Review: 2025 Bentley Bentayga V8 S Black Edition
Bentley, that posh mob from Crewe, have once again taken something ludicrously luxurious and added a bit of “Black Edition” menace to the Bentayga V8 S. What does that mean in real terms? Well, if you like your luxury wrapped in carbon, with blacked-out trimmings and more grunt than your average plough horse, you’re in for a treat.
With a price of £220,500 (or the GDP of a small village), this particular Bentayga isn’t your run-of-the-mill Chelsea tractor. But is it any good on a bumpy B-road, a farm track, or heaven forbid, an actual green lane? I spent a week with it to find out.
On-Road Ride – Like Driving a Feather-Stuffed Bunker
The Bentayga V8 S Black Edition is powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, chucking out a respectable 542bhp and 770Nm of torque. That’s enough to launch this 2.4-tonne beast from 0-62mph in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it 4.5 seconds. That’s proper rapid, and hilariously absurd when you remember you’re essentially driving a luxury bungalow on wheels.
Bentley’s clever 48V anti-roll system and adaptive air suspension make the ride surprisingly composed. Switch into Comfort mode and it wafts like a Rolls; flick into Sport and it hunkers down and corners like it’s defying physics. You can even select “Bentley” mode, which basically decides what mood the car’s in and does its own thing. Bit like me before a brew.
On the motorway, it’s eerily quiet, like sitting in a five-star library, and on twisty A-roads it’s surprisingly agile for something the size of a small canal boat. There’s a bit of road feel through the steering wheel, but let’s be honest, this isn’t a car that encourages spirited driving so much as imperious gliding.
Off-Road Capability – More Capable Than You’d Expect (But You Won’t Use It)
Here’s the thing, the Bentayga actually can go off-road. It has an optional All-Terrain Specification (standard on the Black Edition), which includes four off-road drive modes: Snow & Grass, Dirt & Gravel, Mud & Trail, and Sand Dunes (presumably for the Dubai crowd).
Ground clearance is decent when you jack it up via the air suspension, and wading depth sits at a healthy 500mm. There’s hill descent control, a trick differential, and more sensors than a space shuttle.
But will anyone in their right mind actually take their £220k Bentley down a rutted byway near Huddersfield? Probably, but not me on this occasion, as I was asked not to venture off the beaten track, which is fair enough, and in truth, with that price tag I probably wouldn’t have anyway!
Instead of muddy lanes, here are some beach photos which I deemed safer!
Interior Spec – Stitched To Within An Inch Of Its Life
Slide inside and it’s pure Bentley theatre. This Black Edition has a duo-tone cabin in Beluga and Mandarin leather with fascias and door waistrails in Diamond Carbon Fibre, finished with contrast stitching and piping. Regarding the latter, there’s enough contrast stitching to knit a scarf! And the seats, oh the seats, 22-way adjustable thrones with massage, ventilation, and enough support to coddle you through a pothole apocalypse.
The dashboard is a symphony of craftsmanship, solid metal knobs, diamond-knurled finishes, even the key fob feels like a small brick of indulgence.
Comfort – Bring Your Slippers
Comfort levels are as expected for something in this price bracket: off the chart. Rear passengers are treated like royalty, with optional individual captain’s chairs, heated and cooled seats, and massage functions.
The ride is pillowy even in Sport mode, and the air suspension soaks up our scarred UK roads like they’re freshly laid tarmac. You sit high, with excellent visibility, and road noise is virtually non-existent. It’s a proper sanctuary, just the job after a day trudging through claggy fields, or board meetings.
Practicality – Surprisingly Sensible, For a Super-SUV
You’d expect something this luxurious to be all show and no actual usefulness, but the Bentayga holds its own. The boot is a healthy 484 litres with the seats up (431 if you’ve got the posh four-seat layout), and it’s got a relatively low load lip, ideal for chucking in bags of tat, muddy wellies, or a reluctant Lurcher.
That said, you’ll want to throw down a blanket before loading up the hound. The plush carpeting looks like it costs more than your average hatchback, and the leather sides are just begging to be scratched. The optional rear seat entertainment system won’t appreciate a flying Thermos either, so best secure the camping gear properly.
There are ISOFIX points, a ski hatch, and a powered tailgate with gesture control, perfect for when your hands are full of wood for the Solo Stove or a tray of bacon butties. With all that luxury, surprisingly, what this Bentayga didn’t have was a way in which to lower the rear seats from the tailgate, which I thought was odd for £220k.
Fuel Efficiency – It Drinks Like A Lad On Payday
Ah yes, fuel economy. You didn’t think we were getting 50mpg out of a twin-turbo V8, did you?
That said, after a week of mixed driving I saw 24.4mpg, which for a V8 S I thought was quite reasonable. Boot it everyday and you’ll be on first-name terms with your local petrol station in no time. CO₂ emissions are predictably brutal at around 294g/km. This is not a green choice.
If that sort of thing bothers you, Bentley does make a hybrid Bentayga. But it’s nowhere near as fun, and we all know why you’re here.
Tech & Controls – Infuriating and Fantastic in Equal Measure
Let’s get this out of the way: yes, the lane departure system is there by default, and yes, it takes a bit of faffing to switch it off. You’ve got to go into the menus to disable it, and it’ll nag you again next time you start the car. It’s a daft oversight in a car that costs more than some houses. The Skoda I had the week after had a simple switch on the steering wheel that allowed you to turn pretty much everything off.
And while there are some physical controls for heating and ventilation (thank the motoring gods!), a lot of it still lives in the 10.9" infotainment system. Thankfully, the screen is quick and intuitive, but it's still not as satisfying as twisting a good, solid dial with your actual fingers.
Driving Feel – A Velvet Sledgehammer
There’s something deeply satisfying about wafting through a country village in a Bentayga. Heads turn, kids point, and even the local farmer in his Defender gives you a nod of begrudging respect. On the motorway, it’s as serene as a monastery. On twisty roads, it holds its line with confidence. Around town, it’s surprisingly manoeuvrable.
But the real joy is the surge of torque when you put your foot down. It doesn’t roar, it growls, subtly and confidently, like it knows it’s the boss but doesn’t need to shout about it. The paddle shifts work well if you fancy playing racing driver, but the 8-speed auto is so smooth you’ll probably just let it do its thing.
Final Thoughts – Mad, Brilliant, Unapologetic
The 2025 Bentley Bentayga V8 S Black Edition is completely ridiculous, and we love it. It’s a high-performance SUV that can do everything: thunder across continents, cruise motorways, survive a muddy track, and coddle you in the sort of comfort usually reserved for first-class Emirates passengers.
It’s not perfect, it’s expensive, tech-laden, and the fuel bill might make your eyes water, but it’s a car that puts a massive grin on your face every time you start it up. And really, isn’t that what we’re all after?
Now, let’s have a look AutoTrader…
