2024 Bentley Bentayga vs 2023 Genesis GV80

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.

A low six-figure price tag is not to be sneezed at, but in terms of its performance, standard features, safety and cost of ownership, the Genesis GV80 3.5T Lux Matte 6-seat is a hugely impressive luxury SUV bargain.  

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.

As mentioned in previous reviews, Genesis models moving through the CarsGuide garage are most often mistaken for Bentleys. Not a bad misattribution for a relatively new and still low-key brand.

The big chrome-accented grille and winged logo are Bentley-esque, but the distinctive two-tier headlight (and tail-light) treatment stands this substantial SUV apart.

Our test car’s optional ‘Brunswick Green’ matt paint adds an extra air of sophistication and the GV80 3.5T’s huge satin-finish 22-inch alloy wheels dial up the premium presentation and take-no-prisoners attitude.   

Inside, the look and feel is top-shelf thanks to quilted leather upholstery, multiple (large) screens, polished metal trim pieces and genuine wood details on the front and rear centre consoles, as well as the doors.

The test example’s ‘Smokey Green’ leather and reddish brown dash and door trim colour combination isn’t my cup of tea, but that’s a subjective opinion, and you may love it.

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.

At close to 5.0m long, a fraction under 2.0m wide, and just over 1.7m tall the Genesis GV80 is a sizeable machine.

And with a wheelbase (the distance between the axles) edging up towards three metres there’s plenty of space inside, with lots of breathing room for the driver and front seat passenger.

Move to the back, and as they say, space is luxury, and there’s limo-like head and legroom for the two passengers slipping into their individual reclinable, heated and ventilated seats. Handy too that the driver has access to electric controls on the inboard side of the front passenger seat backrest so they can adjust for legroom behind it.

Even the third row is pretty good, although access is a bit of a scramble. Grown ups will be okay for medium to mid-length trips and the kids will be loving it.

As you might expect, boot space is limited with the 50/50 split and electronically folding third row seat upright. But it’s enough for a modest amount of groceries or some school bags, and we were able to sneak in the smallest (36L) suitcase from our three-piece demo set, with room to spare.

Drop that third row and and you have a generous 727 litres at your disposal, which grows to a whopping 2139L with the second row down. 

At $109,500, before on-road costs, the base GV80 3.5T plays in the same luxury SUV sandpit as BMW’s X5 xDrive25d ($109,900) and the Lexus RX 350 Sports Luxury ($109,800).

But our test example featured a couple of tasty options in the form of the ‘6-Seat Luxury Package’ ($13,500) and ‘Matte Paint’ in Brunswick Green ($2000), for an as-tested MLP of $125,000.

That kicks it up into the same territory as the BMW X5 xDrive40i ($130,900), Lexus RX 500h ($126,000) and Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 ($135,200).

As you might expect, the GV80 3.5T is loaded with standard features that help it match, and at times exceed, the competition. Prepare yourself.

Aside from the safety and performance tech covered separately in this review, it includes, three-zone climate control, leather trim on the seats (partial), dash, doors and centre console, active cruise control (with stop-go function), ‘Surround View Monitor’ (360-degree 3D view, reverse view, parking distance warning, and more), a 14.4-inch multimedia touchscreen, 21-speaker ‘Lexicon by Harman’ audio (with 1050W 14 channel amp and digital radio) and 12-way power-adjustable (heated and ventilated) front seats (with two memory positions on the driver’s side).

Then you can add wireless phone charging, a panorama glass sunroof, a hands-free power tailgate (height and speed adjustable), 8.0-inch configurable digital instrument display, a 12.0-inch multi-function colour head-up display, genuine open pore wood trim on the doors and front centre console, LED headlights (auto-levelling), LED daytime running lights and tail-lights, 64-colour ambient interior lighting, and 22-inch alloy rims. Phew!

You’d think there wouldn’t be room for anything else, but where there’s a will there’s a way, and our test car’s 6-Seat Luxury Package adds even more swag.

How about ‘Remote Smart Parking Assist’, 18-way power fronts seats (with all kinds of additional electronic adjustments), power-adjustable second and third-row seats, a bigger 12.3-inch instrument display, dual 9.2-inch HD media touchscreens for back seaters, heated and ventilated second row seats, a heated steering wheel, Nappa leather trim, suede headlining, and the open pore wood trim is extended to the second row centre console. This is getting ridiculous…

If you want to go down to the next level of detail there’s even more standard kit, but you get the idea. This is a genuinely luxurious SUV with an amazing amount of included features for the money.

The Genesis official fuel economy number for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 11.7L/100km, the twin-turbo V6 emitting 273g/km of CO2 in the process.

Over a week of city, suburban, and some freeway running we averaged 13.3L/100km, which is thirsty, but not outrageous for a 2.2-tonne twin-turbo V6 SUV.

Minimum fuel requirement is 95 RON premium unleaded and you’ll need 80 litres of it to fill the tank.

Using the official number, that translates to a range of around 680km, which drops to just over 600km using our real-world figure.

The Genesis GV80 is covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty (now the norm in the luxury segment), with paint application defects (overspray, runs, mismatch, etc) covered for 12 months/unlimited km.

You can also factor in 10-year, 24/7 roadside assistance and complimentary nav map updates for the same period.

Then, under the umbrella of ‘Genesis Service Concierge’ you’ll receive five years complimentary servicing with the choice of a valet pick-up and return, or a courtesy vehicle. Nice.

The GV80 received a maximum five-star ANCAP assessment is 2021 and active (crash-avoidance) tech is impressive, including ‘Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist’ (incorporating AEB with car, pedestrian and cyclist detection, junction turning and crossing function and ‘Evasive Steering Assist’), blind-spot assist, driver attention warning, high-beam assist, lane-keeping and following assist, and rear cross-traffic alert.

There’s also active cruise control, a 3D surround view, a rear-view monitor, multi-sensor front and rear parking distance warnings, and a tyre pressure monitoring system. 

If, despite all that, a sheet metal interface is unavoidable there are no less than 10 airbags on board (driver and passenger front and side), driver’s knee, a front centre bag (to minimise head clash injuries), second row side and full-length side curtains. 

Multi-collision brake reduces the chance of a secondary crash after an initial impact, and there are top tether points for baby capsules or child seats and ISOFIX anchors for each second row seat. There’s even a first aid kit, hazard triangle and roadside assistance kit.