Bentley bills the new Bentayga speed as its “most exhilarating” SUV yet.
Far beyond the world of your average family hauler, there are plenty of choices if you want a powerful luxury SUV — and I don’t just mean “powerful” as a statement, either. Take the 2026 Bentley Bentayga Speed: a fresh take on the previous model, that went out of production two years ago. The W12 engine may be gone, but this new Speed makes even more power, cranking out 641 horsepower from a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 (but less torque, at 627 lb-ft instead of 664). Unlike the new Continental GT, though, Bentley decided to stick purely with internal combustion for this model, instead of adopting an even more potent (if fantastically heavy) hybrid setup.
Even with the torque deficiency, the 2026 Bentley Bentayga Speed still manages a 0-62 mph time of 3.4 seconds, so the automaker says. That is a substantial half-second quicker than before, while this model’s top speed also stands out at 193 mph. Even better, though, is a word you don’t see tossed around too much in the SUV space — “Drift”.
Fit the latest Bentayga Speed with the optional carbon ceramic brakes, and you’ll have access to an “ESC Dynamic” setting while the SUV is in Sport mode. Bentley says that relaxes the stability control’s intervention and uses brake-based torque vectoring to sharpen turn in, effectively giving you a drift mode in your two-and-a-half-ton luxury family rig. You also get Launch Control, which is a first for any Bentayga model, as well as rear-wheel steering (or, as Bentley puts it, “all-wheel” steering).
Despite the name, the 2026 Bentley Bentayga Speed isn’t all about the out and out numbers. There’s also the sound aspect to consider, and on that front the automaker brought in a couple different exhaust setups. The standard sports exhaust is evident by dual pipes sticking out under the rear bumper, but if you want to make your Bentayga Speed a bit more special, you can opt for the quad-pipe Akrapovič titanium exhaust instead. It’s not the first time we’ve seen that brand make an appearance in VW Group vehicles (it’s also available with the much less expensive Golf R), but when you’re already spending six figures on your SUV with 22- or 23-inch wheels (if you get the carbon ceramic brakes), what’s a little extra money for the beefed up exhaust?
Bentley reminds you everywhere that this is a ‘Speed’
While it still is luxurious, the 2026 Bentley Bentayga Speed definitely leans toward the performance side of the mix, what with the bolstered bucket seats and bright green accents. You also get a Speed logo on the instrument cluster, on the seats, on the instrument panel, on the front doors…basically everywhere you’re going to regularly look, so you won’t mistake what this Bentayga’s all about. The seats and door cars further get a “Precision Diamond” quilted pattern, while the general dashboard and center console layout will look familiar to that of the past few years’ Bentayga models.
When it was last on sale for 2023, the Bentley Bentayga Speed set you back about $265,000 to start. The automaker did not mention how much this one will cost yet, but I certainly wouldn’t expect it to get any cheaper this go-around. We should know more detail on that when Bentley actually puts the new Speed on sale in the coming months, but you can reasonably expect to pay at least $275,000 if not more if you want to pick one up. Not necessarily a bad deal, if you want something a little less over-the-top flashy than a Lamborghini Urus SE.
