HIGH ROAD

BENTLEY’S NEW LONG-WHEELBASE BENTAYGA EWB IS ALL ABOUT STRETCH-OUT LUXURY

BY HOWARD WALKER

Seven inches. Doesn’t sound like much, right? It’s around the length of a standard pencil. Or two credit cards placed end to end. Or four golf balls laid side by side.

But when you add 7 inches between the axles of Bentley’s Bentayga SUV, the result is quite remarkable. It takes the tall-riding fourdoor from luxury sport-ute to an astonishingly spacious-in-the-back, super-luxe flagship.

This is the new Bentayga EWB, short for extended wheelbase. It’s stretched by precisely 7.1 inches to take the wheelbase to an elongated 125 inches and overall length to a nontrivial 208.9 inches. And all 7-and-a-bit inches go into creating more space in the back seat and rear doors that could have come off a barn. It means more room to stretch out, kick off your shoes, and cross your legs—not to mention more ease of climbing in and out. In keeping with all this extra rear-seat volume, Bentley designers have enhanced the luxury feel even further with the option of an insanely adjustable “Airline Seat” for the back. And think Gulfstream G500 seats rather than back-by-the-lavatory Southwest seating.

This automotive BarcaLounger can recline up to 40 degrees and will automatically move the front passenger seat as far forward and as upright as it’ll go. It will also deploy a motorized, heated footrest. Goodnight, we’ll wake you up when we get there.

If that isn’t cosseting enough, both rear seats have an additional party trick. As well as heating, cooling, and massaging, they can monitor the temperature and humidity of your body using 177 individual sensors. These then stimulate muscles and help banish numbness. You might never have to visit a chiropractor again.

In my hour or so in the EWB’s reclined back seat, I can’t say I actually felt the effect of all that pinpoint massaging. But the number of oohs and aahs that came out of my mouth was a testament to their effectiveness.

Bentley will charge an extra $11,195 for the Airline Seat option. But when the cost of a Bentayga EWB kicks off at around $226,900— $30,900 more than the regular Bentayga V8— it’s a small price to pay for such hedonistic

comfort. If individual Airline Seats don’t meet your familial needs, Bentley will equip your EWB with a three-across bench, or even a two-seat bench where the huge center armrest converts into a console with lots of useful storage cubbies.

Before you even climb aboard this new stretchy Bentayga, hopefully you will have cast your eyes over its new lengthier bodywork. From the outside, the EWB looks more like a regular Bentayga than some prom-night Lincoln Town Car stretch limo. Adding towering 22-inch rims helps with the proportions, as does some clever remodeling of those bulges over the rear fenders.

Powering this new XXL Bentayga is Bentley’s proven 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, which packs a meaty 542 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. Pedal to the metal, it’ll whoosh the EWB to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds. With Bentley’s big 12-cylinder W12 engine about to be pensioned off, don’t expect it to be offered in the EWB, though a plug-in hybrid could potentially be available next year.

To give the big Bentayga some extra agility, Bentley has equipped the EWB with rearwheel steering, which can pivot the back wheels in the opposite direction to the fronts to tighten the turning radius. Now it spins in just 38.7 feet—2 feet less than a regular Bentayga—making parking a breeze. Add to this adaptive damping, air springing, and a 48-volt active anti-roll system, and the EWB shrinks in size when it comes to carving curves, while still delivering a ride as smooth as a magic carpet.

With all this luxury and stretch-out comfort, it’s no wonder Bentley is predicting that this new EWB will become the best-selling Bentayga, despite its lofty price tag. Another case of seven being a very lucky number. «