2022 Bentley Bentayga S: Sportier Handling and Louder Exhaust, Same 542 HP
When the “S” simply stands for Sportier.
Not satisfied with merely offering a regular Bentayga, a W12-powered Bentayga Speed, and a gas-sipping Bentayga Hybrid, Bentley is introducing a fourth member to its SUV family called the Bentayga S, a car that's said to be "the most sporting of Bentaygas."
Appearing to focus on handling rather than straight-line speed like the aptly-named Bentayga Speed does, the Bentayga S is powered by the same engine as the vanilla version: a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 making the same 542 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. Like that base Bentayga, zero to 60 mph happens in 4.4 seconds and 180 mph is the fastest the Bentayga S will go.
What Bentley has done to make the S a more deft vehicle in the bends is give it its own Sport suspension tuning including Bentley Dynamic Ride with a 48-volt electric active anti-roll control system. A new Sport driving mode provides better steering feel, turn-in response, and less body roll thanks to air suspension dampers that are 15 percent stiffer. To cap things off in the handling department, the Bentley SUV's brake-based torque vectoring has been recalibrated.
A new sportier-sounding, freer-flowing exhaust has been fitted too and makes itself known through a new, split-oval exit design.
Speaking of aesthetic additions, the Bentayga S gets darkened headlights and taillights, black exterior trim throughout (including the edge of the new rear spoiler), and new 22-inch wheels. Available with four, five, or seven seats as usual, the Bentayga S also receives a new "color-split" interior setup accompanying a new set of seats and a bunch of Alcantara.
Bentley has not announced a price for the Bentayga S so we can't really comment on whether it's worth getting over the regular Bentayga V8. Although, to most Bentayga buyers, the words "value for money" are just random letters on a page so I'm not sure that matters very much.
Got a tip or question for the author about the Bentayga S? You can reach them here: chris.tsui@thedrive.com
