Bentley’s opulent SUV has been going through some bittersweet moments in recent weeks. On one hand, the luxobarge from Crewe was hit with a recall involving more than a quarter of the vehicles ever made over a fire risk related to the fuel line connector. On the other hand, the Bentayga recently celebrated an important sales milestone – 20,000 units.
The large-and-in-charge SUV is now getting ready for a mid-cycle update roughly four years after hitting the market. During this interval, Bentley has managed to sell nearly 14 examples each day, so this impending facelift has some big shoes to fill. The 2021 Bentayga hasn’t been officially revealed yet, but thanks to social media, two grainy images give us an early look at the updated variant.
See the spy shots:
These seemingly official photos show not much will change on the outside, although the quad headlights seem to have a more oval shape than before unless the image is distorted. The air intakes are clearly new as the shape has been altered, with the fog light housing also revised. The lower grille is taller than before, but it no longer extends from one corner of the bumper to the other. A new alloy wheel design rounds off the changes on the outside.
The other image allows us to take a peek inside the cabin where it appears the infotainment system has been updated. We’re getting the impression it’s bigger than before because there are no more conventional controls flanking it. It likely runs on the Volkswagen Group’s MIB3 system offering a smoother operation thanks to more power underneath the bonnet.
A fully digital instrument cluster will also be part of the mid-cycle revisions, and so will be the central air vents eschewing the round shape of the side ones for a more angular configuration. While this image is showing a four-seat cabin, we expect Bentley to sell the 2021 Bentayga also with five and seven seats as before.
Expect an official reveal to take place in the coming weeks, complete with a more fuel-efficient W12 and essentially the same V8 and plug-in hybrid V6 powertrains. As for whether the Audi SQ8-borrowed V8 diesel will return, it's not known for the time being.