Bentley Bentayga vs Chevrolet Corvette

What's the difference?

The Bentley Bentayga Azure may look a bit awkward and it surely isn't great value for money, but it is a true Bentley and a very good family SUV that not only provides terrific practicality but superb performance and comfort.

While not quite a supercar in terms of performance (you’ll need to wait for the Z06 for that), the ‘Vette is easy and engaging to drive, will attract supercar-levels of attention and still offers plenty of ‘bang for your buck.’

With the demise of the Audi R8, it takes on the mantle of the most easy-to-live-with mid-engine sports car, and does so for significantly less than a Porsche 911 will set you back.

You'd think of all automotive brands Bentley, with its beautiful swooping and powerful saloons, would be able to floor us with something just exquisite in SUV form. But right from the 2012 concept the Bentayga has struggled to stun the world with its design.

So, while there are Bentley family traits all over the Bentayga, from the intricate headlights and mesh grille, to the oval tail-lights and body which squats over the rear wheels, the overall design looks awkward to my eyes.

To me it appears the boxy design with the tall, flat roofline and elevated ride height favours practicality over the sleekness possessed by a lower, more coupe-like SUV.

I favour dark coloured clothes because it hides my shapes, creases and bulges, but these are the things you want to see in a car and our Bentley's 'Onyx Black' paint, despite being a beautiful colour with a blue hue added, make it a featureless blob in the sunlight.

A lighter shade or something outlandish like a turquoise or yellow would look amazing, and even better, upset your neighbours.

Let's look at the interior design which is lavish with all the quilted leather and Mulliner customisation, but lacks the modern look of many contemporary cabins with its smallish media screen and busy mosaic of buttons.

I like the little chrome plungers for the air vents, the winged styling to the dashboard and the stitched leather upholstery, but it's easy to spot parts that are shared by other members of the Volkswagen Group (which owns Bentley).

For example, there are the indicator and wiper stalks, as well as the steering wheel buttons, all from Audi. Surely Bentley should have its own crafted parts?

The interior colour scheme on our Bentayga is 'Beluga' (black) and 'Camel' (tan) and the Mulliner option split the colours with a cream tone.

From a family perspective the tan and black will hide dirt, although the cream will struggle. It's possibly the best leather on the planet, however, coming from cattle living high enough that their hides are unblemished by insect stings.

This is more of a specification upgrade rather than a mid-life facelift, so aside from the colour and trim changes the 2024 version is untouched from the 2022 model. And that’s no bad thing because, love it or hate it, it’s an incredibly striking design. 

The switch from front-engine to mid-engine is the obvious dramatic change from both a performance and styling point-of-view compared to the previous seven generations of Corvette, but it’s less of an issue for Australian audiences who haven't been as exposed to the car as Americans.

From certain angles it’s nothing less than stunning, looking like a true exotic supercar capable of sitting alongside a Ferrari 296 GTB or Lamborghini Huracan.

That said, from some angles it can look a bit awkward and hints at the design struggle to retain the now-familiar angular lines of the C7 ‘Vette while moving the engine to the middle.

Being shaped like a bus does nothing for the Bentayga's beauty but makes it spacious for cargo and roomy for people.

With its large doors and elevated ride height (the car can be lowered for easier access) it's great for families.

Our Bentayga is a five-seater, which is fine for my little family of four, but there are four- and seven-seat configurations available, too.

Second row legroom is exceptional, even for me at 189cm tall, and sitting behind my own driving position there's still plenty of room.

Headroom is also outstanding throughout. We could be a family that loves top hats, on our way to the top hat championships, and not have to remove our top hats. That's how good headroom and hat room is.

Sun blinds in the second row are vital in Australia, and the electric ones in the Bentayga raise and lower quickly, not just offering protection but also more privacy.

Storage is good throughout with big door pockets and five cupholders.

It seems the cabin space eats into the cargo area because the boot isn't overly large at 484 litres with all seats in place.

Buttons in the cargo area allow the rear of the car to be raised and lowered to make it easier to hoist items in the boot.

For devices there's a wireless phone charger up front along with USB ports in both rows.

The interior of the C8 Corvette gives new meaning to being ‘in the driver’s seat’, because befitting its role as an ‘American supercar’ the cabin is clearly focused on the person on the right-hand side.

The design of the dashboard and the centre console wrap around the driver’s seat and position all the screens and switchgear towards the driver.

Naturally this does make life for the passenger a bit more awkward, with some of the controls and buttons more difficult to access.

The overall level of quality, the fit, finish and materials used, are nice but don’t really hold up to the standards you’ll find in a European sports car, such as a Porsche 911, Ferrari or Lamborghini.

However, this is still a Chevrolet starting at less than $200,000, so you’re trading-off interior design for overall performance and capability.

The comfort level is good, with a relatively wide and supportive seat, and the driver has every control within easy reach. The rectangular steering wheel may look odd at first but improves comfort and visibility (of the instrument panel and through the windscreen). 

Another change for 2024 is new graphics when you switch the drive mode selector between 'Normal', 'Sport' and 'Track'.

It’s a surprisingly big flourish, with each computer-generated graphic lasting almost five seconds, ensuring you should never be surprised by which mode you’re in.

