Bentley Bentayga V8

The V8 Bentayga: a heavy, fast, all-wheel-drive luxury SUV

The Bentayga was Bentley's first SUV, and the V8 petrol is the version that most buyers will meet on the used market. This guide is scoped to the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol Bentayga as Bentley and PistonHeads define it: the car announced in January 2018 and the model Bentley revised in June 2020. It is not about the W12, the diesel V8, the plug-in hybrid, the Speed, the Azure or the long-wheelbase car, which have different engines, weights and figures. Our catalogue lists a 4.0L twin-turbo V8 petrol engine producing 542 bhp and 770 Nm, with 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds, a top speed of 290 km/h, an eight-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive. We have not driven this model for this article. This is a desk-researched ownership guide built from two Bentley press releases, a PistonHeads used buying guide by Tony Middlehurst and the government recall check. Where those sources disagree with each other we say so, and where they are silent we do not fill the gap.

Bentley's own release for the V8, dated 12 January 2018 from Crewe, describes a 4.0-litre, 32-valve petrol V8 with two twin-scroll turbochargers mounted inside the V of the engine. PistonHeads says the V8 petrol arrived in 2018, which agrees. Our catalogue leaves the year range blank, because the sources we read give a launch date and a mid-life revision date but no end date for the V8, and we would rather say nothing than guess.

Checking the figures

Bentley gives 542 bhp, which it also prints as 550 PS and 404 kW, at 6,000 rpm. The bhp figure is the British horsepower rating and the PS figure is the metric one: 550 PS multiplied by 0.9863 is about 542.5, so 542 bhp is the number in our catalogue. An advert that says 550 PS, 542 bhp or 404 kW describes the same engine. PistonHeads prints 542 hp, so it is using the British figure. Torque is 770 Nm, which Bentley also gives as 568 lb ft, available from 1,960 to 4,500 rpm. PistonHeads prints the same 568 lb ft from 1,960 rpm.

Bentley's January 2018 release gives 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds, 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 180 mph, which it also states as 290 km/h. The June 2020 release repeats exactly the same performance figures for the revised V8. PistonHeads gives 4.5 seconds for 0 to 62 mph in its table, a very slightly different benchmark, so you may see 4.4 or 4.5 depending on the speed used. A 2018 report that we saw only as a search summary, quoting a quicker time and a lower top speed from a regulatory filing, conflicts with Bentley's release and we do not use it.

Weight differs a little between sources. Bentley's launch release gives a European five-seat kerb weight of 2,395 kg, while PistonHeads lists 2,390 kg and warns that weight and power figures are hard to verify and should be treated as relative rather than definitive. Treat both as approximate, and remember that options such as the four-seat or seven-seat layouts and carbon-ceramic brakes change the number.

Fuel figures changed between the two releases. The 2018 release gives 24.8 mpg combined and 260 g/km of CO2, and PistonHeads repeats 24.8 mpg combined. The 2020 release gives 21.2 mpg combined and 302 g/km. The extracts we read did not explain the gap, so we do not draw a conclusion beyond noting that you should compare the figure on the V5C or the car's own documents and not an old brochure number.

Do not confuse the V8 petrol with its siblings. PistonHeads lists the W12 at 600 hp and 664 lb ft with 0 to 62 mph in 4.1 seconds, the V8 diesel at 429 hp and 664 lb ft with 4.8 seconds, the hybrid at 437 hp system output and the Speed at 626 hp with 3.9 seconds. None of those numbers belongs to the car in this guide. Bentley's later extended-wheelbase car was reported in a search summary with a slightly slower 0 to 100 km/h time, and we treat it as a different model.

Engine and gearbox

The V8 can shut down four of its eight cylinders in suitable conditions, and Bentley says the change takes 20 milliseconds. There is also stop-start. PistonHeads says all Bentaygas use a ZF eight-speed automatic and presumes the third-generation unit from 2018, and Bentley's ratio table lists eight forward gears with a 3.308 final drive. Drive goes to all four wheels permanently, with a 40:60 front-to-rear torque split according to Bentley.

PistonHeads' reliability section is written across the whole range and not just the V8, so read it as general guidance. It says to look for oil leaks from gaskets and turbo oil pipes, and to check vacuum pipes and water pumps. The author describes a reported high water pump bill as sounding a bit odd and perhaps not the full story, so ask for an itemised invoice if a car has had one. The warranty on a new car was three years or 100,000 miles, which PistonHeads compares unfavourably with some rivals, so check whether any manufacturer or Bentley-approved cover remains on the car you are viewing.

Servicing is expensive and structured. PistonHeads says Bentley's advance-payment fixed-price scheme applies to cars over 48 months old, with interim services every 10,000 miles or at years 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13, and major services every 20,000 miles or in even-numbered years. Spark plugs are replaced every third service. Those intervals are from an October 2021 article, so confirm the current schedule with a Bentley dealer and make sure the history shows the right service at the right time, because skipped work on a twin-turbo engine is costly to put right.

Chassis, brakes and wheels

PistonHeads says the Bentayga uses an air-sprung, heavily modified version of the MLB platform shared with the Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne. Bentley describes self-levelling air suspension with four ride heights, High 2, High 1, Normal and Low, plus continuous damping control. A switch in the boot lowers the rear for loading. Bentley Dynamic Ride, an optional 48-volt electric active anti-roll system, was available on the V8 at launch, and the June 2020 release says it was retained on the revised car, so check from the car's specification and not from the badge whether a given example has it. Steering is electric and variable ratio, and PistonHeads calls it accurate but short on feel.

