New Bentley Bentayga EWB is an SUV limousine

• 18cm longer than regular Bentayga
• New four-wheel-steering system
• Electrically-operated rear seats and doors

The Bentley Bentayga is already one of the most luxurious cars on the road, but a new model promises an even greater level of opulence. Called the Bentley Bentayga EWB, which stands for ‘Extended Wheelbase’, this new model is longer than the standard Bentayga and is aimed first and foremost at chauffeur-driven passengers, with additional legroom in the rear.

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Pricing for the new Bentayga EWB has yet to be announced, but we expect it to demand a premium over the regular Bentayga, with high-specification cars likely to top £300,000.

The Bentley Bentayga is one of several luxury SUVs on sale, rivalling the likes of the Lamborghini Urus and Aston Martin DBX. However, the new EWB model is intended to target a different niche in the market, previously filled by the now-discontinued Bentley Mulsanne limousine. 

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As the name suggests, the new Bentley Bentayga EWB’s added length is in the car’s wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear wheels). This should allow for greater comfort and legroom for rear passengers. The EWB measures at over 5.3m long - around 18cm longer than the standard model. To put this in perspective, the long-wheelbase version of the latest Range Rover is 7cm shorter.

While the overall length of the Bentayga has increased for the EWB, the rear doors have also grown to enable easier entry and exit. The extravagance continues as, just like the Rolls Royce Cullinan, these are electrically operated and will close at the push of a button.

Stepping inside the EWB, customers have a choice of three different seating configurations; the four-seater Bentayga adds two first-class-style armchairs in the rear. Like the doors, these are electrically operated and offer 22 ways of adjustment, so even the most exacting of executives can find a comfortable position. The luxury does not stop there, however, as these seats also offer a massage function and fold-out tray tables so passengers can conduct important business on the go.

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The five-seat configuration is similar to what you’d find in more plebeian SUVs, with a fifth centre seat. While not offering the same levels of comfort as the Bentley Airline Seats, the rear bench is still wrapped in sumptuous leather. The ‘four +1’ configuration offers a middle ground between the two, with larger and heavily bolstered outer rear seats and a third smaller, occasional seat in the middle. 

Just like all Bentleys, the Bentayga’s interior can be customised to fit the owner’s personal tastes. However, the Bentaya EWB is the brand’s most highly configurable yet, with up to 24 billion possible combinations for trim, upholstery, paint and wheel choices. Making its debut on the Bentayga EWB, the new Diamond Illumination option mounts LEDs behind perforations in the leather upholstery, to create a unique lighting effect in the dark. 

Buyers that struggle when presented with too much choice can instead opt for one of Bentley’s pre-configured special edition specifications: Azure and the First Edition. The former gets 22-inch, 10-spoke wheels, exterior chrome detailing, model-specific embroidery and badging, quilted seats, mood lighting and a heated steering wheel. First Edition cars boast the aforementioned Diamond Illumination trim as well as an upgraded Naim sound system.

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To compensate for the car’s colossal size, the Bentayga EWB is the first version of the luxury brand’s SUV to adopt a four-wheel-steering system. At lower speeds, this is able to turn the rear wheels in the opposite direction to those at the front in order to provide a tighter turning circle. This means that the EWB model has a turning circle of 11.8 metres – smaller than that even of a regular Bentayga.

Under the bonnet, the larger EWB Bentayga is powered by Bentley’s 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine. This produces 542bhp and can haul the Bentayga from 0-62mph in just 4.5 seconds, onto a top speed of 180mph - despite the car weighing over two and a half tonnes. The standard Bentayga is also offered as a relatively efficient plug-in hybrid with an electric-only range of 25 miles; although it is not available at launch, we can expect a PHEV version of the Bentayga EWB to be offered further down the line.

Don’t want to spend six figures on your next car? Check out our list of the Top 10 best small luxury cars