The 2026 Bentley Bentayga Speed Is a Leather-Lined Gravel Machine Gun: Review

The Bentley Bentayga arrived ten years ago, if you can believe it. While the Bentayga arguably pioneered the ultra-luxe ‘Ute segment, many have followed, pushing the form ever faster and more expensive. Now Rolls, Lambo, and *gasp* Ferrari have six-figure SUVs of their own, while the “value” options from the likes of Porsche and Land Rover continue to push the performance and luxury envelopes.

What is the pioneering Bentley to do in an arms race of diamond-paneled leather and twin-turbo V-8s?

Go faster, apparently. For 2026, Bentley applied its “Speed” formula to the Bentayga SUV. That means a spicier engine, a set of trim-specific, dope-ass 23s, and even an (optional) Acrapovič titanium exhaust. Does building an even-faster Bentleytruck make for a better Bentleytruck? We tested Bentley’s theorem on the rural highways north of Yellowstone and on a fast-gravel and light-duty off-road course encircling a Montana ranch.

Photo by: Kyle Kinard / Motor1

Engine, Drivetrain, Horsepower: More Is Better

The Speed trim brings the heat. An uprated version of the company’s twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 delivers 641 horsepower and 627 pound-feet. That’s good for 3.4 seconds to 60 miles per hour (according to Bentley) and the kind of assured locomotive acceleration that isn’t exactly neck-snapping but will rocket you past the next county line on the back of a swelling wave of torque.

Here’s my favorite high-performance non-sequitur: The Bentayga speed goes 193 mph flat out.

There’s a great engine under this plastic… thingy. We promise.

Photo by: Kyle Kinard / Motor1

Pros: Wall Of Torque, Stunning Interior Quality, Snarling Exhaust

From the driver’s seat, these remarkable performance figures feel just about right. With launch mode engaged (another Bentayga first), there’s far less suspension squat than you’d expect, even in the fractional seconds when the car leaves the line and its 285/35/ZR23 Pirelli PZeros claw for grip.

You don’t hear a peep from the tires, the Bentayga just GOES.

The Bentley’s V-8 pairs to a ZF 8-speed auto with a Torsen center differential and an e-locking rear diff to mete out power across the Bentayga’s permanent all-wheel drive. The truck rides on self-leveling air suspension with electric roll bars and double wishbones at each corner.

Photo by: Kyle Kinard / Motor1

Cons: 23-Inch Wheels Risk Flats, Bad Value, Staid Looks

Technology, Interior, Infotainment: It’s Gorgeous

What else could I state besides the obvious? It’s a Bentley in this cabin, through and through. That means best-in-class materials paired to a stately and well-thought-out interior. However you spec the Bentayga Speed, you’ll be impressed. And I imagine half the joy for owners is figuring out whether to go with Aubergine leather on leather on leather, or with a delightful avocado-green to contrast the car’s conservative exterior.

(The answer is always green).

The Bentayga’s infotainment suite works flawlessly, as you’d expect from a car in this price range. I found the UI across the 10.9-inch central touchscreen to function just fine. Nothing stuck out. Nothing frustrated me. Wireless and wired Apple CarPlay performed flawlessly.

This little screen for rear passengers is neat. That is all.

Photo by: Kyle Kinard / Motor1

This is just a sublime, easygoing place to spend time. If the exterior looks a bit more conservative, the Bentayga’s interior really lets you know where that MSRP went.

Of note, the NAIM speaker upgrade was bangin’. Because there’s so little cell service in Montana canyons, the Bentley team preloaded a wired phone with epic soundtracks from modern westerns like “Yellowstone” and cinema classics in the making like “Interstellar.”

With 1,780 watts, 17 channels, and 20 speakers total, the NAIM system and Hans Zimmer’s strings made for an absolutely epic road trip.

