This is the Bentley Bentayga Umbra, a limited edition Bentayga S crafted by Mulliner, Bentley’s coachbuilding arm that’s also in charge of personalisation and special editions. Commissioned by the carmaker’s Asia Pacific division, only 10 units are available worldwide, and this unit in Bentley Kuala Lumpur is one of six in APAC.
According to Cambridge, umbra refers to the dark inner part of a shadow in which all light is blocked. The darkest part of a shadow, in other words. Thankfully, the Bentayga Umbra isn’t Vantablack levels of dark, and you can still clearly see the big SUV’s lines and crucially, the outline of Bentley’s signature rear haunches.
The Bentayga Umbra’s Hallmark (grey) exterior has Blackline Specification (standard on the S), which means that all of the usually chrome parts have been replaced with gloss black, except for the Flying B logos at both ends, and the wordmark on the tailgate. This brooding look is capped off by a unique detail – a Beluga painted front bumper with a fade design, a world-first for any Bentley. It’s subtle, escaping our first glance.
The ‘Tri-Tone Styling Specification’ is garnished, literally, with Cyber Yellow. The searing bright accent can be found on the pinstripe running along the carbon fibre bodykit and rear wing, the wing mirror caps, and on the black 22-inch S directional wheels. The latter comes with self-levelling wheel badges from the Mulliner catalogue.
The Bentayga Umbra’s interior is also a canvas for Mulliner to show off its repertoire. The main hide is in Porpoise, with Beluga as the secondary hide. The fade design seen on the front bumper is somewhat replicated here in a specially created digital fade perforation pattern on the quilted areas and headrests – another first for Bentley. All veneered surfaces feature high gloss carbon fibre.
Like the exterior, the cabin’s third colour is Cyber Yellow. The contrasting hue is used as the accent hide and is found on seat emblems, painted veneered carriers and overmat micropiping. It’s a very striking and modern look, in and out. The Bang & Olufsen speaker grilles are in a nice satin black and silver combo. Not mentioned in the press release are treadplates etched with ‘Umbra, a Mulliner exclusive’. In fact, that’s the only place on the car where the limited edition’s name is seen.
No changes under the metal. The Bentayga S is a sporty trim level introduced in 2021. Crewe’s big SUV gets sharper handling courtesy of 15% stiffer air suspension, complemented by Bentley Dynamic Ride active 48V electronic anti-roll control. Special calibration of its stability control, plus brake torque vectoring applied to the inside rear wheel offer improved steering feel and turn-in response, plus even less body roll.
Under the hood is a 4.0-litre biturbo V8 with 550 PS and 770 Nm of torque from 2,000 to 4,500 rpm, sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. The 0-100 km/h sprint is done in just 4.5 seconds, which is mind-blowing when you consider the Big Ben’s size and the amount of leather and luxuries onboard. The S comes with a sport exhaust system as standard.
In our experience, Bentley Dynamic Ride is a witch and the V8 is more sporting and characterful than the now-departed W12, God rest its soul. Good basis for the Umbra, which is yours for RM3,677,500 on-the-road, fully taxed, before insurance.
GALLERY: Bentley Bentayga Umbra in Malaysia
GALLERY: Bentley Bentayga Umbra official images
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