Following the general automotive trend, it was only natural for Bentley to build its own SUV, after all, even Ferrari has done it later. But ever since it came out, the Bentayga was always a bit controversial as it's built on the same platform as the VW Touareg as well as nearly half a dozen SUVs. Still, contrary to popular belief, that doesn't make the Bentayga any less special as we will explain later. Moreover, the Bentayga is the only SUV built on the MQB platform to get the twin-turbocharged W12 engine as found in the Continental series. Such a massive and significant engine alone is enough to make the Bentayga stand out from a sea of modern luxury SUVs. It's also enough to push this massive SUV to 60 in about the same time as a Continental GT V8 making it one of the fastest SUVs money can buy. Moreover, even the W12 Bentayga is half the price of a Rolls Royce Cullinan, its main competitor, making it somewhat of a bargain as well. Not to mention that the prices are the lowest they have ever been since 2017. So, if you are in the market for a 2017 Bentayga, Exotic Car Trader almost always has a few for sale so feel free to check them out and make an online offer.
The Bentayga was the only logical next step for Bentley back in 2016 as it had discontinued the Brooklands and Azure a few years earlier, and the sales of the flagship Mulsanne had been dropping. At the same time, virtually all luxury and supercar manufacturers were already contemplating building an SUV or had already built one. So, VW used its MQB platform as the basis for the Bentayga to cut the cost down which is the main reason the Bentayga was so much cheaper than the Cullinan. Of course, that ruffled a few feathers but unrightfully as the MQB platform is nothing more than the firewall, the A-pillars, and the engine rails. Consequently, the Bentayga sold more than well even with the top-of-the-line W12 engine so the next logical step was diversifying the engines. The 2017 Bentayga was the first one to get an additional engine next to the W12 and it was a diesel. Having done that, the Bentayga became even more controversial as it was the first Bentley with a diesel engine. Regardless, the diesel was a success just like the first Cayenne diesel, and the Bentayga continues to break its own annual sales record year after year ever since 2017.
The exterior of the Bentley Bentayga isn't its main selling point. Many people dislike its design and find it to be unimaginative and disproportional as the main inspiration for it was the Continental GT, a small two-door coupe. And while that may be true to some extent, the Bentayga will hardly ever drive down the road without turning a few heads. But then again, both the front and the rear of the Bentayga are undeniably a Bentley. The front is dominated by a huge, metal mesh grille going back for decades. The double-round headlights also reek of Bentleys dating back as far as the nineties, not to mention that all modern Bentleys use the same basic design. The front bumper is much more aggressive and sporty than that of the Cullinan which helps the Bentayga secure an additional customer base. The most interesting thing about the side profile is the muscle car-inspired kink over the rear wheels making the Bentayga look extremely muscular. The rear looks somewhat basic but by no means cheap thanks to a very interesting lighting element design and two huge oval exhaust pipes. Overall, the 2017 Bentayga is a sight to be seen and it does a very poor job of hiding just how wealthy its owner is.
The interior of the 2017 Bentley Bentayga again draws a lot of inspiration from other Bentley models. But this time around there is much less VW parts sharing helping the have a more bespoke feel to it. Still, the light switch and the steering wheel controls are pulled straight from other VW models but nobody is going to notice that thanks to the steering wheel looking as good as it does. Behind the steering wheel is an elegant analog gauge cluster with a relatively big screen between the dials that can be used as navigation. Another screen set in the middle of the dashboard is relatively small by today's standards, but it will do the job perfectly as it's based on a VW system. Moving to the rear seats, they can either be two captain's chairs or a bench. The seats are fully adjustable with infotainment screens in front of them. The rear passengers also get their own AC controls, footrests, and even massaging, heated, and cooled seats depending on the options. As for the trunk, it's either 387 liters or 484 if you get the rear bench seat. That's nothing revolutionary but it's more than enough to take a family of five on a long vacation.
The Bentley W12, twin-turbocharged engine is what makes the Continental Flying Spur the fastest sedan in the world at the moment. And while the 2017 Bentayga isn't the fastest SUV today, it was back when it was new with a top speed of 190 mph. And even today, the fastest production SUV has a top speed of just a few mph more. At the same time, the Bentayga almost literally jumps to 60 in just 3.8 seconds. That said, the W12 engine definitely has more to give but the Bentayga can't outrun its sportier brothers, the Urus and the Cayenne Turbo. Even so, the difference between them when it comes to acceleration is almost negligible in the real world. And let's remember that the Bentayga weighs 5,379 lbs which is around 500 lbs more than both the Urus and the Cayenne. And for those who don't give much thought to performance, the 2017 Bentayga also has a diesel on offer. But even the diesel version is no slouch. The twin-turbocharged, 4-liter V8 diesel makes the same 663 lb-ft as the W12 even though it only has 400 horsepower. That helps it accelerate to 60 in 4.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 168 mph. Very impressive indeed considering it gets around 30 mpg combined.
When the 2017 Bentayga first came out, it had a starting price of $231,000 but keep in mind that there was a ton of optional equipment as well as different exotic materials on offer so that base price could easily reach $300,000. Mind you, these are the prices for the W12 version. The four-liter diesel, unfortunately, never came to the US thanks to Dieselgate. On the used market then, the W12 is your only option. Today, they go for anywhere between $80,000 and $150,000 depending on the specifications, overall condition, and mileage. But even those that go for less than six figures still have low miles for a big SUV and are generally in good condition. Whether or not the Bentayga will continue to depreciate and how much is difficult to say, but even at this point it's lost over 50% of its value in most cases.
Considering the ever-increasing popularity of SUVs, the Bentayga is by all accounts here to stay. But for the time being, the 2017 Bentayga offers 90% of what the latest Bentayga does, for a fraction of the price. The two even look almost identical, and the difference in performance figures is neglectable. That makes it virtually just as relevant today as it was back in 2017. And if you would like to get your hands on one, Exotic Car Trader is here to help you with every step of the purchasing process. Exotic Car Trader offers escrow services and handles all the paperwork, delivery, inspection, and more. All you need to do is make an online offer, have the seller accept it and the rest is on us. The same goes if you would like to sell your current vehicle through Exotic Car Trader or trade it with one of our other customers.
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