct steering inputs from the driver to the front wheels. This increases high-speed stability – making overtaking and lane changing more assured – and improves handling when driving through sweeping bends.
The Bentayga EWB is powered by Bentley’s proven 4.0-litre, 32-valve dual twin-scroll turbocharged V8 petrol engine, which combines immense power with impressive fuel economy. Mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox, the V8 offers supercar performance, developing 542 bhp (550 PS) and 568 lb.ft (770 Nm) of torque, resulting in a top speed of 180 mph (290 km/h) and 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds (100 km/h in 4.6 seconds).
