- DEFINITIVE LUXURY SUV STARTS PRODUCTION WITH CUSTOMER DELIVERIES IMMINENT
- UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS OF QUALITY, CRAFTSMANSHIP AND PERFORMANCE
- PRODUCTION OUTPUT INCREASES TO 100 PER CENT FOLLOWING SOCIAL DISTANCING REVIEW
- ALL FROM THE FIRST CARBON NEUTRAL LUXURY AUTOMOTIVE FACTORY IN THE WORLD
(Crewe, 20 July 2020).- Bentley Motors today announces that production of the recently unveiled new Bentayga has started at Bentley’s carbon neutral factory in Crewe, UK. Deliveries will be commencing soon with customers in Europe being the first to experience the pinnacle luxury SUV. This follows a comprehensive review of the social distancing measures in place that now allows Bentley production output to increase from 50 per cent to 100 per cent.
Consequently, a small number of assembly areas have been redesigned implementing a revised takt time whilst enabling a controlled, safe working environment at a social distance of more than one-metre. All other areas will maintain a strict social distance of two-metres and mandatory facemasks will remain throughout the factory.
As ramp up begins, the new Bentayga is reaching unprecedented levels of production quality meeting Bentley’s own exacting standards that customers have come to expect. Over 100 colleagues work on the socially -distanced Bentayga production line as the car progresses through 43 stages of manufacture.
Commenting on the production launch, Peter Bosch, Member of the Board for Manufacturing at Bentley Motors, said:
“The new Bentayga is a celebration of all that we can do in Crewe and is a testament to the skill, passion and dedication of all of our colleagues who produce cars unmatched by any other car factory in the world. To deliver a sector-defining car that meets our own and customers incredibly high standards and expectations is a significant achievement, particularly at this early stage of production.
“In the lead up to manufacture commencing we reviewed each individual process to ensure its efficiency and effectiveness, implementing industry-leading lean techniques with social distancing measures included. What we are seeing at start of production is a car that is significantly revised, both inside and out, and yet reaching record quality in manufacture levels across the industry. Raising the bar again as the sector-defining luxury SUV.”
This transformation of the build process allowed even greater lean manufacturing principles to be adopted. Over 1,500 manufacturing colleagues have undertaken education programmes in lean principles maximising value to customers while reducing waste in manufacture. Changes include improved ergonomics, safer processes and reduced walking and waiting times due to repositioning and movement of parts.
The new Bentayga, the first car launched under Bentley’s Beyond100 business plan, is set to build on the success of its predecessor which sold more than 20,000 cars.
A new exterior design adopts the Bentley design DNA now prevalent across the entire model range, giving Bentley the freshest and most modern product family of any luxury car company.
Combining the abilities of a performance grand tourer, a luxury limousine, a spacious family car and an off-roader, the new Bentayga follows its predecessor’s mantle of having the broadest brief of any car on sale today.
New Bentayga – Summary
Key to the new Bentayga is its strikingly dynamic look, which draws inspiration from the marque’s new design language, introduced by the third-generation Continental GT and all-new Flying Spur. Together, the three cars form a new family that are more visually connected than ever before. The bold styling offers an imposing road presence, with every panel at the front of the car redesigned for a cleaner, modern look.
The larger, assertive matrix grille is now more upright, while new, intelligent LED matrix headlamp technology includes the signature Bentley design inspired by cut crystal glassware. A more aggressive front bumper emphasises the performance characteristics of the car. Heated, wet-arm windscreen wipers are introduced for the first time, with 22 washer jets in each arm.
At the rear, the new Bentayga has undergone a major transformation, with a total redesign of the rear surfaces including a new full-width tailgate with new encapsulated lamps, while the licence plate has been moved down into the bumper for a cleaner appearance. Wide, split tailpipes leave no doubt that this is a powerful performance car. A 20 mm increase to the rear track width brings dynamic benefit and repositions the wheels in their arches to improve the car’s stance. The wheels themselves are a new design, unique to Bentayga.
The Bentayga’s highly praised interior has been significantly revised in the latest model. Among the major changes are a new centre fascia and steering wheel, new door trims and all-new seats – now available with ventilation in the rear of the five-seat cabin option. Passengers in the rear also enjoy significantly more space, with legroom increased by up to 100 mm depending on configuration.
A next generation infotainment system is integrated seamlessly into the handcrafted, Bentley ‘wing’ dashboard design and features a 10.9-inch display screen with edge-to-edge graphics. The all-new digital display includes super high-resolution and dynamic graphics which are configurable to suit driver preferences.
The latest hardware and software bring all-new navigation with satellite maps, online search and other features. Wireless Apple CarPlay is standard for the first time, alongside the existing wired system, along with Android Auto (market dependant). Rear seat occupants benefit from the introduction of a new, larger touchscreen remote control tablet, similar to that introduced in the all-new Flying Spur.
Connectivity around the car has been significantly improved, with USB-C data ports and a wireless phone charger now standard. New Bentayga is now provided with an embedded SIM, as with the latest Continental GT models, meaning My Bentley connected car features no longer require customers to provide their own data connection. My Bentley in-car and remote services is a continually developing range of services available to customers through a dedicated app, available both on Apple iOS and Android mobile platforms.
The luxurious interior can be further enhanced with the application of dark tint diamond brushed aluminium trim for the first time in a Bentley, as well as two straight-grained veneers new to Bentayga: Koa and Crown Cut Walnut. Mulliner Driving Specification adds a new quilting design, and micro piping detailing is a new option for the seats.
The new model will initially be launched in Bentayga V8 guise offering supercar performance balanced with everyday usability, with the plug-in Hybrid and W12-powered Speed versions to follow this year. The V8’s 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged petrol engine develops an impressive 542 bhp (550 PS) and 568 lb.ft (770 Nm) of torque.
Source: Bentley
Photograph: Bentley
