Range Rover vs Bentley Bentayga: stylish British brawlers face off Car News

Two hundred and eight thousand dollars. Sorry, I just needed to see it written. This is what this Bentley Bentayga was offered as an option from its list price of £ 147,600. A bit rare, I grant you – but not unknown.

Anyway, at least that makes the idea of ​​a £ 89,000 Range Rover easier to understand, right? It is, as much as anything, a luxury car comparison test.

I’m not sure Bentley would agree, however. That mere £ 89,110 (as tested; £ 86,920 before options) is a Mercedes-Benz price, not a Bentley. In another sphere, man. Well, we’ll see, okay? How far can Range Rover’s appeal extend? And can he reach the Bentayga?

Aesthetically speaking, things have changed for the Bentayga since its introduction in 2016, thanks to a few modifications last year (from where we did this test), which I think you can see especially by the new elliptical taillights. .

There are also changes inside. Bentley says over 1,000 components have been changed overall, but given that those items include matrix headlights and new windshield wipers, you know you’re dealing with a fundamentally similar car.

Inside, the most telling changes to a cabin that looks brilliantly built and finished, albeit here with a slightly polished metal trim on the left, is a new center touchscreen and a set of digital instruments. The layout retains a few separate buttons for some of the more commonly used comfort and audio features, thankfully, although I still think it could do with a separate rotary controller to navigate the menus.

There are also new seats, which provide nice support, are large and comfortable, and allow you to sit in a driving position quite similar to that of a car for what is a large SUV, with a window line. high and fitted to approximately shoulder height.

And make no mistake, it’s a big SUV, still measuring 5125mm long and 1998mm wide, minus the mirrors. And it weighs 2,416 kg with this 4.0-liter V8 petrol engine, which drives all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic.

Bentley loves her cars to accomplish a lot (this one can), she loves that they have plenty of legroom and headroom in the back (this one does) and she whips them all over the world . The Bentayga has to be designed to tow 3.5 tons, be a luxury car, be an off-roader (so there’s variable height air suspension), and go 180 mph, so it’s a big old beast, with 542 horsepower and 568 lb-ft, nothing less. Literally, for now, no more and no less: Without the W12 Speed ​​for us and a plug-in hybrid version not yet available to order, this is currently the only engine you can order for the Bentayga in the UK.