The Bentayga as a Daily Grand Tourer: Why a Bentley SUV Earned Its Place in the Lineup

When the original Bentayga arrived in 2015, Bentley did something the brand had never done before. It built an SUV. For a company whose name had been tied to long-hood grand tourers and stately sedans for nearly a century, this was a real shift. A decade later, the answer is clear: the Bentayga did not just succeed, it created the luxury SUV segment as we know it today. For families in Montreal and across Quebec who want a Bentley they can drive every day, in any weather, with kids and dogs and ski gear in the back, the Bentayga is the model that makes it possible.

The Bentayga has now been on sale for ten years, marked by the new Bentayga Artenara Edition introduced in 2026 to celebrate the anniversary. Over those ten years it has evolved into a full lineup, with short-wheelbase (SWB) and extended-wheelbase (EWB) bodies, three powertrains, and three personality-defining variants. Here is how it earned its place alongside the Continental GT and Flying Spur, and why it works so well as a daily grand tourer in Quebec.

A Quick Look Back: How the Bentayga Created a New Segment

Before 2015, "luxury SUV" usually meant a regular premium SUV with a higher trim level. The Bentayga changed that definition. It brought Bentley levels of craftsmanship, including hand-stitched leather, real wood veneers, and Crewe-built engines, into a body style that could also climb a snow-covered access road or tow a horse trailer.

The early Bentayga set a few markers that the segment is still chasing:

• A Pikes Peak Production SUV record set in 2018 by a W12-powered Bentayga, taking nearly two minutes off the previous benchmark
• A four-seat cabin that could be specified to the same level as a Mulliner-spec Continental GT
• All-wheel drive with serious off-road modes, paired with Bentley Dynamic Ride and air suspension for on-road composure

Today, with the V8 hybrid era well underway and the W12 retired, the Bentayga continues to define what a luxury SUV can be.

The Current Bentayga Lineup at a Glance

The Bentayga is now offered in two body styles and across three powertrains. The split matters because each version answers a different question about how you want to use the car.

The extended-wheelbase model adds 180 mm of rear legroom over the standard car, which is the kind of difference rear-seat passengers feel the moment they step in.

Why It Works as a Daily Grand Tourer

A "grand tourer" used to mean a long, low coupe built to cover continents in comfort. The Bentayga is the same idea in a different shape. Here is how that plays out in daily use.

Comfort built for long drives. Every Bentayga comes standard with the Front Seat Comfort Specification, which includes a six-setting massage function and 20 different seat adjustments. Wellness Seating, with Postural Adjust and Seat Auto Climate, is available across the range and standard on the higher-spec cars. On the Bentayga EWB, the Airline Seat Specification brings those same wellness features to the rear cabin, complete with an electric footrest, reclining seats, and picnic tables.

Cabin air you can trust. Air ionizers in both the front and rear, combined with PM2.5 filtration, mean the cabin stays clean even in stop-and-go traffic on Autoroute 40 or during the busy summer travel season. The system can detect tunnels and recirculate the air before you enter, which is a small but real benefit on a Montreal commute.

Real Bentley craftsmanship. Open the door and the Bentayga is unmistakably a Bentley. Five hide colours are standard, with many more available through Mulliner. Crown Cut Walnut veneer comes as standard, and the cabin can be configured with four, five, or 4+1 seating layouts.

Capability when you need it. All-wheel drive is permanent, with a centre Torsen differential. Air suspension with continuous damping control, hill descent control, roll-over mitigation, and an off-road ESP mode are all standard. In a province where winter conditions can change between Montreal and Mont-Tremblant in a single afternoon, that capability is not theoretical.

A Family SUV That Actually Behaves Like One

Many luxury SUVs trade everyday usability for image. The Bentayga is built to do both. Practical details include:

• A panoramic glass roof standard across the range, which brightens the cabin and makes the second row feel less enclosed for kids
• A hands-free powered tailgate
• A 4+1 seating layout that adds a third seat in the middle of the second row when you need to bring an extra passenger, without sacrificing the comfort of the two main seats
• Cooled, lockable glovebox, electronically operated rear-window blinds, and load-through facility for skis or longer items
• ISOFIX child-seat anchors in the rear seats
• 3D Surround View, Manoeuvre Assist, Driver Monitoring Camera, and Intelligent Park Assist as standard or available across the range

For Quebec winters, the Bentayga's combination of all-wheel drive, air suspension, heated everything, and a cabin engineered to filter and warm the air makes it a Bentley you can genuinely use 365 days a year, not just from June to September.

Where the Bentayga Sits in the Bigger Bentley Picture

It is worth saying something the Bentayga has quietly earned: it is now central to the Bentley range, not an outlier. Bentley itself describes its current product family as Continental GT, Continental GT Convertible, Flying Spur, Bentayga, and Bentayga EWB. The SUV sits side by side with the brand's traditional grand tourers, sharing the same craftsmanship, the same Crewe build process, and the same future direction under Bentley's Beyond100+ strategy.

Looking ahead, Bentley has announced that its first fully electric model, the world's first true Luxury Urban SUV, is on track to be revealed in 2026 with deliveries starting in 2027. The Bentayga, in other words, is the model that opened the door to all of it.

Key Takeaways at a Glance

• The Bentayga created the luxury SUV segment in 2015 and is now in its 10th anniversary year
• Three powertrains: efficient V6 hybrid, V8, or high-output V8 Speed
• Two body styles: SWB and EWB (180 mm more rear legroom on the EWB)
• Standard features include all-wheel drive, air suspension, panoramic roof, six-setting massage seats, air ionization, and acoustic glass
• Wellness Seating and the Airline Seat Specification take long-distance comfort to a new level
• The Bentayga Artenara Edition celebrates 10 years of the model with eight curated colour schemes

Visit Bentley Montreal to See the Bentayga in Person

A Bentley SUV is a hard thing to describe on paper. It is one of those cars that explains itself the moment you sit inside it. Come visit our showroom in Montreal to see the current Bentayga range, including the new Artenara Edition, and our team would be glad to walk you through the SWB, EWB, and Speed variants side by side. We are right here in Montreal, and we look forward to introducing you to the Bentley SUV that started a whole segment.