It has begun. Just over a year after the Lamborghini Urus and its nearly 650-horsepower twin-turbo V8 debuted as the world’s fastest production SUV, Bentley has an answer in this modern battle of the super SUVs: the Bentley Bentayga Speed, which Bentley says beats the Urus by a full 0.5 mph.
Surely, everyone who dropped $200,000 on a Urus is now regretting such a decision, because the Bentayga Speed can haul somebody else’s unnecessary junk slightly faster. Or, they’ll just buy the Speed as their weekend SUV.
Bentley announced the new Speed on Thursday, saying it would officially debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March and go on sale later this year. Bentley rated its 6.0-liter, twin-turbocharged W12 at 626 brake HP, 664 lb-ft of torque and the ability to go from 0 to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds, which might sound suspect if you keep the Urus’ stats stored in your brain for safekeeping, since Lamborghini rates the Urus at 641 brake HP and a claimed 0-to-62 of 3.6 seconds.
But the important part, to Bentley, is that the Urus’ top speed clocks in at a rated 189.5 mph, which most of its owners will likely never reach, and Bentley says the Bentayga Speed can get to 190 mph, which its owners will also likely never reach. That makes the Bentley the world’s new fastest SUV, even if it would lose miserably in a race to 62 mph with the Urus.
Aside from its loose title, Bentley said the new, all-wheel-drive Speed is the most powerful Bentayga yet. Its engine is an enhanced version of the one that comes in the regular Bentayga, which makes a rated 600 HP, has a top speed of 187 mph and can go from 0 to 62 mph in 4.1 seconds. (Bentley’s page on the regular Bentayga still calls it the “world’s fastest SUV,” for what it’s worth.)
The Speed comes with an eight-speed automatic transmission, like the Urus, and a sport mode that Bentley recalibrated “to enhance response” from the engine and transmission. The press release also said “dynamic” seven times, about various different things, as all automakers do.
There are also styling changes to the new Bentayga Speed, like darkly tinted headlights and a spoiler on the back for those all-important aerodynamics. It also comes with the option for 22-inch wheels and carbon ceramic brakes, a tweaked exhaust note and “Speed” brand badging all over the place so that everyone knows you bought the more powerful one. There’s also the choice between Alcantara, which is new to the Bentayga, and leather on the interior.
Bentley didn’t announce pricing on the new Bentayga Speed, but with regular Bentaygas starting around the $200,000 mark, it’ll likely be more expensive than most houses in your area.
But such is the battle of the super SUVs, which will surely rage on until their power numbers are all in the quadruple digits and their MSRPs continue to skyrocket, and until all of the children in this world paste super SUV posters across the walls of their rooms.
And, as they say, the children are our future.