Photo by: Kyle Kinard / Motor1

Design: Grand But Not Grandiose

The Bentayga isn’t exactly marmite. Quite the opposite. I find the SUV stately enough but staid, capturing less of Bentley’s typical grandeur than its stretched-out, broad-shouldered Continental and Flying Spur siblings. Something didn’t quite translate when they raised Bentley’s corporate design up on stilts with the early Bentaygas, and that trend continues here, even on the fastest and fastest-looking Bentley ute yet. This is a handsome and athletic-ish looking SUV, ultimately inoffensive, but not breathtaking.

Whether you’re after that low-key attitude when Lamborghini offers a competitor which looks like a Gundam humping a Huracan—Well that’s a matter of personal taste.

Photo by: Kyle Kinard / Motor1

That said, the Bentayga Speed’s optional 23-inch wheels look the absolute business. We heard rumors about several flat tires delaying an earlier wave of drivers on public roads, but I witnessed just one (double) flat on the drive, and it occurred at speed on a closed-off-road course following an impact with a large rock. Draw your own conclusions, but I think an impact like that would rip the tire off any of Bentayga’s competition, too.

Beyond those wheels, which are exclusive to the Speed trim, there are a few bespoke exterior styling accents, but few worth mentioning. This mostly looks like a Bentayga rolling on dubs (plus another three inches).

Please get your Bentayga Speed dirtier than this.

Photo by: Kyle Kinard / Motor1

Driving Impressions: EEEHAWWWW

As the Bentayga Speed sailed along a rolling dirt road in Montana country, I reflected on the early mornings waaaaay way back when I’d rally a ‘93 4Runner to work at the farm in Johnson, Washington.

The biggest difference between memory and reality wasn’t the price gap between an old Toyota and a new Bentley. It was the sound: You’ll never drive a quieter vehicle at highway speeds down a gravel road. The Bentayga was peerless. Not a single rock audibly dinged off a wheel well or glanced off the side of the SUV’s body with a ping. I’ve driven thousands of miles down dirt and gravel roads (including in press loaners) and never in something this quiet, composed, or ultimately civilized.

Photo by: Kyle Kinard / Motor1

In that respect, this is some ultimate version of the SUV.

In addition to the quiet, there’s also growl. An optional titanium Acrapovič exhaust offers a sublime V-8 soundtrack for when you’re gettin’ it on a rural backroad. While other über-SUVmakers are content to move to V-6 powerplants, truly nothing sounds like an uncorked V-8, and Bentley lets this one sing. Amen.

The color “green”: good outside, and inside a Bentley.

Photo by: Kyle Kinard / Motor1

Fuel Economy: About As Expected

Bentley didn’t provide efficiency figures as the Speed is “Pending Type Approval” on the WLTP cycle in Europe, but the trip computer displayed 15.4 mpg during my day of driving generally like a civilized Soccer Dad through the little towns that punctuate the roads leading into Yellowstone, then driving like a lead-foot degenerate in the wide spaces between. We call that “mixed” driving.

Photo by: Kyle Kinard / Motor1

Pricing & Verdict: For Our Money, Less Is More

The Speed rings in at €225,882 for the base MSRP. US pricing is TBD, as Bentley is in a holding pattern with imports at the moment. Expect more information in July 2025, when the tariff situation becomes clearer. On our “Snow Quartz Pearlescent” test car, the paint rang in at €13,555, while the black painted wheels cost €10,370. The Acrapovič titanium exhaust will set you back €7,740 while the Naim audio system rings in at €7,355.

These are not cheap options, but the options are innumerable, so if there’s something you want on this Bentley, be assured. It’s available. For a price.

Just pay up for these damned speakers. NAIM rocks.

Photo by: Kyle Kinard / Motor1

Overall, you can’t fault the Bentley Speed with any real veracity. By upping its dynamic game and even creating a trim-specific traction-control setting so the Speed can step sideways on gravel roads, Bentley has built an SUV with a staggering breadth of ability and no shortage of amenities.

For my money, I’d skip the Speed trim and spec the green leather and the good sound system. The slower Bentaygas are fast enough, equally luxurious, and generally a bit cheaper. If you need or want the extra performance only the Speed trim offers, then here’s your answer. Just promise you’ll drive it hard on dirt.

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