I've seen a few around now and they are hideous, the proportions are awful. It might drive well (and the interior is nice) but it's so crass, especially with an acre of chromed plastic glued across the front - pretty obvious who it's designed to appeal to. It's just a really cynical car - a Q7 made over for the terminally tasteless.

In terms of what it offers I agree that it makes the SV look a bit silly - there's nothing Land Rover have to compete with the W12.

I guess people who have not driven one will never understand why the Bentley is such a step up from a Range Rover....as the price indicates!
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, this is always going to be subjective.
The VW group do 'platform sharing' very well.
This does not mean that the Bentayga is Q7 in a party frock! They share the same mechanical and virtual platforms, but that only means that they benefit from the work of the whole group in terms of technology, but share very few actual parts.
The Bentayga is designed and engineered in Crewe and that means the ethos, strategy and actual parts are very different.

The VW Phaeton and the Continental GT share platforms and that allowed the Conti to exist, but I haven't heard many jibes that that car being a 'Phaeton Coupe' because they look exactly the same don't they?
I did the Conti GT3 race car a couple of years ago and yes, it does have a couple of panels in the floor pan which are common to both. But that is out of about 3000 other parts!
The Bentayga is actually a British car which has had access to (and benefited from) VW worldwide technology.

You would have to drive one to understand. I think 'Autobiography' has

PS I do own a Range Rover  2012MY Range Rover 4.4 TDV8 Vogue...now gone!
2007MY Mercedes C200 Estate 'Albert'
1997MY Defender 90 TDI 'Vera'

It's on the VW MLB Evo platform, the basic car is built in Bratislava alongside the Q7 (and soon, the next Cayenne and Touraeg) - there are a lot of shared bits between them, more so than the last Cayenne/Touareg/Q7 had.

It's a cynical car and it looks horrible, however good it is - the Rolls Royce Cullinan is probably going to be fairly offensive too, but at least that gets its own platform.

It's the BIW or 'shell' which is built in Bratislava, never heard that referred to as the 'basic car'. It's just one component designed and engineered by Bentley....with access to the VW technology box of goodies  2012MY Range Rover 4.4 TDV8 Vogue...now gone!
2007MY Mercedes C200 Estate 'Albert'
1997MY Defender 90 TDI 'Vera'

Platform sharing makes the car cheaper than it would be if it had a dedicated platform.

If the Bentayga was 100% Bentley tech and parts it a) wouldn't be as good and b) would cost double the price.

The Bentayga is 80% unique parts.

I wrote this a while ago

"Drove a Bentayga for the first time today.

Drives really nicely, and by God it's really quick too.......
Few people do interiors as well as Bentley

I know it's a load more money but if finances were not an issue I'd definitely have one.

Very impressive -better looking in the skin too."

I appreciate Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but see one in the skin and I suspect it's better than you think, but drive one and you'll be smitten.

Incidentally a Toureg was meant to be the same as a Cayenne but I had one of each and they were not the same in the real world. 2016 (L405) Autobiography in Black with Ivory - for ULEZ
2014 (L405) VSE in Black with Ivory
2011 (L322) VSE in Black with Ivory
2005 (3.2 V6) Porsche Cayenne in Black with Savanna
1999 (P38) VSE in Burgundy (?) with Sand

Re percentage of unique parts - I bet the difference between a bog-standard Q7 and an SQ7 isn't miles different. There's no avoiding the fact that this is a car with a common platform that has been dipped in the parts bin and rolled in glitter - unique engine (until the V8s arrive) and a nice interior.

Bigger deal is all the 48V electrical architecture (which currently operates the active anti-roll) - the manufacturer of that has it running hybrid systems, the SQ7 electric turbo uses it etc. Land Rover don't appear to have anything to compete with that.

Nobody is avoiding the fact that this car has a shared platform, but we are saying it benefits massively from it.
I know that during development much active platform control information was shared with Porsche. Bentley have taken that and moved it to another level in terms of passenger comfort.
With the 48v electronic architecture within the group, all group brands will benefit and the upcoming Cayenne with become even more ridiculously sporting....for an SUV.
Stand alone manufacturers are unlikely to catch up without colossal investment.
I know that JLR are working hard on such things as I was working within SVO last year....  2012MY Range Rover 4.4 TDV8 Vogue...now gone!
2007MY Mercedes C200 Estate 'Albert'
1997MY Defender 90 TDI 'Vera'

I had a sit in one at the Bentley dealers. The quality of the interior is stunning. When I first saw photos of it I thought they must be mad; ugliest thing on wheels.
Standing next to it, gloss black paintwork gleaming, I thought it looked good.
Salesman told me they had already sold their years allocation of cars. Previously..
Vogue SE TD6
Defender 90 2.4
Defender 110 TD5
Vogue 3.5 EFI

I sat in one at the weekend and they are stunning.
I also sat in an F-Pace which is being launched this morning, and was very impressed with the interior.
JLR have nothing to worry about - they are all sold, if you want one it's 9 months wait!!!!!

Hi,

Bentley are just being really savvy and clever. They know rich people generally buy more expensive houses, holidays, jewellery and cars even though they probably do the job only a little better than a cheaper item simply because rich people can do that. I am sure JLR will produce limited editions of the Range Rover to compete if they think there is a market. For true motoring enthusiasts though, price is not always the deciding factor. Yes, the Bentley probably does 170 mph in complete silence with great luxury but not everyone wants that. Some people want a car to use everyday with excellent off road abilities with a style that is pleasing to the eye.
What the Bentley offers is really irrelevant to the vast majority of buyers but it will certainly appeal to a certain group who value this exclusivity above all else.
I probably will never be able to afford a Bentayga, even in 10 years time when prices have tumbled and there are even more exclusive cars in the market place. I'm pretty sure though that in 10 years I will still look at the Range Rover and envy anyone who is lucky enough to own one.
You cannot knock VW for doing what they do with their different product lines. Without them (and BMW) Bentley would probably have failed, Bugatti would not exist and Lamborghini would be much smaller than they are now.
But do their cars really stir my sole and make me want one. No, not really, they are just white goods which will be replaced in the usual product cycle every 5 years. Would I love to own an original 3 door Range Rover. Yes, I would without hesitation. There is probably no logic in that but for me that car sums up the essence of Range Rover. The original, and simply the best.
Watty

Funny thing is german car mags agree that the Bentley is the better car...  All my spelling errorz are belong to me!

2024 RR Velar
2021 AM new Vantage

It ought to be, it's a hell of a lot more money.

I think ascribing any benefit to the idea of platform sharing is silly - every bit of VW technology and every item in the parts bin would still be available if it was on a bespoke platform. The one and only reason that it isn't is that the amount of profit from selling a Mitsuoka Q7 is massively higher.

Lol
Yes, it's much more expensive and it is here now. I would probably be twice the price on a bespoke platform and available some time next decade once you got all the technology items to work together on another virtual and mechanical platform
Love the Mitsouka reference...but worried you may offend the Japanese! 2012MY Range Rover 4.4 TDV8 Vogue...now gone!
2007MY Mercedes C200 Estate 'Albert'
1997MY Defender 90 TDI 'Vera'

Anyone who enjoys irony-free marketing with a sprinkling of cheese, on the theme of "the perfect couple/family gives two fingers to the proles" could do worse than watch Bentley's promotional films...  Only Range Rovers since 1988