By Charlie Cooksey
If I was to look at the globe on my office desk to pick a list of 10 of the furthest away cities from Bahrain, Vancouver would be in that list. A beautiful city on the far west Pacific coast of Canada, it’s one of the top 10 most sustainable cities in the world with 95% of its electricity being supplied by renewable energy. The city is known for its great quality of life, stunning surroundings, friendly people, and being a short drive from Whistler – quite easily the most beautiful part of the world I have seen, with more pristine lakes, mountains and lush green nature than you can shake a stick at.
With all this in mind, it’s easy to see why Bentley decided to launch their supersized Bentayga here. Everywhere we drove in Vancouver and Whistler was picture perfect, further helped by the clear blue skies we were graced with during the event.
The Bentayga is Bentley’s only SUV. First launched in late 2015 it was an instant success, quickly becoming the brands best-selling model of all time.
Enter 2022, and Bentley have launched the all new Bentayga EWB (Extended Wheelbase). It is the most luxurious SUV ever produced by Bentley. Stretched by 180mm, the cabin is longer than any other luxury SUV competitor by over 40 mm – the result of a massive cash investment of over $100 Million by the company to create the ultimate luxury SUV.
I partnered with a fellow journalist for the long scenic drive and we took turns to be driver and passenger.
I enjoy 12+ hour flights when flying in the comfort of Business or First Class as I can catch up on work, reading, podcasts, or sleep. The rear of the Bentayga EWB resembles this for me, and this was the feeling I had the entire time I was a passenger – the only difference being instead of looking down to clouds or the ground 36,000ft below I was looking up at the sky through the large sweeping panoramic roof, taking in Canada’s stunning nature and scenery.
The new Bentley Airline Seat specification is the most advanced seat ever fitted to a car, with 22-ways of adjustment and world-firsts in a new auto climate sensing system and postural adjustment technology.
There’s a high-quality tablet that pops out in the back, as high quality as the latest iPhone, offering different seating configurations including business mode for when you want to get some work done, or relax mode which kicks a foot rest down from the seat in front. You will be hard pressed to find another SUV on the market that offers this much comfort or customization.
Under the hood of the EWB is a 4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 knocking out 542 horsepower and 568 lbs-ft torque. It can accelerate from zero to 100 kph in just 4.5 seconds. Yes, it is pretty fast given its size and weight.
The Bentayga EWB also uses rear axel steering so it drives tremendously well, with excellent handling and balance. The roads around Whistler made for a great experience to really test the car on the long and windy mountain roads with all sorts of inclines and declines.
Powerful ceramic brakes, combined with responsive steering, help to deliver confidence when pushing the car along at high speed on twisty roads. Most definitely the entire package belies the weight of the car and assists in putting a smile on your face every time the revs climb over 3,000, as well as leaving more traditional sports cars and other SUVs in its wake.
The level of technology further underlines the attention to detail that exists in the mechanical systems of the car. An eight-inch touch screen in the centre of the dash provides access to the infotainment system. It is straight-forward and easy to use with menus that are clearly labelled and self-explanatory.
The Bentayga EWB offers space, comfort, technology, sports performance, and genuine off-road capability along with exquisite handcraftsmanship and near endless possibilities for personalisation.
In 2021, Bentley achieved record sales of 14,659 cars, a 31% growth over the previous best from 2020 – and the Bentayga accounted for just over a third of this volume. The EWB is expected to be responsible for up to 45% of Bentayga sales, so helping maintain its position as Bentley’s number one model and the most successful and in-demand luxury SUV in the world.
For more information, contact Bentley Bahrain on +973 1723 8822
