Apparently, the ultra-luxury SUV has a faulty fuel supply line connector which could be a fire hazard
British marque Bentley Motors, under Volkswagen AG, has issued a recall notice for its one and only SUV model, Bentayga. The recall affects about 6,000 units, including 1,892 units in the US and 783 units in Europe. As per NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), only about 0.2 per cent units sold in North America actually pose a fire risk. In a span of roughly five years, more than 20,000 Bentley Bentayga units have rolled out from the manufacturing facility in Crewe, England. This is an impressive figure considering the product’s exclusivity, specifications and of course, pricing (before options).
The Indian market received the 2016MY Bentley Bentayga W12 at a starting price of Rs 3.85 crore while a lesser V8 variant was launched in 2018, from Rs 3.78 crore. Either price is ex-showroom (Delhi). If the handful units sold in India come under the Asian recall initiative, Bentley Motors India would have already contacted their customers.
The culprit behind the recall is a faulty fuel supply line connector which does not “meet the (recommended) design specification”. Since fuel and electricity are involved, chances of fire are not bleak. On the bright side, no Bentley Bentayga unit has caught fire on its own yet.
Bentley Motors is taking all the necessary steps to eliminate even the slightest chances of a mishap. As with almost every kind of recall, the fix is absolutely free of cost. It would take about an hour to replace the existing connector with a safer counterpart.
Globally, the Bentley Bentayga comes with four choices of powertrain: 542bhp/770Nm 4.0-litre V8TT petrol, 600-626bhp/900Nm 6.0-litre W12TT petrol, 429bhp/900Nm 4.0-litre V8TT diesel and 456bhp/700Nm 3.0-litre V6T hybrid. The ultra-luxury SUV debuted with the 6.0-litre W12. In its higher ‘Speed’ format, the Bentley Bentayga was even the fastest SUV on the planet at one time. It is based on Volkswagen group’s MLB Evo platform that also underpins the Audi Q7, Audi Q8, Porsche Cayenne and Lamborghini Urus.
Introduced in 2015 — as the production avatar of the EXP 9 F concept showcased at 2021 Geneva International Motor Show — the Bentley Bentayga was the one which set the course for high-performance or ultra-luxury SUVs (arguably after the 2003MY Porsche Cayenne). Currently, the segment is dominated by names such as Rolls-Royce Cullinan, Mercedes-Maybach GLS, Lamborghini Urus and Aston Martin DBX. Meanwhile, Ferrari is getting ready to join the party with the Purosangue.
