‘Touring Specification’ almost mandatory
The higher the starting price of a car, the less likely someone will ever order it in absolute basic trim. That seems contradictory, but in general it is really the case. All the more interesting to see what you get for the absolute minimum amount with a brand like Bentley.
Bentley Bentayga Hybrid – €222,526
The cheapest Bentley on the current price list is the Bentayga Hybrid. At €222,526, the SUV is just less expensive than the Flying Spur Hybrid, which should cost at least €231,686. The plug-in hybrid Bentley Bentayga has recently also been available with extra power, but for the base price Bentley keeps it at 449 hp. ‘It has to be,’ we sigh barely audibly.
No one will be surprised that configuring a Bentley is quite a job. Bentley helps the undoubtedly busy clientele on their way by chewing through four suggestions in the configurator. We choose ‘Cool Stone’, because it is mentioned first and looks the most ‘basic’.
‘Cool Stone’ is of course just a starting point, but comes standard in ‘Moonbeam’ silver gray. This is not to say that this is one or the only ‘free’ color, because that may apply to more metallic shades. Speaking of shades: Bentley offers so many colors that it divides them into categories. Finding the right color therefore starts with choosing between ‘blacks’, ‘blues’, ‘greens’ and a whole range of other color groups, only then can you choose an exact paint color.
We naturally find a lot of chrome around the side windows, light units and grille and with its panoramic roof and beautiful 21-inch wheels, no one will suspect that the poor Bentley driver rolls by here. Those wheels are of the ‘Five Twin Spoke’ type and they are also available in polished or partly black form. By default they are ‘just’ silver-grey and that actually suits me fine.
Color distribution
The first choice you can make in terms of interior design is for a color distribution. Yes, you can divide the often two-tone leather over the interior as desired. The default option is called ‘Split D’, but there is really no question of a split here. After all, the inside of ‘our’ Bentley is completely black, although Bentley calls it ‘Beluga’. With lighter stitching in ‘Linen’ it doesn’t look bad at all, partly due to the contrast with the ‘Crown Cut Walnut’ wood. There is also a choice of no less than twelve different types of trim, combined with a seemingly endless amount of leather colors.
Touring Specification
Anyone expecting a complete explanation of option prices will be disappointed. Bentley only shares that information with customers, so it’s a guess as to what exactly dressing a Bentayga costs. Nevertheless, the configurator does make a few things clear. Judging by the pictures, the said leather is everywhere and things like multi-zone climate control, seat heating and an extensive multimedia system are of course standard. There are also doubts, for example about seat ventilation.
What we do know is that the option package called the ‘Touring Specification’ is actually inescapable. Those who do not choose ‘Touring’ will get a Bentley Bentayga without adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assistant, ‘Safeguard’ emergency braking system, head-up display and ‘night vision’ night vision system. These are almost all things that we now find very normal in the C-segment, but with Bentley you do pay for it. A Bentayga without ‘Touring Spec’ is easy to recognize: the striking ‘radar eyes’ in the front bumper are missing.
Bentley Bentayga without Touring Specification
Bentley Bentayga with Touring Specification
30-color mood lighting is also an option, as is (fortunately, JL) privacy glass. The standard audio system is probably very good, but you have to pay extra for ‘Naim for Bentley’ with twenty speakers and 1,780 watts. The same, of course, applies to ‘rear seat entertainment’, with screens for the rear passengers. There is an option to replace all chrome with black, there is a kind of spoiler package (‘Bentley Styling Specification’) and something like a heated windscreen is also on the option list. A very interesting category is that of accessories. Mud flaps all around are possible, for example, as well as a beautiful flashlight, a child seat, a bicycle carrier and roof racks. Bentley or not, after all, this is ‘just’ a nice, practical plug-in hybrid SUV.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl