Bentley expands lineup with Bentayga Extended Wheelbase
New Bentley Bentayga Extended Wheelbase comes with Airline Seats
The luxury automaker from Crewe has just pulled off the covers from the long-awaited Bentley Bentayga Extended Wheelbase, which they describe as a "grand touring SUV" that is "bringing a new focus on wellness" for occupants. The new Bentayga Extended Wheelbase will be Bentley's fifth model and will take over the flagship nameplate void left by the overly luxurious Mulsanne; which they decided to retire in 2020. As the ultra-rich want to be different from each other, Bentley says there are 24 billion different trim combinations available for Bentayga EWB.
On the outside, the changes are not too significant since they did not want to completely deviate from the look of the second-generation Bentayga it's based on. It gets a new 'Vertical Vane' front grille, a longer profile, new 10-spoke 22" wheels, and a repositioned sunroof.
The EWB Bentayga increases the wheelbase and rear cabin space by 180mm which means it gets a new underfloor, side panel, roof, and rear doors. Overall length is now at 5,322 mm with the wheelbase stretched to 3,175 mm from 2,995 mm. The increased length is all in the rear door, creating an exceptionally luxurious rear cabin area. It further boasts of 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.
While the Bentayga EWB comes standard with a 4+1 configuration. Bentley seems to have taken airline-inspired seats to a whole new level with the new optional Bentley Airline Seat specification. Calling it "the most advanced seat ever fitted to a car, with 22-ways of adjustment and world-firsts in a new auto climate sensing system and postural adjustment technology."
In Relax mode, the seat can recline to 40 degrees, while the passenger seat moves forward and a leather-trimmed footrest deploys from the back of the front passenger seat. In Business Mode, the seat moves into its most upright position to make working on the move more comfortable.
The auto climate seat technology 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 minimizing fatigue throughout a journey.
To further on its promise to improve the well-being of its occupants the Bentayga EWB comes with additional insulation to significantly reduce traffic noise.
Under the hood is Bentley's 4.0-liter, 32-valve dual twin-scroll turbocharged petrol V8 mated to an 8-speed automatic; the combination is rated at 550 PS with 770 Nm of torque and a top speed of 290 km/h.
Bentley's electronic all-wheel steering will be standard in the Bentayga EWB to help with the maneuverability of the 5.3-meter-long SUV; the turning radius is even 7% less than a standard Bentayga, at just 11.8 meters. Bentley Dynamic Ride, the 48V active anti-roll control system introduced originally by Bentayga as a world-first, is included as standard and provides the optimum balance between ultimate ride comfort, handling, and body control.
The Benayga Extended Wheelbase will initially be offered in two versions. The Azure, which offers elegant and timeless design with unique signatures, focusing on maximum comfort and well-being with an effortless drive. Unique specification includes a unique 22” ten-spoke directional wheel, bright lower bumper grilles, Azure embroidery and badging. Other additional features include unique quilted seats, mood lighting, heated steering wheel, and increased driver’s assistance aids.
The First Edition specification builds further, including Bentley Diamond Illumination, metal overlays in the veneer, Naim for Bentley Premium Audio, and LED welcome lamps. Unique embroidery, inlays, and badging identify this as a highly exclusive and distinct model.
