Bentley has introduced the extended-wheelbase version of the Bentayga SUV that is touted to be the brand’s new flagship, a status previously held by the Mulsanne before it was discontinued in 2020.
The new model, called EWB for Extended Wheelbase, is longer by 180mm and has added all the extra space in the rear passenger compartment. Sold only with a twin-turbo petrol V8 “for the time being”, it ushers in a suite of trim, paint and styling changes, the most obvious of which is a new vertically slatted grille.
- The EWB version sits at the top of Bentley’s line-up
- To get only the V8 petrol engine for the time being
- Bentayga EWB will not be offered with seven seats
Bentley Bentayga EWB: what's new?
In addition to the length, the Bentayga EWB gets a new rear steering system that reduces both the turning circle and enhances high-speed stability, refinement levels first seen in Bentley’s Flying Spur saloon in 2019, and more recently, in the Bentley Continental GT. Despite the extra length, the EWB’s turning circle of 11.8m is actually 0.6m tighter than the standard-wheelbase model’s.
At the rear, buyers get a choice of three rear-seat options: a luxurious two-seat layout, a classic three-person bench and a combination of the pair called ‘4+1’, which puts a small jump seat between two larger rear seats. Despite more space at the back, the Bentayga EWB will not be offered as a seven-seater.
The EWB also introduces an option of a new kind of climate seat that senses an occupant’s body temperature and surface humidity, and adjust the ambient temperature and airflow for comfort. It can also sense an occupant’s seating pressure points and make “micro adjustments” for maximum comfort.
There are a number of new, super-plush trim options: a new, intricate kind of diamond quilting, a perforation pattern for the doors that is backlit by LEDs (with light intensity and colour controlled from the fascia) and a separate ionisation system for the expanded rear compartment that stresses what Bentley calls its “new focus on wellness”.
Bentley Bentayga EWB: will it come to India?
Globally, Bentley aims to start delivering customer cars by next summer. It is likely that Bentley would introduce the Bentayga EWB in the Indian market at some point. The carmaker expects the EWB version to cost an additional 15 percent, before options.
Bentley pioneered the super-luxury SUV segment when they launched the Bentayga in 2015, and has been dominating the segment despite the arrival of other super-luxury SUVs like the Lamborghini Urus, Rolls Royce Cullinan and the Aston Martin DBX. Last year, the Bentayga accounted for over 40 percent of Bentley’s record annual sales (14,659 units, up 31 percent), and the company expects about 45 percent of future Bentayga buyers to opt for the EWB.
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