The Bentley Bentayga V8 Design Series is a special-edition version of the luxury SUV. As an appearance package, Design Series combined new features designed by the Mulliner division with a range of existing options. Bentley says it's "a contemporary styled and visually dynamic version of the world’s most luxurious SUV," although the Design Series isn't a major departure from the standard Bentayga.

Although the British SUV is available with two gasoline engine, a diesel, and a hybrid, the Design Series is restricted to just one drivetrain. As the name suggests, it only comes with the 4.0-liter V-8, which is the entry-level model in terms of pricing. There's no word as to how many will be built, but it probably won't be around for too long.

2019 Bentley Bentayga V8 Design Series

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2019 Bentley Bentayga V8 Design Series
  • Engine/Motor: V8
  • Horsepower: 542 @ 6000
  • Torque: 568 @ 4500
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

What Makes the Bentley Bentayga V8 Design Series Special?

- Body-colored bumper - Black trim - Mulliner wheels - Self-leveling badges - Two-tone interior - Carbon-fiber trim - Standard V-8 drivetrain

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The Design Series still looks like a Bentayga obviously, but Bentley added a series of extra features. For starters, the Design Series comes with the Bentayga Blackline package as standard. This bundle includes a body-colored front bumper apron and a gloss-black finish for the exhaust pipes. You'll also notice that there's absolutely no chrome on this special edition. The trim around the front grille, the bumper and side skirt inserts, and the window trim are finished in gloss-black for a sporty look. The black SUV shown here looks particularly intriguing.

The Design Series also comes with a set of new seven-spoke wheels design by Mulliner. Finished in Palladium Grey Paragon, essentially a very dark grey, and silver accents, they also feature self-leveling center badges. Thanks to a sophisticated weighting mechanism, the "B" badges in the center maintain the same position as the wheels rotate. Discreet "Design Series" badges placed on the lower front doors round off the SUV's unique exterior.

The interior remains familiar if you've already been in a Bentayga, but you can order the Design Series with a few new upholstery options. There are four two-tone themes to choose from, Pillar Box Red, Orange Mulliner White, and Klein Blue, all combined with high-quality Beluga leather. The bright colors from these themes highlight the center console and lower dashboard areas, a first for the Bentayga. The two-tone perforated leather on the seating surfaces is also a brand-new feature for this SUV.

Bentley also designed a new carbon-fiber trim specifically for this model. It adorns the dashboard and the upper door panels and features a diamond-quilted pattern with a rich gloss finish. There's also two-tone embroidery on the seatbacks, premium floor mats with contrast binding, and a diamond jewelled Breitling clock on the center stack. Bentley's illuminated treadplates and the drilled alloys sports pedals are also standard on this special-edition SUV.

As the name suggests, this special-edition model is restricted to the 4.0-liter V-8 engine, one of four available drivetrains for the luxury SUV. The twin-turbo V-8, shared with many vehicles under the Volkswagen Group umbrella, cranks out 542 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. That's a 58-horsepower and 96-pound-foot deficit compared to the 6.0-liter W-12, but it's enough to send the Bentayga flying from 0 to 60 mph in only 4.4 seconds. Its top speed is also pretty impressive at 180 mph.

Sure, it would have been nice to be able to order the Design Series package with all models, including the diesel and the hybrid, but I must admit that the V-8 engine is a good middle ground for performance and efficiency.

As with all Bentaygas, the Design Series features an all-wheel-drive system as standard. It's also equipped with Electronic Differential Lock and four Drive Dynamic modes for various driving setups. Although it's mainly a comfort-oriented SUV, the Bentayga goes wild in Sport mode, which provides a more dynamic drive, a firmer suspension, and a throatier exhaust note.

There's no word as to how much the Design Series costs, but it should fetch a bit more than the Bentayga V8. The standard model retails for around $170,000, so the Design Series could start from $190,000.

Bentley Bentayga Drivetrain Specifications

Bentley Bentayga V-8

Bentley Bentayga W-12

Type

4.0-litre, 32-valve, twin-turbocharged V8

6-litre twin-turbocharged W12 TSI

Max Power

542 HP @ 6,000 RPM

600 HP @ 5,250-6,000 RPM

Max Torque

568 LB-FT @ 1,960-4,500 RPM

664 LB-FT @ 1,250-4,500 RPM

Transmission

ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox, permanent all-wheel drive with 40:60 front to rear torque split

ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox

Top speed

180 mph / 290 km/h

187 mph / 301 km/h

0-60 mph

4.4 secs

4.0 secs

0-100 km/h

4.5 secs

4.1 secs


Further reading

Read our full review on the 2019 Bentley Bentayga Speed.

Read our full review on the 2017 Bentley Bentayga.