Facelifted Bentley Bentayga Speed previewed

Bentley has posted new pictures of the facelifted Bentayga Speed and announced that it will unveil the updated SUV flagship on August 12.

Set to receive the full range of cosmetic and tech upgrades the regular Bentayga has already received, the camouflaged Bentayga Speed is pictured here with refreshed styling details that comprise a broader grille, reshaped LED matrix headlamp and redesigned front fenders.

Specific to the Bentayga Speed is the introduction of a new front splitter where the V8’s bashplate formerly lived. There are also significant tweaks to the front trailing edge of the bumper and the foglight housing, hinting at plenty of extra time spent in the wind tunnel honing the big Bentley’s aero package.

At the rear, engineers have added a large tailgate spoiler and revised the rear bumper, adding what looks like a functional rear diffuser.

Finally, a set of quad-exhaust pipes completes the bespoke Bentayga Speed details.

Under the bonnet, the Bentayga Speed revives the car-maker’s 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged W12 petrol that was dropped in some markets when the facelifted Bentayga range was introduced.

There’s no official confirmation yet that the old car’s herculean 467kW and 900Nm output will carry over unchanged.

If engineers have turned up the wick, it’s possible the fastest Bentayga Speed will eclipse the last car’s 3.9 second 0-100km/h sprint and incredible 309km/h top speed.

Like before, all the W12’s might will be transferred to the road via an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

Large 22-inch alloy wheels will be standard, while carbon-ceramic brakes remain an option.

Inside, following the rest of the Bentyaga range, 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 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.

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.

There’s presently no word as to when Bentley Australia will introduce the refreshed Bentayga range Down Under, but when it does come a small price increase is expected.