Say Hello To Bentley's First Ever Diesel Model

The Bentley Bentayga is one of the most indulgent cars you can buy right now. Not only is it a big, heavy SUV festooned with luxuries, it also has just one gas guzzling engine option: a 600bhp, 6.0-litre W12. However, that big ol’ 12-banger has now been joined in the range by something that clobbers the environment a little less: a 4.0-litre V8 diesel.

It’s rather unimaginatively called the Bentley Bentayga Diesel, and it’s the company’s first ever oil-burner. It’s packing the same engine that debuted in the Audi SQ7, featuring a pair of conventional exhaust gas-driven turbos, supplemented an electric supercharger - powered by a 48-volt ‘sub system’ - to deal with boost at low revs.

As a result, the Bentayga makes peak torque (664lb ft, exactly the same as the W12) at just 1000rpm. And with 429bhp on tap, it’s decently quick: 0-62mph takes just 4.8 seconds, and it’ll hit 168mph, making it - according to Bentley - the fastest production diesel SUV in the world.

The official combined MPG figure is 35.8mpg, while those fat tailpipes will puff out 210g/km of CO2. In contrast, the W12 uber model manages just 21.6mpg, while letting out a considerable 296g/km of CO2.

Want one? You’ll need at least £135,800, about £25,000 less than the W12. Deliveries will kick off in Europe early next year.