BENTAYGA EXTENDED WHEELBASE (eWB)

As standard, a 4+1 seating configuration is offered with two outer rear seats providing outstanding comfort, 16 ways of adjustment, heating, ventilation and five individual massage programs. There is an occasional middle seat, easily accommodating a third adult and giving access to a ski hatch in the backboard. 

A new feature with the larger cabin is the Bentley Airline Seat Specification. To enable maximum relaxation in the back, the seat backrests recline to 40 degrees, providing an ideal and comfortable position to sleep in. 

The level of seat recline can be controlled through the Touch Screen Remote – Bentley’s dedicated handheld touchscreen device for controlling vehicle functions from the rear cabin. Additional switches are located in the door pocket area to set the seat to maximum recline (Relax Mode) or in its most upright position (Business Mode). 

In Relax Mode, the front passenger seat will traverse to its most forward position in order to maximise the space available to the rear occupant. Additionally, a footrest – beautifully trimmed in carpet and leather and surrounded with a chrome strip – will deploy from the front passenger seat back.

Bentley Airline Seat Specification also includes four significant features including a world technology first:

•    With Seat Auto Climate, a passenger selects their desired temperature setpoint from six different levels. The contact temperature and surface humidity are then directly measured – cushion and backrest independently – and the heating and ventilation are adjusted to achieve the required temperature. This is continuously monitored to ensure it remains constant as optimised body temperature is vital when the focus is on individual wellbeing. In studies that have manipulated body temperature via external means, it has generally been reported that cognitive function is reduced by decreasing body temperature below normal [Wright, Hull and Ceizler 2002]. A comfortable thermal environment can also alleviate fatigue, reduce irritability, and improve driving safety [Szczurek & Maciejewska 2016]

•    The Postural Adjustment function uses new thigh and shoulder pockets, plus additional lumbar massage pockets, to subtly yet continuously change the shape of the seat to ease pressure points around the body, preventing dead spots and fatigue build up. There are three different programmes available, ‘All areas of the seat’, ‘Twist’ and ‘Backrest only’. The use of air pockets enables more continuous and complex movements to be made – which are virtually imperceptible to the passenger – rather than the linear movements resulting from the use of seat motors. The system goes beyond the 2D motions typical of adjustable seats, able to employ a three-dimensional twist to relieve pressure points. Six independent pressure zones can provide 177 adjustments every three hours to ensure that seat comfort is never compromised, regardless of the length of the journey. Studies have shown that actively supporting body weight in a dynamic way relieves strain, which can prime mental stress and create lack of focus. Natural supported postures have been shown to alleviate stress from tensed muscles.

•    The Bentley Airline Seat Specification also adds further cushion and backrest bolster adjustment, cushion extension, electric headrest height adjustment and a deployable footrest to the back of the front passenger seat. The rear seat passenger on this side of the car can also move the front passenger seat forwards via a “VIP mode”.

•    New for the Bentayga EWB are heated rear door and centre armrests, adding a level of detail entirely befitting of the most luxurious SUV cabin in the world. 

Other configurations include a Four Seat Comfort Specification and a Five Seat option for those wanting the ability to fold down the rear backrests. A seven seat configuration is available in the standard Bentayga, however customer feedback showed that space and luxury remain a priority for the Bentayga Extended Wheelbase owners. 

With the Four Seat Comfort Specification, a rear centre console between the two rear seats provides additional stowage and two further USB charging sockets. The Mulliner Console Bottle Cooler can also be chosen, housing a fully integrated drinks cooler for a 750 ml bottle, and two handcrafted Cumbria Crystal Flutes.

​​​​​​​The heating, ventilation and air conditioning system in the rear cabin has been enhanced to further improve onboard wellness. The rear ventilation activates only when rear occupants are detected, reducing rear cabin fan noise. The rear cabin has a separate air ionisation system that improves air quality with lower airborne particulates.  The ionisers create a static charge around pollutants such as dust or allergens in the air, which in turn cause them to stick to the nearest surface. The result is the removal of such contaminants from the air that the occupants breathe.

