For the 2021 model year, Bentley has freshened the Bentayga, an SUV that has been critical to the British automaker since it first arrived in the U.S. in 2016. With the update, Bentley is launching the V-8 variant first, which has 542 hp and 568 pound-feet of torque. Inside, a new sleek digital instrument cluster is found along with a high-resolution 10.9-inch touch screen, with standard wireless Apple CarPlay. Here’s a roundup of initial Bentayga reviews from the automotive media.

“How does the 2021 Bentley Bentayga drive? Why, exactly the way it’s supposed to. The 542-hp twin-turbo V-8 toils in silence until you boot (or perhaps we should say Gucci-loafer or Louboutin-heel) the pedal, at which time it musters all the power you could ever want in such a vehicle. Bentley claims a 0-60-mph time of 4.4 seconds, but it’s the always-ready, always-on nature of the boosted V-8 that really stands out: Power is perpetually ready. The V-8 is the only power choice for now, by the way, but a hybrid and a W12 Speed version are on the way.

Handling? Yeah, that’s fine, too. This Bentayga was equipped with the optional Bentley Dynamic Ride suspension, but I didn’t spend too much time pushing it in the curves; instead I cruised around Beverly Hills and Bel Air. The Bentayga’s primary mission is to whisk you along in silence and isolation, and it does that, though the ride is taught enough not to sully Bentley’s racing heritage. Braking and steering effort are all in the pleasure zone. And if you do push the SUV, it responds quite happily; one of the advantages of the VW Group owning Bentley is that the Audi bones are always visible just beneath the surface.”

— Aaron Gold, Automobile

“Bentleys are largely typecast as big, effortless cruisers, and while the Bentayga excels at luxuriously wafting along the highway, it’s a pretty entertaining steer, too. The 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 delivers 542 hp and 568 pound-feet of torque, enough to get this 5,326-pound SUV to 60 mph in only 4.4 seconds. The V-8 packs a wallop of low-end power, and it snarls when you stomp on the throttle. The eight-speed automatic transmission shifts quickly yet smoothly, and overall, the V8 setup is so wonderful you won’t care that Bentley is discontinuing the standard W12 model.”

— Steven Ewing, Roadshow by CNET

“We drove the V-8 version in England over a mix of highway, urban grind and on some of the Welsh mountain roads used by many of the United Kingdom’s chassis development engineers. The Bentayga puts on a good show in all of those environments. It’ll cruise with unerring stability and in silence, even at a rapid pace. We measured a hushed 65 decibels at 70 mph, and it doesn’t seem much louder at triple digits. At slower speeds, it takes on the feel of an oversized luxury limousine, pliant and unfazed by Blighty’s oversized ‘traffic calming’ bumps.

On twisting, cresty Welsh asphalt, the Bentley managed to keep its nearly 5,500 pounds under tight control. The combination of pillowy air suspension and the optional 48-volt electric anti-roll system do a fine job of providing a Bentley-grade ride while keeping the car flat under hard cornering loads. It didn’t feel as good at defusing a switchback road as the Aston DBX we recently drove in similar conditions, but it is impressively athletic for something so grand and stately.”

— Mike Duff, Car and Driver

“My first impression of Bentley’s refreshed bestseller was meh. It was a highway cruise and without active lane control or amenities like optional massaging seats, it hardly justified the $180,000 price tag. Sure, the 542-hp 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 threw all the weight into the rear axle as it breathlessly slingshotted to triple digits. But once at steady cruising speed, it behaved like other top luxury crossovers, soft, quiet, and composed.”

— Robert Duffer, Motor Authority

“Carrying over from the last Bentayga is the twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 engine making a stout 542 hp and 568 pound-feet of torque. It’s mated to a standard eight-speed automatic transmission routing power to all four wheels. Air suspension is standard, as is the Bentley Dynamic Ride control system that keeps the big SUV planted in corners, minimizing body roll and improving grip. It’s smooth on normal pavement, with seamless acceleration that comes on in a rush after a bit of hesitation from pushing the accelerator. In Normal mode, throttle response and suspension settings are decidedly relaxed as transmission shifts happen early and slowly, aimed at disturbing occupants as little as possible. Switch it into Sport mode and things firm up a bit, with throttle response becoming decidedly more aggressive, shifts occurring later in the rev range, and the ride quality stiffening up to the point where you’ll probably snick the controller back into Normal mode sooner rather than later.”

— Aaron Bragman, Cars.com

“Behind the wheel, the Bentayga continues to drive much the same, logical enough seeing how it continues to run on the same platform powered by the same twin-turbocharged, 4.0-liter V-8. Peak output is quite healthy at 542 hp and 568 pound-feet of torque. And you still get that power sent to all four wheels after passing through an eight-speed automatic transmission.

It’s a great V-8. Increasing pace comes quick and abundantly, though sometimes the transmission takes its time to downshift. And despite the ample power, acceleration is not overwhelming; 5,326 pounds is a lot of pounds, after all. Even with impressive runs to 60 mph from rest in only 4.4 seconds and a 180-mph top speed, I could see plutocrats rationalizing the W12 for a bit more oomph.

But I see no real point in sprinting in the Bentayga. This is a quiet countryside cabin with wheels. What’s the rush? Enjoy the immensely comfortable ride. You can choose your desired cushiness level via the drive mode selector, adjusting engine and transmission behavior, dampers and anti-roll bars, a system called Bentley Dynamic Ride.”

— Robin Warner, Autoweek