This is more than just a casual midcycle refresh of Bentleys strong-selling SUV: Every single exterior panel of the 2021 Bentley Bentayga , apart from the roof and the doors, is new . So, too, is the infotainment system and all the switchgear and vents at the center of the dash. And although a quick read of the spec sheet suggests much of the hardware is carried over, our first drive of the 2021 Bentley Bentayga V8 reveals an SUV that feels subtly refined and improved throughout. The 542-hp V-8 is the first of what will be a three-model Bentayga lineup revised and refreshed for the 2021 model year. It will be joined in the first quarter of 2021 by the top-of-the-range, 627-hp, 12-cylinder Bentayga Speed , and in the second quarter by the Bentayga Hybrid, whose PHEV powertrain comprises a 335-hp single turbo 3.0-liter V-6 working with a 126-hp e-motor to produce a total system output of 443 horsepower. --> Although the U.S., along with Russia and the Middle East, remains a solid market for the W-12 model, the V8 will account for 70 percent of the 5,000 or so Bentaygas Bentley hopes to sell worldwide next year. Of course, that number depends on how fast the global economy recovers from the nightmare of 2020. 2021 Bentley Bentayga V8 Exterior In the metal and out of the camouflage, the exterior redesign gives the 2021 Bentayga a muscular, broad-shouldered look. In back, the wider rear trackthe wheels have been pushed out 0.4 inch each sideand the new clamshell tailgate with widely spaced oval rear lights make it look less over-bodied than the previous model. It looks broader and more imposing from the front, too, thanks to a wider grille flanked by headlights situated further toward the corners of the redesigned front fenders and a front bumper with large vents at its outer edges. Its all a trick of the eye: The 2021 Bentayga is no wider overall than its predecessor. The new bumpers front and rear trim 0.6 inch from the overall length, but all the hard points are unchanged. Overall height is still 68.6 inches, and the wheelbase is still 117.9 inches. And the MLB Evo platform architecture on which the Bentayga is built, originally developed by VW Group sister company Audi to accommodate front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive with longitudinally mounted front engines, means the Bentley SUV still has a short dash-to-axle and long front overhang when viewed from side on. Standard wheels are 21 inches, with 22s available, including an all-new design that will be exclusive to Bentayga for the 2021 model year. Two new colors, Viridian, a dark metallic green, and Patina, a mid-tone greenish beige, are now available as an option. 2021 Bentley Bentayga V8 Interior The interior makeover is clever because it delivers high visual impact for relatively low cost. The fundamental architecture of the dasha big-ticket item in terms of tooling costsis unchanged. The new 10.9-inch touchscreen, used in the Flying Spur and Conti GTs as well as sundry Porsches, along with the redesigned central vents and new switchgear, occupy exactly the same piece of real estate in the center of the dash as the old screen, vents, and switches, obviating the need for expensive tooling changes. Other changes include a new configurable digital instrument panel in place of the old analog speedo and tach, and redesigned seats and door trims, all of which have transformed the interior ambiance. Forget the stuffy English gentlemans club metaphors: Sliding behind the wheel of the 2021 Bentayga V8 is like walking into a renovated Georgian townhouse with mood lighting and modern furniture. Rear-seat passengers have been given slightly more knee room thanks to a rear seat that has been moved slightly rearwards and has a more upright backrest and can now control various functions via a remote touchscreen similar to that used in the Flying Spur sedan. Apple CarPlay is now standard, and Android Auto is available for the first time in a Bentley. How Much Does the 2021 Bentley Bentayga V8 Cost? Offered with a choice of seven standard exterior colors, five standard leather colors, and two standard veneers, the 2021 Bentley Bentayga V8 has a base price of $177,000. But it doesnt take much playing with the brilliant Bentley configurator to quickly spend a lot more. You can pick from a staggering 85 optional exterior colors, 10 optional leather colors, and eight optional veneers, not to mention a selection of performance and appearance packages. None of which are cheap.   Our tester was fitted with the $42,430 First Edition specification package, which bundles together the optional active anti-roll suspension, the upgraded 1,780-watt, 20-speaker Naim audio system, and the heated and cooled 22-way comfort front seats and will be available only for the first years production. Other options included the $4,815 All Terrain package, which adds four off-road drive modesMud and Trail, Sand, Dirt and Gravel, and Snow, Ice and Wet Grassand under-body protection; the $7,125 Blackline exterior trim package, which turns all the shiny exterior chrome shiny black; the $2,250 Sunshine package, which adds a front side window sun visors and rear side window blinds; and the $11,220 four seat interior package. Thats a cool $67,890 in extras, enough to buy a couple of two-door 2021 Ford Bronco Big Bends with change to keep each of them gassed up for six