The 190-MPH Bentley Bentayga Speed Is the World’s Fastest SUV, Just Barely
When the Bentley Bentayga came out back in 2016, it claimed the title of “world’s fastest SUV” with its 187-mph top speed. A year later, Lamborghini took that record away with the 190-mph Urus. Now Bentley reclaims the record by a nose with the 2020 Bentayga Speed.
We’ve said previously that the Urus will hit 190 mph flat out. Technically, however, the automaker’s quoted 305 km/h top speed calculates to 189.5 mph. Now, Bentley says the Bentayga Speed will do 306 km/h, which is an honest 190.1 mph.
Now, you might think a 0.6-mph difference is meaningless, but apparently Bentley doesn’t. The British automaker is gleefully calling the Bentayga Speed the “world’s fastest production SUV.” It’s especially silly when you recall that Bentley and Lamborghini are both owned by Volkswagen Group—and the Bentayga and Urus share a platform. Seems there’s a bit of sibling rivalry at play here.
The Bentayga Speed makes it to 190 mph with the help of a revised version of the 6.0-liter W12 available in lesser Bentley SUVs. Power rises by 26 hp to 626 hp, while torque stays the same at 664 lb-ft. For comparison, the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 in the Urus puts out 641 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque.
The Bentayga Speed also gets revised suspension and exhaust tuning, plus new 22-inch wheels and a larger rear spoiler. There’s also lots of Alcantara inside to remind you and your passengers that this is the fast one. Optionally, you can get carbon-ceramic brakes, which might seem like overkill, but then again, so is a 190-mph, 626-hp luxury truck.
You also can’t help but wonder how long the Bentayga Speed’s record will hold. After all, Lamborghini will probably bring out a hotter Urus at some point, and Aston Martin and Ferrari are working on SUVs, too. We also know that yet another challenger from within the VW group is coming in the form of a 680-hp Porsche Cayenne Turbo S e-Hybrid. It’s only a matter of time before we see a 200-mph utility vehicle.
By: Chris Perkins, February 14, 2019
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Source: https://www.roadandtrack.com/