Bentayga Mulliner EWB is new Bentley flagship

LUXURY Volkswagen brand Bentley has engaged its bespoke (custom) commissioning division Mullinar to build EWB (extended wheelbase +180mm) versions of the Upper Large Bantayga SUV.

The new 5305mm long Bentayga EWB Mulliner joins the Flying Spur Mulliner, Continental GT Mulliner and Continental GT Convertible Mulliner at the top of their model families.

Expected to be priced at over $514,000 plus on-road costs, it is more expensive than the likes of Lamborghini’s Urus Peformante at $465,876 +ORC but cheaper than the Ferrari Purosangue at just $728,000 +ORC. 

Bentley says the Bentayga EWB Mulliner defines a new pinnacle for the Bentayga family and indeed the Bentley model range boasting a new level of modern craftsmanship to the already potent combination of supercar performance, go-anywhere ability, driving dynamics and limousine rear cabin.

With the longer wheelbase comes more cabin space than competitor vehicles and enhancements designed to optimise comfort for passengers and the driver alike in what Bentley refers to as “the world’s most luxurious SUV so far”.

The vehicle has unique design features inside and out that make a striking statement, all “curated” with painstaking care by Mulliner.

For example, the rear compartment is available in 4+1 and four-seat configurations, featuring as standard, the Bentley Airline Seat specification upholstered in Mulliner Harmony Diamond Quilt which, the maker says, is the most advanced automotive seating system in the world and offers 22-way adjustment.

The 2500kg behemoth has the same powertrain as Porsche’s Cayenne Turbo; a 4.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V8 generating 404kW and 770Nm that’s sufficient to propel the vehicle from 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds and onto a v-max of 290km/h. The engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox and powers all four wheels.

Holding all this in check is the company’s KA chassis that includes Bentley Dynamic Ride with a 48V active anti-roll control, rear wheel steering and three-chamber air springs. It is said to give the Bentayga EWB Mulliner the same dynamic ability as the smaller/lighter standard wheelbase model that Bentley says makes the EWB an accomplished driver’s car as well as a luxurious SUV limousine.

Already imposing to look at the Bentayga EWB adds to that with Mulliner 22-inch wheels in polished or grey painted and polished finishes. The wheels have self-levelling wheel caps that remain upright as the wheels rotate.

Then there’s Mulliner’s distinctive “Double Diamond” front grille and chrome front lower grille complemented by Mulliner wing vents, with two-tone mirror caps in Satin Silver and body colour. A Blackline Specification (darker look) is available as an option.

Various illuminations are cast on the tread plates welcoming passengers into the lushly wool carpeted interior available in eight x three-colour combinations.

Grand Black veneer trim showcases the mirror-finish polished fascia achieved by Bentley’s wood shop. It has overlays of silver Mulliner lettering and the Bentayga silhouette to the passenger fascia, the Bentley “B” on door waist rails and Mulliner chrome patterning on the rear picnic trays.

A three dimensional diamond milled finish to the centre console provides another visual and tactile highlight.

The olive tan leather throughout the cabin uses a sustainable tanning process utilising an organic by-product of the olive oil industry.

At the centre of the dash is a Mulliner clock flanked by chromed bullseye air vents that provide a focal point on the console that features a silvered face and a bezel in a technical knurled finish.

Mulliner was established to respond to the requirements of Bentley’s most discerning customers and has become renowned throughout the automotive world for crafting some of the most individual Bentleys ever created.