The Bentayga Bentayga has gotten plenty of flack ever since it came out, and pretty deservedly in my opinion. First, there is the shape with its long front overhang, which largely determined by hard points inherited from its platform twin, the Audi Q7, and which lacks the gloriously long hood that gives the Mulsanne and even the Continental GT their recognizable look. But Bentley did itself no favors with the detailing either – the oft-maligned cock-eyed front, the gauche fake air outlets in the front fenders, or the overdrawn “power curve” over the rear wheels that was cribbed from the Continental GT and forced onto a slab-sided SUV surface. But my biggest disappointment was always the rear, which is the worst thing for a luxury car – anonymous. The blame here lies mostly with the rear lights, which on top of being rather bland also remind of those of a mainstream non-premium car…
…Ford Taurus. Sure, the similarity is not perfect, but given their bland shape it’s hardly surprising that your mind will wonder to other cars. I think the thing that makes the two shapes most similar is the blockiness of the lights that’s unusual in 2017, and belongs more in the 1990s. Also, the graphics of both units are rather pedestrian (yes, I know that Bentley tried to convinced us that there is a “flying B” motif in the lights, but come one – seriously?), and have a slant on their inner side that means that the bottom part of the light is wider than the top – all this gives the lights a weak presence. On the flip-side for Bentley, the signs are good for the rear units on the upcoming Continental GT Mk III, which seems to have taken inspiration from the stunning EXP-10 Speed 6 concept.
Ford Taurus