Bentley Bentayga to be fastest SUV in the world
08 Sep 2015
Bentley had made claims earlier that its first SUV, the Bentayga would not only spell super luxury but would also be among the fastest-production models in the segment.
On the basis of performance, the Bentayga's closest rivals included the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, which topped out at 176 mph, the Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR, which reached a top speed of 162 mph, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT, which topped out at 160 mph.
According to commentators, the debate on the world's fastest SUV would be interesting, those figures also meant the Bentley Bentayga was the most powerful stock SUV on the planet. Additionally, Porsche had already promised that the next Cayenne would be faster than the Bentayga, so Bentley's claims to both titles might be short lived.
The Bentayga would face increasing competition from other ultra-luxury SUVs.
Meanwhile Jeep claimed that the release of its Hellcat-powered Grand Cherokee Trackhawk would break ground in the high-speed SUV world. Until then, Bentley's rivals remained Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, which had a superior speed limit of 175 mph, Land Rover's Range Rover Sport SVR at 162 mph, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT that accelerated to 160 mph.
Friedrich Eichler head of powertrain development described the engine as ''technically dense'' which was justified by the specs. Calibration of the former 6.4-liter W12 engine had led to the W12 6.0-liter TSI powerhouse that sat under the Bentayga's hood.
The roaring engine presented a couple of months ago was a twin-turbocharging direct injection mill, that delivered 608 horsepower and 900 Nm (663 pound-feet) of torque.
It was also slightly smaller than its predecessor, which meant less weight and more speed. Environment-conscious drivers were promised that emissions stayed under 250g/km.
On the high-speed testing track and when given full throttle, the Bentayga hit 301 km/h allowing Bentley to claim the title of the fastest SUV in the world.
