L.A. Auto Show 2015: 2017 Bentley Bentayga

Nov. 18, 2015 2:50 PM PT

What is it?

Promoted as the “fastest and most luxurious SUV” ever, this crossover attempts to marry off-road ruggedness with traditional Bentley performance and plush. And that name? It’s a reference to a rugged peak in the Canary Islands.

(Mo Satarzadeh / Bentley Motors)

Why it matters

The crossover segment is the hottest and fastest-growing, and this will be the world’s most elegant and most expensive. Is the world ready for, or even interested in, a $300,000 SUV -- that can be ordered with matching leather-clad picnic basket and “event” seat?

UPDATES: Get live updates from the floor of the L.A. Auto Show

What's new

Bentley built a brand-new twin-turbocharged W-12 engine, at its Crewe, England, factory, and covered with it a body designed in Crewe but built in Bratislava, Slovakia. This is the luxury brand’s first entry into the SUV market, and it’s a massive debut: 600 horsepower and 663 pound-feet of torque, with a bespoke wood-and-leather interior and a panoply of technological wonders. It’ll get from zero to 60 in 4 seconds, and race to a top speed of 187 mph.

The competition

Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, BMW and Audi and others have already smartened up the SUV set with luxury models. Maserati built its Levante, and Lamborghini has threatened to bring forth its high-performance Urus. But for sheer excess, this one takes the cake.

PHOTOS: See the best of the L.A. Auto Show

(Mo Satarzadeh / Bentley Motors)

The details

Bentley executives are only building 608 of the “First Edition” Bentgayga models, and even at a starting MSRP of $297,000 they’ve sold them all out. About 75 are going to the U.S., traditionally Bentley’s strongest market. But massive orders have come from Russia too. “First Edition” buyers will also get their choice of three special Breitling watches – so special! Bentley will lower the price to $229,000 for the regular Bentayga, but will only build 5,000 to 6,000 a year, to ensure their exclusivity. The first ones for the U.S. will ship next spring.

Powertrain: Twin-turbocharged W-12

Transmission: 8-speed automatic AWD

Fuel economy: Estimated at 14 mpg city, 29 mpg highway

Horsepower: 600

Torque: 663

Autos

Charles Fleming

Charles Fleming writes about automobiles and motorcycles for the Los Angeles Times’ Business section. He also writes the urban hiking column LA Walks. A former staff writer for Newsweek, Variety and the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, he is the author of the Los Angeles Times bestseller “High Concept: Don Simpson and the Hollywood Culture of Excess,” the New York Times bestseller “My Lobotomy,” and “Secret Stairs, A Walking Guide to the Historic Staircases of Los Angeles” and its sequel, “Secret Walks: A Walking Guide to the Hidden Trails of Los Angeles.”