Introduction to the 2026 Bentley Bentayga
Bentley's first SUV, the Bentayga, arrived in very late 2015 with challenging looks and the company's signature 6.0-litre W12 engine. It has since evolved through a significant visual facelift in 2020, with various drivetrains through the years.
Today, the Bentayga is available with plug-in-hybrid power or a traditional V8 petrol engine and the most interesting model is the high-performance Speed.
Pros & cons of the 2026 Bentley Bentayga
Pros:
• Astounding pace
• Superb handling
• Terrific noise
Cons:
• Hugely expensive
• Thirsty too
• Some garish interior colours
Exterior & design of the 2026 Bentley Bentayga
• Dark tints denote Speed
• Has mega stance
• Massive 23-inch alloys available
Having become accustomed to the Bentley SUV's once-controversial styling over the course of its active service, maybe it's that familiarity that leads us to say the Bentayga is looking pretty fine in its older age.
The 2020 facelift helped it no end, as all models are more handsome than they were previously, but on top of that, the Speed accoutrements go even further to bolstering the Bentley's kerb appeal.
Chiefly, these revolve around dark-tinted details, used for the front and rear lamp clusters, the radiator grille, all the badgework and the side vents on the wings, among more - you can even option the SUV with a black roof and a black underside to a sizeable spoiler perched atop its roof if you so wish.
Further, the Speed comes on gigantic 22-inch alloys as standard, but when fitted with carbon-ceramic brakes then it is equipped with a set of 23s. All the other models run on at least 21-inch rims, with 22s an option.
Overall, while not a new design, or one you could definitively say is 'beautiful', the Bentayga Speed nevertheless has masses of presence and a muscular appeal all of its own.
Dimensions of the 2026 Bentley Bentayga
Length: 5,144mm
Width: 1,998mm (mirrors folded)
Height: 1,728mm
Wheelbase: 2,995mm
Paint colours for the 2026 Bentley Bentayga
There are seven standard shades for the Bentayga, which are Beluga, Glacier White, Dark Sapphire, Hallmark, Onyx, St. James Red and Moonbeam. However, when talking about an top-end car like this, 'standard' paints become something of a token gesture - and there are a further 56 hues in the extended palette for the Speed, plus the option of forking out the big dough for a fully bespoke paint service if the first 63 shades don't somehow meet your satisfaction.
Both the wheels and the brake callipers can be finished in assorted colours on the Bentley Bentayga Speed too, further adding to its personalisation options.
Interior, practicality, tech & comfort of the 2026 Bentley Bentayga
• Exquisite quality
• Ergonomically magnificent
• Potentially garish Speed interior
Although the Bentayga's cabin doesn't quite have the drama of the Bentely Continental GT and Flying Spur models - as those cars can be specified with the Bentley Rotating Display while the SUV cannot- there's little faulting the sheer, exquisite quality and craftsmanship of the Bentley's interior - Audi A3 column stalks notwithstanding.
Just watch out on the Speed, though, as it has an interior defined by a two-tone colour split and sportier details. This can lead to some unusual and potentially divisive combinations, like dark seats with bright-orange flashes on them, the colour echoed again on the door cards and then abruptly contrasted with traditional light-wood trim. The resulting juxtaposition of the dynamic and the decorous can be quite jarring if done wrong.
Getting comfortable in the driver's seat
Both the steering column and the driver's seat can be adjusted every which way via electric means in the Bentayga, so its high-set, commanding driving position should suit drivers of all sizes.
There are no real visibility issues out of the SUV once you've got the driving position you want, save for the front corners of the vehicle perhaps being a little hard to pick out for the shorter of stature.
Infotainment and technology
The main 10.9-inch infotainment display and the digital instrument cluster in the Bentley Bentayga are both excellent, with crisp, clear, advanced and quick-loading graphics coupled with intelligent control mechanisms and intuitively laid-out menus.
Further tech highlights include heated, ventilated and massaging seats, Night Vision, a pin-sharp head-up display for the driver and a full-length panoramic sunroof, among more, but special praise is reserved for the stereo upgrade.
The standard Signature Audio set-up is potent enough, with an eight-channel amp, 12 speakers and 590 watts of power, but the 'Naim for Bentley Premium Audio' is a 1,780W, 17-channel-amp, 20-speaker masterpiece - and arguably the best sound system in any car on the market, at any price.
Practicality around the cabin
Up front, as it's a physically big car, the Bentley Bentayga does a superb job of offering up some practical touches, like large door bins, a good-sized glovebox, a centre-armrest lidded storage compartment, two cupholders on the transmission tunnel and a wireless smartphone charging pad sited ahead of those.
