Bentley Bentayga review - Practicality, comfort and boot space

In spite of its large external dimensions, the Bentley can’t quite match its key rival, the Range Rover, for space and versatility. All things are relative though, and as you would expect the Bentayga certainly isn’t short of room or creature comforts.

Up front, the driver gets a wide range of seat and wheel adjustment, plus there’s plenty of handy storage. Luxury features include a hands-free power operated tailgate, and soft-close doors so you’ll never need to slam them.

The car is extremely hushed and refined on the move, which makes it a truly relaxing mile-muncher, although poor road surfaces can send judders and harshness into the cabin. That’s especially true if you’ve picked the largest 22-inch wheels, so on British roads at least, they’re probably best avoided. The Bentayga is not quite as competent an off-roader as the go-anywhere Range Rover, but it's best to choose smaller wheels if you plan to venture off-piste.

Size

From its nose to its tail the Bentayga measures 5,141mm, and it’s 1,988mm wide and 1,742mm tall. The Range Rover is 4,999mm tall and 1,0983mm wide so takes up a similar amount of road space, but it’s also 1,910mm tall, which makes a considerable difference to the car’s physical presence.

16

Leg room, head room & passenger space

A four-seater layout with individual rear passenger chairs is an extra cost option, but in either four- or five-seat guise, there’s plenty of room. Despite its lower roofline even taller occupants will be able to stretch out in comfort.

Boot

Raising the powered tailgate reveals an open but disappointingly cramped 484-litre boot. Our car was fitted with the £2,400 retractable Event seat, which functions like the Range Rover’s split tailgate. It does eat into load space, though, plus it felt a little flimsy with two adults perched on it.