Bentley Bentayga freshens up with new look

The Bentley Bentayga has been overhauled for 2020, bringing fresh looks inspired by its latest Flying Spur limo.

On sale in Europe from the fourth quarter of this year, the 2021 Bentley Bentayga also brings new tech and more space, but in some markets drops its most powerful W12 petrol engine.

The large British luxury SUV that first went on sale back in 2015 -- since which time it has since found 20,000 homes globally, becoming Bentley's best-seller -- adopts a new nose and rear-end design inspired by both the Continental GT coupe and Flying Spur limo.

Introducing a pair of new LED matrix headlights that now feature a cut-crystal design, the Bentley SUV gets a larger grille that is not only wider but 30mm taller, giving the Bentayga a "more impactful" presence.

Bentley has has also tweaked the front bumper to create a wider look, while the bonnet is also all-new.

At the rear, the axle has been widened by 20mm, which repositions the wheels further out within the wheel-arches to bring a more purposeful stance.

A pair of 3D elliptical LED tail-light, meanwhile, look like they've been lifted from the Continental GT, while the rear numberplate migrates from the boot lid to the rear bumper, providing space for the British car-maker to spell out its name on the rear tailgate.

Other new details include a pair of side strakes on the front fenders, the addition of new 22-inch alloy wheels, two new paint colour options and a pair of oval tail pipes.

Inside, tweaks to the luxurious SUV's cabin have liberated an extra 100mm knee room in the second row.

Sit on those rear perches and there's now the option of ventilated seats, with the four-, five- or seven-seat configuration options carrying over.

In the back there's now a pair of 5.0-inch removable touch-screen tablets to control entertainment and comfort options.

The driver and passenger, meanwhile, now get an all-new 10.9-inch HD touch-screen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard.

USB-C ports, a cabin air ioniser filtration system, wireless charging and internet connectivity are all introduced.

Ahead of the driver, there's also an all-new digital instrument cluster that's now combined with a head-up display.

As standard, the Bentley SUV now comes with a 790W 12-speaker sound system that can be upgraded to an even more powerful 1780W 20-speaker set-up.

Comfort has also been enahnced with the latest Bentayga. Both the driver and passenger get more ergonomic seats, while a redesigned centre fascia, steering wheel, door cards and switchgear have all been improved with higher-grade materials.

Under the bonnet the powerful 447kW twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre W12 engine has been dropped for the UK and European markets – there's no word yet on Australia.

The current car's 404kW twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 and 330kW 3.0-litre V6 turbo plug-in hybrid carry over unchanged.

Pricing has yet to be announced for the refreshed Bentayga, but expect a price bump over the $334,700 (plus on-roads) the British car-maker currently charges for the Bentley Bentayga V8 in Australia.