Rear-seat passenger space
As the distance between its axles, even in Standard Wheelbase (SWB) form, is three metres long, there's loads of room in the back of the Bentayga. Your options for the bench include a two-seat set-up, with ultra-luxury chairs and a fixed central armrest, a plainer '4+1' arrangement, or a full 'Comfort five-seat' configuration with a proper central squab. In all formats, leg- and headroom are generous in the extreme.
In the back, passengers do not want for creature comforts. Again, depending on the seats chosen and the options fitted, it'll vary as to what toys are found back there, but there are lots across the board.
Even in a full five-seat Bentayga, there's a fold-down armrest with cupholders and a storage compartment in it, while the company's trademark bullseye air vents and even a removable control-pad device can be found in the centre tunnel's rear construct.
Just be aware that the Speed specification cannot be paired with the EWB (Extended Wheelbase) body.
Boot space in the Bentley Bentayga
Not the Bentley's strongest suit and the amount varies according to which seating configuration you have, but in our five-seat test model the Bentley manages 484 litres of cargo capacity, which is an adequate amount and no more.
Performance of the 2026 Bentley Bentayga
• Monster V8 engine delivers the goods
• Akrapovič exhaust sounds phenomenal
• Handles beautifully for a 2.5-tonne SUV
Ever since Bentley ceased production of its idiosyncratic 6.0-litre W12 engine in 2024, the Bentayga family has been powered by a choice of either a biturbo 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine or a 3.0-litre V6 plug-in-hybrid (PHEV) powertrain.
For the entry-level Bentayga plus the two models above that - the Artenara and the Azure - there is a straight choice between either the 550hp/770Nm V8, resulting in a 0-100km/h time of 4.5 seconds, or the Hybrid, which delivers 462hp/700Nm for 0-100km/h in 5.1 seconds.
The Bentayga Speed uses an uprated version of the twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 - which has an additional 100hp and 80Nm over its applications elsewhere in the Bentayga range.
This means the V8 Speed is even more powerful than the old W12 variant (at 650hp), although it is slightly down on torque (850Nm). But it'll run 0-100km/h in just 3.6 seconds and then top out at 310km/h, making it one of the fastest SUVs in the world and amply living up to its model name in the process.
Driving the Bentley Bentayga Speed on the UK's roads
Words by Matt Robinson on 28 May 2026
We've long preferred the V8-engined Bentleys to their W12 predecessors for two reasons: one, they're lighter over the nose, to the tune of about 50 kilos, so they handle better; and two, they sound superior too - the W12 was a torque leviathan, no doubt about it, but it wasn't exactly vociferous or mellifluous when pressed into sterner action.
On the former score here, the Bentayga Speed V8 has undoubtedly sharp responses at the nose for something so goliath, but when you're talking about a modest two per cent weight reduction when compared to its 12-cylinder forefather, we're hardly talking about a transformative handling switch.
When it comes to the noise, though, this motorised palace has improved massively. When fitted with the optional Akrapovič exhaust, the rumbles, thuds, growls and snarls the Bentayga Speed emits are simply fabulous, and way in advance of where the W12 was from a sonic aspect.
There aren't many vehicles of any shape or size which sound as deliciously naughty all around the rev range as the Speed with the Akrapovič titanium pipes fitted.
So, back to the dynamics. The changes come when you click it into Sport mode. If you leave it in either Comfort or the Bentley - the two 'lower' road settings on the gorgeous rotary selector dial down on the tunnel - the self-levelling air suspension with Continuous Damping Control (CDC) shocks have exactly the same calibration as any other Bentayga.
It's in Sport where things go further. The steering is retuned, while the CDC takes a 15 per cent stronger hold of the SUV's shell. There's also four-wheel steering fitted to the Speed, as well as 48-volt active anti-roll technology, while 'torque vectoring by brake' makes up for the lack of a proper limited-slip differential on the rear axle.
Finally, whopping carbon ceramic brakes (with front discs measuring 440mm, gripped by ten-piston callipers) bring another edge to the kinematics of the Bentley.
It all adds up to a stunning high-performance SUV. The limiting factor to driver commitment in the Bentayga Speed will be the physicality of its expensive and expansive two-metre-wide frame, because it rarely - if ever - feels the 2,466kg it is purported to weigh.
It has an astounding agility and deft balance which completely belies its sheer heft, ably abetted by some of the loveliest steering anywhere in the SUV world.