The rear cabin of the Bentayga EWB sets a new benchmark for combining world-class luxury and technological innovation, demonstrating new heights of craftsmanship and comfort. 
Bentley’s instantly recognisable diamond quilting has been reimagined in a dramatic and contemporary new design. Like all great design, the final execution looks simple, but the obsession to detail behind it encapsulates all that is unique about Bentley interiors.

Developed and executed through a combination of digital craftsmanship and precision technology, the symmetrical pattern at the top of the seat backs stretches the diamonds as they move away from the centre line of the seats. The doors, in turn, boast an asymmetric pattern, that accentuates the length of the door and the rear cabin as a whole.

Within each diamond, the flawless leather is perforated with holes of less than 1 mm diameter. Each hole has been digitally positioned with precision by one of Bentley’s interior designers to achieve a cohesive overall design – the ‘digital-crafting’ process.

Once the leather has gone through a perforating machine, the stitching of the diamonds is achieved with a specialised embroidery machine. The machine incorporates a camera which analyses the perforation pattern and ensures the lines of embroidery are perfectly parallel and equidistant between the perforation diamonds. The finished result is a beautiful, elegant and unique design. 

To achieve a softer panel, with delicate, luxurious form language, a finer thread (usually found in Bentley’s embroidered logos) and  a smaller micro-stitch (half the length of a standard Bentley stitch) has been used. This change of thread and innovation of manufacturing process has created a more accentuated, softly lofted quilting, in a way Bentley has never done before in production. This process is exactly the same as the quilting process showcased on the doors and seats of the EXP 100 GT concept car from 2019.

Enhancing the rear cabin area further, the longer door trim panels have been redesigned. The veneer panel has been lowered and extended, and it sweeps down to meet the armrest incorporating the rear door handle. 

Bentayga EWB will see the first use of the Metal Overlay in Veneer feature on Bentayga series production, having previously been used on the pinnacle Continental GT Mulliner derivatives. This optional feature is included on the passenger’s fascia panel and on all four doors. The intricate design consists of individual brushed metal badges crafted to be exceptionally thin - just and 0.07 mm thick. 

To create the inlay designs, a process called photo-etching is used. A very fine stencil of the design is laminated to the metal. After some intermediate steps of UV light exposure and developing of the laminate, the main process chemically etches away areas of metal not required, leaving only the inlay design. Etching means there is little manual handling or cutting of the material so the risk of damage is less and the precision that can be achieved is incredibly high. Each badge is then bonded by hand in a precise location on the surface of the veneer, before the part is lacquered and polished.

A further striking and elegant optional feature introduced for Bentayga EWB is Bentley Diamond Illumination. The illumination effect is achieved using LEDs (12 on each of the front doors, 22 on each of the rear doors) that emit light through small perforations 1 mm in diameter in the leather trim on the door panels. 

The intensity and colour of the illumination through the trim can be controlled by the customer through the infotainment system and Touch Screen Remote. The feature is linked with the mood lighting to ensure consistent colour and intensity of light throughout the car. This dramatic feature can transform the interior feel and look of the cabin, especially at night.
With the increased cabin length, the front centre console has been redesigned to provide better ergonomics and functionality for the rear passengers. The rear face of the console has been extended for improved interaction with the touch screen remote, the addition of a wireless charging cradle for a mobile phone and a new air vent design.

​​​​​​​For the first time on a Bentley, power closing doors can be specified. Two switches are located on the rear face of the extended centre console, comfortably within the reach of rear passengers. Pressing and holding the switch will close the door on the corresponding side of the vehicle using dedicated motors, creating a truly luxurious valet-like experience. The motors also engage with a light manual push on the door, for a fully integrated motion with the power latching mechanism. The motors also offer gentle assistance when opening the door.
Fitted as standard to the EWB are new ‘waterfall illumination’ interior lamps providing subtle illumination to the rear cabin. The illumination is focused towards the centre of car, and improves the passenger’s visibility of the key central controls and features. The subtle illumination provides a comfortable ambient light to the rear enhancing the feeling of luxury for the rear passengers.

