2026 Bentley Bentayga Speed review: Australian preview drive

For the ultimate power and performance in a Bentley Bentayga, look no further than the Bentayga Speed.

Calling on Bentley’s gentleman-racer past and reputation for handcrafted finishing, the Bentayga Speed is opulent and excessive but also surprisingly subtle. If you know, you know.

Of course, no Bentley is anything other than a standout style statement, and the latest Bentayga continues to refine the Bentley heritage with classic proportions and fine details.

But under the bonnet, the world of Bentley has changed. The former flagship 12-cylinder engine has reached the end of its production life across all Bentley models and is replaced with a twin-turbo V8.

It’s a relative of the engine you’ll find in other attention-grabbing SUVs from within the same Volkswagen-owned portfolio, like the Audi RS Q8, Lamborghini Urus, and Porsche Cayenne. None shared Bentley’s old W12 engine, so with the 12 swapped for a V8, does the grand-touring Brit still stand out?

The raw figures look impressive: 478kW at 6000rpm and 850Nm from 2250rpm to 4500rpm. Despite a kerb weight of 2466kg, 0–100km/h takes just 3.6 seconds, and top speed is 310km/h.

If you were stepping out of a W12 Speed, the previous model was rated at 467kW with a lower 5000rpm peak, but monstered the new engine on torque, with 900Nm from 1750 to 4500rpm, but took 0.2 seconds longer to hit 100km/h.

To showcase the abilities of the new Bentayga Speed, Bentley shunned racetracks or drag strips. Canyon roads were out, but country estates were in.

The two pre-production left-hand-drive Bentayga Speeds in Australia couldn’t be driven on local roads, so instead Bentley opted for a Tax The Rich style off-road rally drive. Something the half-million-dollar Bentayga wouldn’t typically be subjected to.

There’s no doubt that this car's capabilities are impressive. The Bentayga V8 already scores impressively for its roadholding, comfort, and performance in a single, spacious grand touring package.

Rather than just add a more powerful V8, though, Bentley has retuned the stability-control system, revised the suspension settings to be 15 per cent firmer, equipped four-wheel steering, and added torque vectoring control, along with other handling and control tweaks.

It’s the kind of fastidious attention to detail owners demand from elite performance cars, and the Bentayga Speed is no different. It doesn't rest on its laurels just because it's an SUV. If anything, it has more to prove.

Externally, the Speed stands out with 22-inch wheels as standard, or the option of 23-inch wheels in three available finishes, and lowered suspension. The exterior brightwork has been switched for a tinted finish, the tail-lights switch from red to clear, and the Speed comes with a unique lower styling package with deeper sills and lower bumper lips.

If anything, the Speed treatment may be a touch too subtle on the outside. Trainspotters will recognise the details, but the styling changes don’t cause heads to turn in shock and awe.

The overall styling treatment stays close to that of other Bentaygas and the tailored changes are carefully considered.

The interior retains the rich finishes, supple leathers, and cool-to-the-touch chromed metal highlights of other Bentayga models, but the leather-rich interior comes with a ‘Speed colour-split’ two-tone that works more as a highlight package for a feature colour than the more even split of ‘regular’ Bentley two-tone finishes.

Of course, anything you see is just the starting point, and the full range of customisations and colour finishes is available on the Bentayga Speed, from pinstripe options to two-tone exteriors, to wood, carbon, or metal veneers on the dash and doors, along with an exhaustive array of individually addressable decor features.

Time in the Bentayga Speed was incredibly limited, however, so rather than a deep dive into the sensory wonder of hand-stitched leather and deep-pile carpet, the focus was on driving the thing in a way that most owners would never dream of.

Heading to the wonderfully picturesque township of Tonimbuk, 70 kilometres south-east of Melbourne, Bentley did the unthinkable and let drivers unleash everything the Bentayga Speed has to give.

Not on public roads. Not on a racetrack. Not even on sealed surfaces. On a gravel track and in a grassy paddock.

It’s an interesting move, for sure. But it seems unlikely any owner is ever going to put their Bentayga Speed, with a starting price of $513,600 before the exhaustive customisation process begins, on the line like this.

There are a couple of very interesting things to note – not least, the effectiveness of the massive and heavy Bentayga in feeling like a lighter and more agile vehicle.

Make no mistake, this 2466kg first-class cabin on wheels is never going to challenge a Lotus Elise for its ability to change direction or fly through corners, but the Bentayga Speed does a decent job of hiding its heft.