months. How Fast Is the 2021 Bentley Bentayga V8? Under the hood of the 2021 Bentley Bentayga V8 is the versatile Porsche-designed 4.0-liter twin turbo V-8. Developing its 542 hp at 6,000 rpm and 568 lb-ft of torque from 1,960 rpm to 4,500 rpm and driving all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission, Bentley claims the engine will take the 5,400-pound Bentayga V8 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, to 100 mph in 9.9 seconds, and to a top speed of 180 mph. It feels every bit that fast. A Bentley engine should be all about locomotive-grade torque, and the twin-turbo V-8 doesnt disappoint. The Bentayga V8 wafts around town amiably at little more than a whispery idle and quickly slips into the highest possible gear while cruising on the freeway. Not that many Bentayga owners would worry about such details, but we saw an indicated 22 mpg (U.S.) while cruising at 70 to 80 mph, which is reasonable for a big, bluff, luxury SUV. In Bentley mode, the default drive mode, the Bentayga will coast when you lift off the gas, the engine revs dropping as the car rolls on kinetic energy. Flex your right ankle, though, and a deep purr, like an old lion sleeping off a good lunch, swells through the cabin as the Bentley surges down the road at a remarkable pace given its not inconsiderable mass. From 2,000 rpm to 5,000 rpm the engine gives you all the thrust you could want, when you want it. How Does the Bentley Bentayga V8 Ride and Handle? Bentley mode is the best all-round driving mode, and unless youre in a playful mood on a playful road, its best to leave the Bentayga there. Depending on how many tight corners there are, you might want to tug the shifter on the center console into manual mode and use the paddles to select the gear you want on corner entry rather than wait for the eight-speed auto to figure it out once you go to throttle again. The ride doesnt have the plushness of a Range Rover, but theres enough squidge in the suspension to take the edge off the bigger vertical impacts, and the optional active anti-roll system keeps the Bentley flat through the corners. The body motions are not as deftly controlled as they are in the new Aston Martin DBX, which benefits from being 2.4 inches longer in the wheelbase and weighing 386 pounds less. For that reason, if the roads a little open, allowing you to maintain higher speeds through corners, you might want to grab Sport mode to stiffen the suspension. Youll occasionally notice a touch more side-to-side pitch, but its a trade-off worth making to keep that big body on a tighter leash. Although the Bentayga is, subjectively, quieter than the pre-face-lift model around town, theres no disguising the fact that it rolls on giant wheels and low-profile tires. The wheel control is pretty goodour test car was not as pattery as some air-sprung rivals on 22sbut a touch of low-speed impact harshness from the 285/40 Pirelli P Zeros was evident over gnarly roads on our drive route. That said, the Bentleys low-speed ride refinement is better than that of any AMG-tweaked Mercedes SUV. Another low-speed niggle: The aggressive brake tip-in means you have to learn to modulate the pedal before you can consistently bring the Bentayga to a smooth halt in stop-and-go traffic. The weakest link in the 2021 Bentley Bentaygas chassis is the electric power steering. Its light and relatively direct, which is good for low-speed maneuverability, but, sadly, theres not a ton of feel once cornering loads start to build. You can sense the variable ratio system is hard at work turning tires with a big contact patch and stiff sidewalls on a front axle that carries 56 percent of the cars weightalmost 3,000 pounds. But you have little sense of what is actually happening where the rubber meets the road, which is critical, because its from here the Bentaygas entire dynamic repertoire is defined. Yes, the Bentayga is effortlessly fast. But it doesnt really flow down a winding road, even with an accomplished driver behind the wheel. Its not exactly point-and-squirt, but theres no question the nose-heavy Bentley prefers to break the road down into a series of discrete dynamic problems and solve them one at a time. Theres always the sensation that a lot of computer power is working behind the scenes, stitching it all together so forward progress feels almost seamless. In truth, few Bentley Bentayga buyers will care too deeply about the finer points of its dynamics. Whats most important for them is that the Bentayga looks like a Bentley, especially inside, and that it drives with the resolute thrust and imperious gravitas they expect of a vehicle carrying the famed winged B badge. And the 2021 Bentayga V8 does exactly that. 2021 Bentley Bentayga Specifications BASE PRICE $177,000 LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 4-7-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE 4.0L/542-hp/568-lb-ft DOHC 32-valve V-8 TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT 5,400 lb (MT est) WHEELBASE 117.9 in L x W x H 201.8 x 78.7 x 68.6 in 0-60 MPH 4.4 sec (mfr est) EPA FUEL ECON 14/23/17 mpg (est) ENERGY CONSUMPTION, CITY/HWY 241/147 kWh/100 miles (est) CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 1.14 lb/mile (est) ON SALE Winter 2020 The post 2021 Bentley Bentayga V8 First Drive Review: Nipped, Tucked, and Still a Flying B appeared first on MotorTrend .