Luxury colossus on the rack: Bentley Bentayga EWB is even longer

Since Bentley brought the Bentayga onto the market seven years ago, the SUV has been at the top of the statistics for the British.

Luxury colossus on the rack: Bentley Bentayga EWB is even longer

Since Bentley brought the Bentayga onto the market seven years ago, the SUV has been at the top of the statistics for the British. But the competition does not sleep, so there is now a lookup - 18 additional centimeters make the feudal colossus the king of rear passengers.

Bentley sends the Bentayga to the rack: because the first all-terrain vehicle for the very high society is now being pursued by almost everyone from Rolls-Royce to Ferrari, the British are now doing it again. And because they can hardly win the arms race in the fast lane against the Italians and always remain in the shadow of their old sister and her Cullinan on the boulevard of vanity, they seek their salvation in colossal size and unmatched comfort.

When the Bentayga EWB is launched at the turn of the year with prices starting at 268,800 euros, there is not only an "extended wheelbase", i.e. a wheelbase stretched by an impressive 18 centimetres, but at the same time the rear part of the car becomes a real wellness area -Oasis.

In addition to the sheer amount of space with a wheelbase of almost 3.20 meters and even more finesse in the choice of materials and workmanship, the British are primarily relying on new seating. Airline Seats is what they call the leather loungers, which are among the most elaborate pieces of furniture ever installed in a car: a dozen electric motors and three pneumatic units allow the premium beds to whir into a 40-degree rest position at the push of a button, while a footrest folds out of the front seat. Or they make the seat particularly steep for all those who absolutely have to look at their portfolio or otherwise have to keep their heads above water with work.

In the meantime, almost 180 pressure points in six massage zones knead the worst stress out of the occupants - or rather "inmates" - while sensors monitor the temperature 400 times per second to a tenth of a degree and adjust to one of the seven climate zones that range from a pleasant sauna atmosphere to an icy coldness with which one could even cool down a fever. In addition, there is the further improved noise comfort, active roll compensation with 48-volt technology and a cloud-soft chassis.

While the high-ranking gentlemen in the rear feel like they are in seventh heaven and can completely escape the dreary world out there, Bentley also makes it easier for the driver in his earthly tasks and for the first time in the Bentayga installs the rear-axle steering that has long been available from the group siblings. This helps. Because even with a length of around 5.30 meters, the colossus feels as handy and compact as a small Bentley, which will not be available anytime soon. Even the normal Bentayga, on the other hand, looks bulky when you curl the long lollipop with your little finger in front of the VIP entrance of the Grand Hotel.

The British, on the other hand, have not changed anything in terms of the drive and have also decided to start with the smallest engine variant: the long version is therefore only available with the 4.0-liter V8. However, with 403 kW/550 hp and 770 Nm, it has so many reserves that the few additional hundredweight are hardly significant.

And if the 4.6 seconds from 0 to 100 and the top speed of 290 km/h don't quite meet the expectations of the elite in a hurry, there's a nice consolation: if you drive longer, you can lie down longer - and enjoy longer. And that's what this wellness palace on wheels is all about. How far the British go for this proves another detail that has never existed before with Bentley. So that you don't have to laboriously peel yourself out of the armchair or even strain your muscles, the rear doors now close at the push of a button for the first time.