650 PS Bentley Bentayga Speed To Tread On Lamborghini Urus’ Feet?

The Volkswagen Group does, occasionally, have no problem letting its brands competing against each other. Case at hand, the upcoming Bentley Bentayga Speed, which might be just as powerful as the Lamborghini Urus.

Tipped to arrive in the first half of the year, Autocar claims that the twin-turbo 6.0-liter W12 engine will be tuned to produce 650 PS (641 hp / 478 kW).

The 42 PS (41 hp / 31 kW) increase over the regular W12-powered SUV will place it against the Lamborghini Urus, whose twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 also produces 650 PS (641 hp / 478 kW) by its twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8. The 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) takes just 3.6 seconds in the Italian SUV, and will take under 4 seconds in the upcoming Bentayga Speed, which might also have an increased top speed to 306 km/h (190 mph).

The crew from Crewe has taken the performance-oriented Speed very seriously. Thus, in addition to the rumored increase in output, the eight-speed automatic gearbox will be revised and the chassis tuned to improve cornering at high speeds.

No weight saving measures will be taken, so expect it to tip the scales at approximately 2,440 kg (5,379 lbs), which is about the same as the regular W12-powered model.

In the design department, some subtle exterior upgrades, as well as a few changes made inside, will set it apart from the existing versions.

Pricing will reportedly be bumped by roughly £20,000 ($25,511/€22,204) in the United Kingdom, with the Bentayga Speed expected to kick off from around £185,000 ($235,979/€205,385) without any optional extras.

Now, we know that the Urus was designed from the outset as a flamboyant crossover that would encompass many cues from the brand’s supercars, while the Bentayga was intended to be a much more luxurious, and comfortable, ride. However, in the rarefied air of hyper SUVs with exorbitant prices, it wouldn’t be uncommon for customers to cross-shop between the two, as well as other models like the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and the upcoming Ferrari Purosangue.

Apart from the performance-oriented Speed, the Bentayga PHEV will allegedly go on sale this fall, with a larger battery pack and lower emissions than the model dispayed last year in Geneva.