Sure, there's a little bit of squidge from the suspension of the Speed, even in Sport mode, and there are occasions when the eight-speed automatic can deliver a brief pause to the frenzied proceedings of hustling the big SUV down the road, but these are a couple of very minor gripes about what is, by anyone's book, a truly sensational-handling machine.
Of course, it works beautifully as a Bentley, too. By which we mean, it cruises and ambles around in supreme comfort and hushed dignity. Yes, you'll never quite fully eradicate the unsprung mass of 23-inch wheels hanging at all corners, even with carbon brakes to offset the wheels' mass, and Bentley's wish to be remembered for its motorsport past as much as its hyper-luxe present means there are more comfortable SUVs than the Bentayga Speed on the road.
But nobody in their right mind would ever call the cosseting day-to-day manners of this 650hp brute either uncomfortable or noisy. It's a belting all-rounder, in all fairness.
What you perhaps couldn't call it is efficient. A 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine with two turbos in a 2.5-tonne body standing 1.7 metres tall and powering all four wheels is never going to be the peak of parsimony.
Nonetheless, on a long 250km motorway jaunt where we resisted the charms of the engine, the Bentayga Speed managed an indicated 11.1 litres/100km, which isn't entirely tragic in the circumstances.
However, across more than 800km of mixed-roads testing, its average consumption was a rather less healthy 14 litres/100km), while if you get caught in heavy traffic in it, or alternatively you have a heavy right foot while you enjoy the mega powertrain, expect more like 16.6 litres/100km.
Irish pricing & rivals to the 2026 Bentley Bentayga
• Not officially sold here
• Would be expensive to import
• Few rivals can match its talents
As tested, with all its options fitted, the Bentley Bentayga Speed with the V8 engine would most likely be around €400,000 imported, maybe more.
Understandably, that's a frightening amount of money to be talking about for an SUV, but then there's little that can directly oppose it - even our three rivals listed on this page are better in one attribute or another (i.e. they seem to prioritise sportiness over luxury, or vice versa), with none of them quite managing to blend all the desirable characteristics of the Bentayga into one package.
However, understandably no Bentayga is anything like approaching cheap, as befits an exotic product like this. All versions will typically be in excess of €250,000 before even going near Bentley's extensive, costly options list.
Servicing the Bentley Bentayga
Bentley recommends a 12-month or 15,000km maintenance schedule for its models, whichever comes sooner. There are servicing bundles available for fixed (high) prices as well.
Bentley Bentayga warranty
All new Bentleys come with a standard three-year, unlimited-distance warranty, but this can be extended (for an annual fee) on any model that is up to ten years old, provided the vehicle is regularly serviced at a manufacturer-approved centre.
Verdict - should you buy the 2026 Bentley Bentayga?
Those wanting the ultimate SUV experience would be impeccably served by any version of this stunning, grandiose SUV, but especially so by the marvellous V8-powered Bentley Bentayga Speed.
Sure, there are a few foibles with it, such as the occasional background grittiness to the ride brought about by its huge alloy wheels and also the vast expense of buying, importing and owning it, plus there are still those who can't gel with the SUV's challenging appearance.
But in all other regards, the Bentayga Speed with this 4.0-litre engine is a sumptuous, deeply edifying and spectacular delight - mesmerising, in fact.
Want to know more about the 2026 Bentley Bentayga?
If there's anything about the Bentley Bentayga we've not covered, or you'd like help in choosing between it and other cars, you can avail of our expert advice service via the Ask Us Anything page.
Bentley Bentayga history
Heralded by the ghastly EXP 9 F concept of the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, the Bentley Bentayga went into production late in 2015, ready for a 2016 on-sale date.
It originally appeared, complete with a face only a mother could love, with a 608hp iteration of the fabled 6.0-litre W12 engine, but just a year later the short-lived Bentayga Diesel arrived with a 4.0-litre turbodiesel V8 shared with the Audi SQ7 TDI.
However, in 2018, Bentley changed tack and introduced the V6-powered PHEV drivetrain for the Hybrid variant, while also bringing the 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine into the fold.
Over the years, more focused, dynamic derivatives - such as the 4.0 V8 S and the W12-based Speed - also arrived, but by the 2020 facelift (a significant visual overhaul, thankfully taking the SUV's looks further away from those of the EXP 9 F) of the Bentayga family, both the regular, non-Speed W12 and the Diesel had been dropped.
In 2022, an Extended Wheelbase (EWB) version of the Bentayga appeared, in order to replace the by-then-discontinued Mulsanne saloon, and this had an extra 180mm of metal grafted between its axles for more rear legroom and an overall body length beyond 5.3 metres.
Finally, in 2024, the W12 engine was scrapped in its entirety.