Four detailed exterior changes mark the new model: the longer profile, a new front grille, a new polished 22” 10-spoke wheel, and a repositioned sunroof, all whilst deliberately maintaining the highly successful second-generation Bentayga aesthetic.

​​​​​​​Taking inspiration from the new grille on the Flying Spur, the Bentayga EWB has a ‘Vertical Vane Grille’ design that remains elegant while being visually striking. The unique grille consists of bright chrome vertical vanes sitting in front of a black mesh grille. The 22-inch 10-spoke Bentayga wheel is offered in a new mirror-polished design for the Bentayga EWB.

The repositioned panoramic sunroof illustrates again the focus on the rear cabin ambience and ensures the experience is uncompromised. The sunroof has therefore been moved rearwards in the car by 125 mm, providing the optimum position to bathe the rear cabin seating area in natural light. The sunroof can be controlled via the rear cabin Touch Screen Remote, as well as by the front cabin console.

The 180 mm wheelbase increase results in a wonderfully airy and spacious rear cabin and gives the opportunity to provide a significant increase in rear legroom.

The class-leading new cabin is longer than any other luxury SUV competitor by over 40 mm. The Bentayga EWB also provides an extra 10 mm of headroom compared to a Mulsanne, whilst having a roofline 100 mm lower than competitors providing a sporting and well-proportioned silhouette.

The result is a spacious, luxurious, light-filled cabin, exhibiting both Bentley’s traditional skills and the most up-to-date technology. Offering an adaptable space, excelling both as a work environment with all the latest technology within easy reach, and as a cossetting, relaxing haven. 

The noise of traffic and the on-road world outside the car has a serious effect on wellbeing. Research that tracked thousands of people over a four year period found that those exposed to traffic noise over 70 decibels (db) were 65% more at risk of depression. The Bentayga EWB is quieter inside than its competitors, by between 4% and 26% depending on frequency and position inside the car.

The new Bentayga has won critical acclaim for its dynamic abilities, with its performance on the road and its ride and handling universally praised. The Bentayga EWB continues this ethos with the inclusion of Electronic All Wheel Steering and Bentley Dynamic Ride as standard.

​​​​​​​Secondary ride comfort is another key variable that affects onboard wellness – the smoother the ride, the more calming the journey. At typical road speeds and in the crucial frequency range of 5 Hz to 20 Hz, the Bentayga EWB has up 27% lower secondary ride vibration than its competitors.

Electronic All Wheel Steering was first introduced by Bentley on the new Flying Spur. It provides two highly desirable benefits and ensures no compromise between high-speed confidence and low speed convenience. 

At fast, highway speeds the system makes small adjustments to the direction of travel of the rear wheels, in tandem with the direct steering inputs from the driver to the front wheels. This increases high-speed stability – making overtaking and lane changing more assured – and improves handling when driving through sweeping bends.

At low speeds, the All Wheel Steering has the effect of ‘shortening’ the wheelbase, reducing the turning circle, and increasing agility in tight urban environments making parking noticeably easier. This is achieved by steering the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the front wheels. The system actually provides a turning circle which is smaller than that of the standard wheelbase Bentayga by 7%.

Bentley Dynamic Ride – the world’s first electric active roll control technology – has been further enhanced since the original Bentayga by a 20 mm track increase at the rear, reducing steering effort and improving response linearity.  Bentley Dynamic Ride instantly counteracts lateral rolling forces when cornering and ensures maximum tyre contact to deliver class-leading cabin stability, comfort and handling.