The first drive loop was firing the Speed up and down a gravel track. Not a meticulously groomed or even one either, one with some slight bends and plenty of bumps and dips.

From inside the cabin, the ride is exceptional. The car gives all the right feedback about how the front wheels are positioned, but still cossets and comforts.

Where it probably should have been spitting stray rocks all along the bodysides, the traction-control system kept all four wheels on the limit of breaking traction. After a brief scramble from a standing start, the Bentayga simply finds grip and lunges forward.

All a bit silly, but also very impressive.

The two vehicles present for the drive event were fitted with the optional Akrapovic titanium exhaust system that Bentley offers as a cool $19,000+ option on the Bentayga Speed. Potential owners will absolutely want to add this option.

While the world of ever-increasing noise regulations may hold the Bentayga back from sounding like an absolute terror, the deep V8 burble and rich rising note as the accelerator is pushed should be a mandatory part of the Speed experience.

My first impression was that the sound, which is much more noticeable with Sport mode selected, was driven by the speakers, but standing outside the car reveals that the crisp sound isn’t an MP3 file, but a real, finely tuned engine byproduct.

I’d still like it to be a bit more vocal, but it offers upshift burbles, and just enough growl on overrun to enhance the experience.

Round two of the drive circuit was on grass, and invoked a full-throttle go-to-whoa and a quick motorkhana-style slalom.

Where the Speed should have rightfully dug itself into the paddock, it just fired forward aggressively. With three runs at the circuit, one each in Comfort, Bentley (AKA Normal), and Sport drive modes, the result was surprisingly similar. If you ask for everything, you get it.

Sport mode elevates everything, though, with more exhaust bark, more steering weight, and tighter gear shifts at the limit.

In a Bentayga first, the Speed also offers launch control. Typical in its operation, you select Sport mode, flick the ESC off, and stomp the brake pedal while you mash the accelerator.

From there, the revs rise, and as you lift off the brake, the Bentayga fires towards the horizon with demonic force.

It’s also possible to manipulate the sturdy metal steering wheel paddles to fire off gear shifts from the eight-speed automatic, although you rarely need to, but may often want to. Torque split presets for the all-wheel-drive system aren’t configurable and are instead paired to the drive modes.

It’s Sport mode, too, that frees up lateral movement, and through the slalom lets the rear of the car move around at more dramatic angles as you thread from corner to corner. A little surprisingly, even Comfort mode wasn't a total killjoy, still letting the driver explore the limits of traction, but ultimately reining in the slip angles sooner.

Sadly, there was no opportunity to run a stopwatch to see how far the Bentayga Speed strayed from its 0–100km/h claim of 3.6 seconds when running in paddock-bash mode. Maybe another time.

There’s a lot more about the Bentayga Speed experience to uncover, but Bentley is using the two early build left-hand-drive cars that it has in Australia briefly to pique the interest of potential customers.

The strategy is sound. Tastefully configured interiors, one bold, and one more mature paint finish, and the must-have bark of the optional V8, are sure to set orders in motion.

Beyond that, a choice of standard 400mm front and 380mm rear brakes, or 440mm/370mm carbon ceramics with 10-piston front calipers (in place of six-piston fronts usually) mark the extent of the available performance options.

From there, the arduous task of selection from a colour range of 63 exterior paint shades, 15 interior hide colours, and eight regular veneer finishes begins. And of course, if that’s not enough, you can always request something a little more customised.

Order books for the Bentayga Speed are open now, but with the highly bespoke build process and shipping times factored in, Australian deliveries are set to begin in the third quarter of 2026.

Bentley’s position on the Bentayga Speed is interesting. It is absolutely a luxury vehicle built to go fast, and not a dedicated sports car, but it offers a more gentle approach to monstrous performance. Tamer than an AMG, less evocatively styled than an Aston Martin, and more athletic than a Rolls-Royce.

Cross-shoppers may be tempted by a full-size Range Rover SV and will likely consider an Aston Martin DBX707. Cars like a Lamborghini Urus SE may be too brash, while a Mercedes-Maybach GLS680, surprisingly, lacks status by comparison.

Dreamers, on the other hand, can tip hours into obsessing over the finer details on Bentley’s exhaustive configurator. Let me know in the comments how yours would look.

Kez Casey migrated from behind spare parts counters to writing about cars over ten years ago. Raised by a family of automotive workers, Kez grew up in workshops and panel shops before making the switch to reviews and road tests for The Motor Report, Drive and CarAdvice.

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