The main suspension warning from PistonHeads is air springs: it describes leaky legs leading to one side of the car sitting lower than the other. Walk around the car after it has been parked, watch it rise on start-up, and cycle through every height setting. A car that sags overnight or takes a long time to lift needs an invoice for the repair or a price that allows for one. Listen for knocks on rough surfaces and look for fluid or corrosion at the spring units.

Bentley's launch release lists standard iron brakes with 400 mm ventilated front discs and 380 mm rear discs, with red calipers, and optional carbon-ceramic brakes with 440 mm front and 370 mm rear discs and ten-piston front calipers. The carbon-ceramic option was described as the largest fitted to a Bentley at the time. PistonHeads mentions front and rear disc and pad replacement but gives no sizes. Check disc and pad condition, and find out which brake type the car has, because replacement costs differ greatly.

Wheel sizes are another place where sources differ. Bentley's V8 release lists 21-inch wheels as standard with 20-inch and 22-inch options, while PistonHeads describes 20-inch as standard and 21-inch as a middle option. Treat that as a point to verify on the car in front of you. Bentley gives Pirelli tyre sizes of 275/50 R20, 285/45 R21 and 285/40 R22, and PistonHeads names Michelin, Pirelli and Continental tyres in use. Large wheels on a car this heavy wear tyres quickly and are easily kerbed, so inspect every wheel and check that all four tyres match.

Body, interior and electronics

The first V8 cars have the original Bentayga face with round headlamps. The June 2020 release, which Bentley calls a new Bentayga, brought a larger and more upright grille, oval LED matrix headlamps raised 30 mm, redesigned bumpers, elliptical tail lamps, a full-width tailgate with the number plate moved into the bumper, wider oval exhaust tips and a rear track widened by 20 mm. Wheel designs and paint colours changed too. Know which version you are looking at, because the two designs are easy to tell apart and affect both the interior and the technology.

Inside, the 2018 car has an 8-inch touchscreen with a 60 GB hard drive and an optional removable 10.2-inch Bentley Entertainment Tablet, according to Bentley. PistonHeads is not complimentary about the electronics on the earlier car: it calls the touchscreen definition and sat nav performance not brilliant, says the flat plastic buttons below the screen feel low quality, and says the organ-stop vent controls look good but are awkward to use. The 2020 revision brought a 10.9-inch edge-to-edge screen, a digital driver display, wireless Apple CarPlay, a new centre fascia and a revised head-up display, plus new seats and more rear legroom. If infotainment matters to you, that is a strong reason to prefer the later car, though the longer list of electronics is also a longer list of things to test.

PistonHeads warns about window lift systems and says a slow or noisy window is a prelude to failure and a big repair bill. Operate every window, the soft-close doors, the panoramic sunroof, the tailgate and the boot-lowering function. Check every seat adjustment, heating, ventilation and massage setting, because the front seats are 22-way adjustable with five massage programmes according to PistonHeads. The V8 can be a four-, five- or seven-seater, and PistonHeads says a third row became an option on V8 and W12 cars from late 2019. Boot capacity is 484 litres in five-seat form according to both sources and 215 litres with seven seats according to PistonHeads. Safety equipment depends on options: PistonHeads lists a City pack and a Touring pack, and notes that no independent Euro NCAP test was carried out. Check which driver assistance and camera systems the car really has.

Recalls and history

PistonHeads lists several recalls that affect cars of this era, although not all of them apply to every build. It mentions a June 2020 recall covering certain 2019 and 2020 cars for a potentially leaky fuel line quick connector, a recall for side curtain airbags that might not inflate properly on 2018 to 2020 models, a March 2020 recall of third-row seatbelt anchor points on 2018 to 2020 cars, and a 2018 rear camera delay. It also mentions a diesel steering earthing fault and early-build seat and instrument panel issues, which do not apply to a V8 petrol of 2018 or later. The guide's author is describing past campaigns, so we cannot tell you whether any of them apply to a given car.

Enter the registration in the DVSA vehicle recall service, and ask a Bentley dealer to check the VIN for open campaigns, including any that are not UK-specific. Ask for the full service history, any accident repair evidence and a list of options fitted. A Bentley can have an enormous options list, so check that the car matches its original specification and that the optional equipment you are paying for is present and working.

Buying decision

PistonHeads' verdict is warm. Its author says the Bentayga was as near to a dead cert as any new car could be, says it drives like a lifted Continental GT, and describes the V8 petrol as a perfect balance of performance, comfort and luxury, while naming the W12 as the preferred choice. In our view the V8 is the sensible choice among petrol Bentaygas, because it gives the figures in this guide with a lower weight than the W12, and the main decision is between the early car and the revised one. The early car has the older electronics. The revised car has a newer cabin and screen and a wider rear track.

Prefer a car with a full Bentley or approved specialist service record, a clean recall check, an air suspension that holds its height, working windows and electronics, and matching tyres in good condition. Allow a pre-purchase inspection by a specialist who knows the car, compare current adverts instead of relying on any price quoted here, and be ready for running costs that are in line with a two-and-a-half tonne luxury car.