The Bentayga EWB offers the widest range of on and off-road drive settings of any SUV courtesy of Bentley’s Drive Dynamics Mode and the optional All-Terrain Specification. Up to eight modes - four on and four off-road - are available, allowing drivers to select the perfect dynamic set-up for any surface or road condition at the turn of a dial. 

The Bentayga EWB is powered by Bentley’s proven 4.0-litre, 32-valve dual twin-scroll turbocharged V8 petrol engine, which combines immense power with impressive fuel economy. Mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox, the V8 offers supercar performance, developing 542 bhp (550 PS) and 568 lb.ft (770 Nm) of torque, resulting in a top speed of 180 mph (290 km/h) and 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds (100 km/h in 4.6 seconds).
Bentley’s 4.0-litre V8 engine is a thoroughly modern engine, with a block cast from high strength aluminium and with twin-scroll turbochargers and primary catalytic convertors positioned in the V of the engine. 

​​​​​​​A key feature of the twin-scroll turbochargers are the two separate, parallel flow channels in the turbine housing specifically guiding the exhaust gases to the vanes of the turbine wheel, resulting in high torque being available at low speeds.  The turbochargers are located inside the V of the engine, minimising the distance the exhaust gases travel from the engine to the turbochargers which can operate at 176,000 rpm and generate up to 1.6 bar of boost pressure.

Fuel injectors and spark plugs have been centralised within each combustion chamber to ensure optimal spray patterns and combustion paths, and the camshafts are variable by up to 50 degrees, with the ability to deactivate half of the cylinders when the engine is running at part load – turning it into a perfectly balanced V4.

The design concept of the V8 engine has ensured the engine delivers a high level of power and torque, whilst still achieving lower emissions and the best possible efficiency. The compact V configuration uses a five bearing crankshaft, harnessing the power from the lightweight pistons. To minimise frictional power losses, the crankshaft also directly drives the water pump and timing chains via an intermediate shaft to improve efficiency.

An exactly square engine, matching the stroke length to the 86 mm cylinder bore, gives the best balance between power and torque, and with the help of twin-scroll turbochargers the engine develops over 135 bhp per litre. The V8 produces a peak power of 550 PS (542 bhp, 404 kW), with maximum torque of 770 Nm at 2000 rpm, maintaining this as a flat plateau through to 4500 rpm. 

Over 2,500 new parts have been introduced to produce the Bentayga EWB including significant Body-in-White changes and a complete new underfloor. This has led to new manufacturing processes, layout changes and infrastructure specifically for the new model. With over 50 pre-series vehicles, nearly 2,000 weeks of collective testing have been incurred in the development of the new Bentayga EWB to give its exceptional credentials.

The Bentayga EWB defines the benchmark for combining world-class luxury and technological innovation whilst demonstrating new heights of craftsmanship and comfort.  Over 132 hours are required to handcraft the new Bentley flagship by the skilled craftspeople at home of Bentley’s carbon neutral luxury automotive factory in Crewe, England. The new model showcases lofted quilting, intricate veneer and metal overlays, and offers a unique interior ambience with Bentley’s Diamond Illumination.

Over 50% of customer orders include the Bentley Airline Seat Specification or Bentley Diamond Illumination, whilst circa 30% of customers include the extended paint range, metal overlays in the veneer and open pore wood. All demonstrating the importance of the hand craftsmanship at Crewe.

Since the very first Bentley in 1921, the finest Grand Tourers in the world have been sold with wooden dashboards. In recent years, the shaping and application of ethically sourced, sustainable wood veneer to Bentley interiors has been recognised as industry-leading – the skills of the craftspeople in Bentley’s Wood Shop are identical to those of the finest cabinet makers. 

​​​​​​​Shaping and polishing wood veneer to tolerances measured in tenths of a millimetre bring an intricate, beautiful element of natural luxury to the cabin. The wood set in each Bentayga EWB takes over 10 hours to curate, and will see the first use of the Metal Overlay in Veneer feature in series production for the class-leading SUV.