Elite Traveler January-February 2019

elite traveler JAN/FEB 2019 31

The smaller engine that could (and did): Bentley Bentayga V8

Pragmatism is not typically associated with the Bentley badge. Prior to the 2016 debut of the Bentayga W12, the Crewe, England- headquartered company touted its billion-dollar SUV development spend. Now, Bentley is highlighting the 130 hours of assembly time required for its next iteration, the Bentayga V8. Amidst those numbers, though, lies a lighter, louder and newer version of Bentley’s best-selling model. As the icy blue rapids of the Columbia River run in the snow- capped shadow of Mount Hood, the V8’s twin-quad tailpipes gurgle and grunt, hungry for the throttle. Weaving from Oregon to Washington and back again, the 4.0-liter twin-turbo proves more than capable of handling the narrow, rolling roads of the Pacific Northwest. While an additional, and frankly negligible, .4 seconds are needed for the V8 (versus the W12) to reach 60 mph, the smaller, less weighty engine revs higher and sits further back within the engine bay. The result is a more responsive, deceptively faster Bentayga with better weight distribution. Add the eight driving modes (including permanent 4WD and snow and grass), as well as cylinder deactivation technology (which allows it to run as a V4 in lower- load situations, thus improving fuel economy) and this 542 horsepower, 568 lb-ft torque SUV is smarter, leaner and more practical than its predecessor. Make no mistake, the V8 retains the pomp and pleasure of a Bentley, with a host of all-black chrome finishes on the bumper and headlight trim, side skirts and grille. The doors are acoustically optimized, and the optional 17.3-in, carbon-ceramic brakes (get them) sit inside 10-piston calipers and tie with the Lamborghini Urus as the biggest front brakes on any production vehicle. The 99-year-old manufacturer will be taking orders this summer for its new 3.0-liter, V6 Bentayga hybrid with an electric range of 31 miles. From $165,000, bentleymotors.com

Pure, unadulterated silence is an odd sound on an active racetrack. Refracting off the slate-gray Autódromo Internacional do Algarve pit-row barricades, there’s no internal-combustion escalation, no proprioceptive engine foreshadowing. Instead, there’s a small but thunderous whir that hits the eardrums all at once on this cloudless day in Portugal. It’s not until the I-Pace takes another lap that the sound of air being pushed, pulled and separated is identifiable. Then it strikes: Jaguar’s first all-electric SUV demands a whole new vocabulary as the first vehicle to enter the luxury EVmarket. Miles per gallon is irrelevant; let’s talk range and kilowatt hours (kWh), pouch cells and regenerative braking. While some of these terms may be gently familiar (thanks, Tesla), I-Pace will transport them into the vernacular. The gearless I-Pace features a 90kWh battery under its floor and two motors that launch 394 horsepower and 512 lb-ft torque to all four wheels. In short, the I-Pace joyfully accelerates with ease. Its regenerative braking, though, involves some acclimatization. Imagine sizeable braking simply by lifting your foot off the gas. A coast option is built in, should drivers want to forego regenerative braking. The EPA granted the I-Pace a range of 234miles (Los Angeles to San Francisco is a tad over 380miles), a fair but not outstanding range-to-kilowatt ratio. The difference, though, lies in its charging time. The I-Pace requires 40minutes to go from zero to 80 percent on a 100-kW fast charger, or 85 minutes on a more standard 50-kWone. That’s thanks to the 432-high-energy dense pouch cells inside the battery that expedite charging and regulate heat management. You can even ionize the air or pre-cool the interior during charging. Trading in the long, low and signature Jaguar hood for a short, sloped and scooped-out one — there’s no front engine, after all —means boosting aerodynamics and boldly redefining decades of Jaguar design. A high, rectangular spoiler atop the rear windshield channels and attracts air at the back of the vehicle. Inside, a panoramic glass roof stuns in its simplicity, while two command screens allude to Jaguar’s cousin, the Range Rover. While driving, opt into the active sound design digital soundtrack, a whoosh-like feedback that plays through the cabin’s speakers in lieu of engine noise. From $85,900, jaguarusa.com The silently feisty cat: Jaguar I-Pace First Edition