Opinion: The Bentley Bentayga EWB is the ultimate expression of luxury limousine travel in 2024

The thought struck me as I was running my usual test loop in the sumptuously appointed 2024 Bentley Bentayga EWB. Looking for poor road surfaces and speed humps, specifically, to assess the ride quality and cabin insulation.

That thought was this: the days of the luxury limousine being a four-door sedan might well be over. For that matter, is the tradition of the Grand Tourer also in danger of being usurped by the modern SUV?

The latter might be some way away, despite the Ferrari Purosangue muscling in on a GT’s territory, but the former I suspect is already happening.

I’ve said and written, for some time, that if money was no object and I was buying an SUV that most symbolised the ultimate in luxury appointment, I’d be placing an order for a LWB Range Rover. Think 2024 Range Rover D350 Autobiography LWB to be exact. Starting around the $300k mark before on-road costs, it’s a hefty statement to make, but money is no object, remember?

There’s something about the cabin finish, the choice of materials, the seating position, and the level of insulation in a high-end Range Rover that makes every drive feel special. And that’s the case, whether you are the driver or passenger. Granted, it’s not the most expensive SUV by some margin now, but there’s something about a Rangie – especially the cabin – that feels very special.

Whether I’m driving myself, or being driven, I can’t think of a sedan that does everything the Range Rover does, with such ease and comfort.

Enter the Bentley Bentayga EWB…

A visit to the Bentley factory in Crewe just before the world exploded into pandemic lockdown madness, reinforced to me the commitment to quality, bespoke luxury, fit and finish, and attention to detail that seeps from the pores of every Bentley.

Yes, Rolls-Royce has the Cullinan, but park that next to a Bentayga and I know which one I’d rather be seen in. And I have to confess that I didn’t love the styling of Bentley's big SUV when it first broke cover in the metal, either.

That said, I couldn’t own a Cullinan, no matter how pompous the statement I was trying to make. Bentayga EWB has a longer cabin than Cullinan in any case – meaning there’s more space to pack more luxury into.

I remember Mercedes-Benz executives telling us at the launch of recent S-Class update, that something like 92 percent of Aussie S-Class buyers drive their own luxury limo. Makes sense, too, in that we are a first and foremost a driver’s market culturally. That script is flipped completely in a market like China, though.

And yet, whether you’re behind the wheel or in one of the other passenger positions, I reckon SUVs like the Bentayga EWB are putting their luxury limousine credentials to the fore. The days of Audi A8, BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class domination might be coming to an end.

Impressing passengers is easy if you’ve chosen the four-seat Bentayga EWB, which is undoubtedly the one to have. Bentley claimed at release that the ‘Airline Seat Specification’, the seat behind the front passenger in our test example, is the most advanced seat ever fitted to a car. With 22-way electronic adjustment, automatic climate sensing, and posture adjustment, I’m not inclined (should that be reclined) to argue with that. More on that in a minute but picture a business class seat on a domestic flight to give you an idea of how much space you have.

Perhaps most importantly, the Bentayga crucially embodies everything that Bentley has always stood for in terms of engineering excellence and driving engagement. This is a 2.5-tonne, 5.3m SUV after all. And yet, it’s pacey, and capable, thanks largely to trickery like three-chamber air suspension, active electric anti-roll bars and rear-wheel steering.

The 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8 doesn’t hurt either… and it pumps out some big numbers, too. 404kW at 6000rpm and 770Nm between 1960rpm and 4500rpm don’t put fright into its stablemate Urus, but Bentley has aimed squarely at effortless luxury before outright performance. There’s a 48-volt mild-hybrid system and the buttery-smooth eight-speed ZF automatic as well. 0-100km/h? Largely irrelevant at this end of the luxury spectrum, but Bentley claims the Bentayga EWB will nail the benchmark in just 4.6-seconds.

Thanks to that aforementioned rear seat, you can experience that sprint to 100km/h reclining in peerless comfort…

Power closing rear doors – essential for the luxury passenger experience – are a must, and they are virtually silent. How much does silence cost? Just over half-a-mill before on-road costs and options in the case of the Bentayga EWB. The array of customisation options is dizzying, and you can even head over to Crewe to sit down with the design team to personally appoint and option your Bentley at the point of ordering should you so wish.

Everywhere you look in the cabin, once you’re seated, the attention to detail is astonishing. The way the leather is embossed, the material chosen for the stitching, the grain of the timber trim, the switchgear and controls, and of course the leather and carpet themselves, are all aimed at satisfying the most discerning of buyers.

The rear seat is the one that deserves the most focus – and the one that was most difficult to get passengers out of during my time with the Bentayga EWB. You control the seat via a beautiful touchscreen controller than can be removed from its charging cradle in the rear of the centre console. While you’d assume a level of complexity in the control functionality, it’s actually quite easy to use.

While the seat does a multitude of clever things regarding the regulation of body temperature and posture, it’s the simple things like heated armrests in the door and centre console that add a discernible touch of luxury. No sedan I’ve tested can deliver the second-row experience in the same way as the Bentayga EWB – and that’s the crux of the luxury limo argument.

Regardless of how a limousine is used by the buyer, the ultimate measurement of its credentials comes from the passenger experience in the second row – and the Bentayga EWB is as good as it gets. The reaction from everyone who took a seat as passenger during our time with the Bentayga told us everything we needed to know.

When you add that to the inherent practicality of an SUV, the size of, and access to, the boot, the high-riding visibility from all four seats, the ride comfort and cabin insulation over poor road surfaces, the sense of space and light in the cabin, and the storage space for everyday items, there’s a compelling argument to be made. The SUV has overtaken the sedan as the luxury limousine of choice.

What say you? If money is no object, what are you buying for the ultimate luxury experience?