Bentley Bentayga diesel is as refined as the “royal wave”

By Stuart Johnston

Bentley is calling its first diesel engine the “most refined diesel engine in the world”, which is some claim indeed!

But, having sampled the new 4,0-litre, 32-valve V8 diesel over a variety of roads in the Western Cape this week, I would be hard-pressed to disagree with that statement. Whether you are trundling around in traffic, or revving hard through the (equally-impressive) eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox, the oil-burning engine is as smooth-revving and free of diesel clatter as any petrol V8 you might care to mention.

The only clue it’s a diesel is when you glance at the rev counter

The only real clue you have that you are in a diesel is when you glance at the rev-counter and realise that the gearbox is up-shifting under full-throttle at 5 000 rom, which is the natural rev limit for a modern diesel. An equivalent V8 would spin easily to 6 000 or 6 500 rpm.

Consumption is impressive

Of course the other indication that you are in a diesel would be when you pause in your travels to re-fill the fuel tank. With 85  litres at your disposal, Bentley claims that under ideal conditions you would be able to enjoy a full-tank range of 1 000 km. The British firm claims an overall consumption of 8,0 litres/100 km. While we returned figures in the 9,5 litres-to-10,5 litres/100 km region, we would concur that the official claims are probably achievable. Launch drives are always a little more “enthusiastic” than the type you could undertake in a normal journey.

The diesel doesn’t seem out of place in a Bentley

Strangely enough, there is not much in the way of resistance to a diesel Bentley, as there would be, say, to a diesel Ferrari. Bentleys have always been positioned as large, practical cars, and in this case the fitting of a diesel motor makes lots of sense.

It helps that this is a very special diesel motor. It uses a turbo system called “triple charging” by its makers, which consists of a pair of twin-scroll turbochargers, one for each cylinder bank of the V8 engine, as well as a third electrical  48 Volt “air booster”, which ensures that the two turbos spool up at very low engine revs. Thus, there is no turbo-lag to speak of.

Plenty of thrust

 And yet, there is plenty of thrust. The engine sweeps up to its 5 000 rev redline with an alacrity that is extremely rare in a diesel. With a power output of 320 kW, along with 900 Nm of torque, this extremely large car hurtles from a standstill to 100 km/h from a standstill in a mere 4,8 seconds, and on towards a top speed of 270 km/h. That’s none too shabby for a car with a kerb weight of some 2 500 kg!

Styling could be a bit more dramatic

The appearance of the Bentayga may not be much to your liking, however, as big SUVs are quite a challenge when it comes to styling. Bentley has gone for its traditional mesh grille as the keynote feature up front, with round headlights that are mounted at an angle sloping towards the rear. Somehow, it looks smart and eye-catching, but rather awkward at the same time.

The flanks are quite ordinary-looking, and so is the rear view, although I enjoyed the fact that the taillights echo the shape of the units fitted to traditional Bentley saloons.

Contrasting interiors on offer

Inside, the experience is mainly plush, and with a high level of attention to detail. Various upholstery patterns are on offer, and we particularly enjoyed the biscuit-stitched option in tan leather, as well as the tan interior contrasting with a darker brown exterior colour. In more standard colours the interior looks smart, but not that extraordinary. There are all sorts of panelling options too, as well as contrasting colour stitching, which most owners will order to give this car the special feel it deserves.

Naim audio pumps out 1 950 Watts

There are various infotainment options, the most notable of which is the super-powerful Naim audio system with 1 950 Watts of power and a speaker system that includes nine tweeters, four bass speakers and one huge, 300 Watt sub-woofer.

Bentley is also proud of the fact that the wood veneers on order for the dash feature 15 separate pieces, that are all hand-shaped by the artisans at Crew in England, the traditional home of Bentley for many decades.

The car has all the mod cons you’d expect, such as automatic tailgate operation, and (optional) adjustable ride control. We selected the comfort mode to see if there was any excessive body movement over undulating road surfaces, and it all seemed perfectly in control.

If you provoke the car in tight corners with lots of throttle, be aware that the anti-skid controls kick in rather severely. But, thinking back on the experience, I can see someone like The Queen wagging her finger at me for being so crass as to treat this aristocrat of cars in such an unseemly manner!

There are small areas that may fall a bit short of your expectations, such as some switchgear that seems rather familiar from the parts-bins of lesser models in the Porsche-VW SUV family. Not to say that these are sub-standard, just a bit ordinary.

All in all, you are getting a very well-built car with a high-impact nameplate, for Bentley remains one of the world’s motoring icons. But the cost is not inconsiderable at R2 950 000 before you have added any options.

 It’s a lovely car, powered by  an extraordinary engine, but at that price I would definitely check out other SUV options, many of them from within the Porsche-Volkswagen Audi family!