2023 Bentley Bentayga EWB SUV Review
We lounge around in the new EWB Bentley Bentayga.
Bentley’s Bentayga SUV is already popular with customers, but it is hoping to broaden its appeal with an extended-wheelbase version.
Review
Pros: gorgeous cabin, lots of room, incredible handling
Cons: slightly unsettled ride, massive rear doors, same bluff design
The Bentayga is a sales sensation for Bentley, but the its maker is planning to increase the car’s appeal with this: the extended-wheelbase (or EWB) version. Essentially a ‘standard’ 4.0-litre Bentayga with an extra 180mm between the front and rear seats, it’s a car designed to merge the qualities of a sporty, luxurious SUV and a spacious limousine.
Bentley Bentayga EWB Design
It’s difficult to tell the difference between the standard Bentayga and the long-wheelbase model, such is the subtlety of the new extension. From the front and rear, the two cars are identical, and the extra length is the sole clear-cut difference. All that length has been absorbed by the back doors, which are now enormous, but most observers won’t notice without seeing the two cars together.
For some, the lack of differentiation will be an issue – particularly for those who find the Bentayga’s styling offensive – but customers love it, and Bentley knows its audience. If the standard Bentayga sells well, so too will this extended-wheelbase version.
And for those who decry the Bentley’s styling, remember how it looks alongside its rivals. The Rolls-Royce Cullinan is equally imposing and oversized, while the long-wheelbase Range Rover also has plenty of detractors. In that company, we think the Bentayga looks rather good.
Bentley Bentayga EWB Interior
Up front, the Bentayga EWB looks exactly the same as its shorter sister, because it is exactly the same. You get the same touchscreen infotainment system and digital instrument cluster – both of which are effectively redesigned Audi systems – and it all works together brilliantly. It’s all very sharp and easy to use, and there’s a great head-up display on offer, too.
Where the EWB differs is in the rear, which has grown to give passengers a vast improvement in rear legroom. There’s space to stretch out, just like a business class seat in a long-haul airliner, so Bentley has created seats to match. Dubbed Airline Seats, the fully adjustable rear seats are capable of reclining and extending in the usual ways, but they also include massage functions and a posture control system that monitors your body position and adjusts the seat fractionally to ensure maximum comfort on long journeys.
There’s some tech back there, too, including climate control and a touchscreen control panel, as well as electrically opening and closing rear doors. There’s also a system that monitors your body temperature and sets the seat heating accordingly, as well as seat massaging.
Those looking forward to a seven-seat Bentayga, however, are set to be disappointed. The EWB is available in a choice of three seating configurations, with customers able to choose a four-seat, five-seat or ‘4+1’ option with an occasional centre rear seat that doubles as an arm rest.
Bentley Bentayga EWB Performance & Drive
Despite being almost 20cm longer and 100kg heavier than the standard Bentayga, the EWB is only very slightly slower. The 4.0-litre V8 engine still produces 550hp, but the eight-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel-drive system help take the car from 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 290km/h.
And the Bentayga EWB isn’t just great in a straight line. The four-wheel steering means it can turn more tightly than the standard car, and the system helps to keep the car stable at high speed. As a result, the EWB is better than the standard Bentayga in town, and no worse to drive on motorways or winding back roads.
The V8 engine sounds great, too, offering refinement when you’re cruising and a throaty gargle when you put your foot down, but the EWB’s ride is less impressive. To call it uncomfortable would be ridiculous, but it can feel a little slack and unsettled over certain surfaces, and it doesn’t always isolate you from the bumps as much as you might hope. That’s the price you pay for the formidable stability and handling.
Carzone Verdict: 5/5
Somehow, Bentley has managed to make the Bentayga bigger and more practical without harming its road manners. The EWB is massive, but it manages to hide the extra size and weight with ease, and it remains one of the best cars in its class to drive. Perhaps it’s less comfortable than a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, but it has greater breadth of capability and that puts it straight to the top of the class.