Luggage capacity is modest, as you’d expect from a mid-engine sports car. There’s a small storage space under the bonnet, but a larger section at the rear. It’s actually large enough to accommodate the Targa-style removable roof on the coupe, but that will eat into your limited cargo space. 

The 2024 Corvette Stingray range consists of four variants, the choice of coupe or convertible and the 2LT or 3LT trim lines. Prices begin at $175,000 for the 2LT Coupe and $190,000 for the 2LT convertible, with the 3LT Coupe starting at $190,000 and the 3LT convertible from $205,000 (all prices excluded on-road costs). 

That’s a significant jump from when the C8 first launched, with the 2LT priced from $144,990 and the 3LT from $160,500, initially. 

Worth noting those are just the manufacturer list prices from GMSV and some dealers have been known to take advantage of the discrepancy in supply and demand to charge significantly above those official numbers.

While GMSV said it spoke with dealers and didn’t find a widespread problem, it did make it clear that dealers are free to set their own delivery fees.

There are some newsworthy changes for the MY24 Corvette, starting with the addition of the new 'Riptide Blue' colour you see pictured here on our test car. There’s also a new full length stripe design, new alloy wheel and new Z51 spoiler design. 

But there are some more serious changes beneath the surface with several new safety features added including forward collision alert, lane keeping assistance, follow distance indicator and intelligent auto high beam.

The Z51 Performance Package is standard fit on all Australian models, adding Brembo brakes, performance suspension, performance exhaust, performance rear axle ratio, electronic limited slip differential, unique front and rear splitters and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres.

Other standard equipment includes a head-up display, front lift kit with memory function, 14-speaker Bose sound system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless smartphone charging, heated and ventilated seats and a performance data recorder. 

When Bentley stopped putting its W12 into the Bentayga this year I was unsurprised yet sad. The world is moving toward tighter fuel emissions but the twin-turbo petrol V8 in this Azure is still a beast.

The 4.0-litre turbo-petrol V8 is from the Audi family and I love it as much for its plentiful torque and superb acceleration as the deep rumble of its exhaust.

Making 404kW and 770Nm the V8 can lift and throw the 2.5-tonne Bentayga to 100km/h from a standstill in 4.5 seconds and onto a top speed of 290km/h. I reckon you could get it to 300km/h with the wind behind you.

Drive goes to all four wheels via an eight-speed transmission and a Torsen-type centre differential.

Default drive balance is 40/60 front to rear, with up to 70 per cent of power able to be sent to the front wheels and up to 85 per cent to the rear axle.

I don't think you'll be astounded to hear this powertrain uses a lot of fuel? Let's go there...

It may look more like a Euro supercar these days, but at its heart the Corvette is still all-American.

Motivation comes from Chevrolet’s latest small-block V8, specifically the LT2 engine, which is a 6.2-litre unit making 369kW and 637Nm.

It’s paired to an eight-speed dual-clutch auto transmission and, as previously mentioned, it breathes through the Z51 performance exhaust and transmits its power to the rear wheels via an electronic limited slip differential. 

Bentley says the Bentayga Azure with the V8 petrol engine will use an average of 11.4L/100km over a combination of open and urban roads.

But what happens if you live in the suburbs not far from the city and drive the Azure every day to do the school drop offs and trips to the shops and then take in some fun country roads? You use an average of 22.8L/100km according to the car's trip computer.

This is still not as high as I was expecting. I've driven V6-powered SUVs which use more than this under the same conditions.

That said, even when using as much fuel as Bentley says you should, an 85-litre fuel tank is only going to deliver an approximate 745km driving range.

The official claimed rating is 13.5L/100km on the combined urban/highway cycle, and while that may not sound particularly frugal, given the high-performance nature of the Corvette and its naturally-aspirated V8 engine, it’s actually a solid return.

Crucially, that number feels achievable in the real-world thanks to the relaxed manner the V8 engine performs when not under load.

Thanks to that and the broad eight-speed transmission, the Stingray is happy to cruise along at low revs and still provide adequate urban performance.

Of course, if you unleash the full fury of the V8 you can expect a much higher return, but that’s a scientific absolute and will apply to any of the Corvette’s rivals.

If you can achieve that official figure you can expect to get more than 500km between trips to the petrol bowser, as the Corvette is fitted with a sizable 70-litre fuel tank.

As mentioned earlier, some of the biggest changes for 2024 were on the safety front, with several new features added. The most important is forward collision warning, which will be mandatory from March 2025 and was a notable absence on the 2022 model. Lane keeping assist, follow distance indicator and intelligent auto high beam are also new additions and join rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring.

There’s also airbag coverage for both occupants, as well as front and rear cameras for parking help.

As with most expensive sports cars, the Corvette has not been crash tested by Euro NCAP,  ANCAP or North American agencies, so it has no independent safety rating.

The Bentayga is covered by Bentley's three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. Servicing is recommended every 12 months or 16,000km.

The good news is all new Bentley's have five years regular servicing included in the cost of the vehicle.

General Motors may be a big brand globally, but GMSV is still a relatively niche operation in Australia, centred around the Silverado pick-up. Which may help explain the below-average warranty of three years/100,000km.

There’s also no capped price servicing, so you’re at the mercy of whatever your local dealer or mechanic decides to charge you. 

For context, Porsche offers a three year/unlimited kilometre warranty and pre-paid servicing plans.