With a fuel consumption of "only" 7.9 l/100 km, it's the most economical in its class. Considering it weighs 2.4 tonnes in running order and with that power, it's ridiculous; a 170bhp Pathfinder 2.5 dCi gets that or more. Well, I stand corrected, it's 7.9 l/100 km on the NEDC cycle, but if that's 9 l/100 km in real terms it still doesn't seem like much to me. At tax level it pays the maximum, 14.75-16.75%, for emitting 210 g/km of CO2.
It's the Big Boss of squids in terms of luxury, power, price... everything.
With an 85-litre tank of diesel, it's capable of over 1,000 kilometres, or so Bentley says. That's not the most surprising thing, but having 900 Nm of maximum torque at just 1,000 RPM, that way you can tow a huge caravan or a boat on the way to Staffordbridge Castle without straining the engine. Unloaded it has a performance that takes the hiccups and diabetes away: 0-100 km / h in 4.8 seconds, and an absurd top speed, 270 km / h. As a reference, the previous generation Audi Q7 6.0 V12 TDI (500 hp) did 0-100 km/h in 5.5 seconds and was self-limited to 250 km/h.
To digest that torrent of torque uses a ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox, with the sixth ratio being the direct (1,000), the seventh is the long and the eighth the ultra-long (0.667). If the monster must be stopped, 400mm and 380mm ventilated disc brakes will force the 20- to 22-inch Pirelli roller-bashers to stop within a very reasonable distance.
Like the SQ7 it has a 48-volt electric system, the main advantage of which is the electric third turbocharger, which blows in just 30 milliseconds. Conventional power comes from two turbochargers in sequential arrangement, which deliver power across the entire rev range. Nearly 109 horsepower per liter is a beast for a diesel engine.
It also benefits from air suspension with four heights and self-leveling, active stabilizer bars (optional on both axles), continuous damping control, etc.. Aesthetically it is differentiated by a black grille with chrome surround and a central bar, and sports "V8-DIESEL" badges on the lower corner of the front doors closest to the wheels. Its exhaust tailpipes are double-double, one on each side. We are left with the consolation that it uses selective catalytic reduction (SCR) so as not to intoxicate everyone in its path.
In short, a petrolhead to take your hat off to. Those deep pockets that can afford it can already go ahead and order it, although it won't arrive in their private garages until early 2017. For the rest of you, if you have paraphilias for two-tonne-plus SUVs that can humiliate any sporty compact, you can get intimate with the official configurator: www.bentleyconfigurator.com, and fantasise about Staffordbridge Castle (and then remember to delete your cookies, as you do when browsing other sites).
