2021 Bentley Bentayga Spied Still Wearing Clever Camouflage

There's no missing the Bentley Bentayga when you see it on the street. Even a cleverly camouflaged prototype like this with no visible badging stands out in a crowd, and yes, this large luxury SUV is in fact concealing design changes. Let's take a closer look at this prototype to see what's really going on.

It's been a few months since we last saw a Bentayga test vehicle, but it was wearing the same black cladding as this prototype. At a glance, the beefy SUV looks more or less identical to the current model but a keen eye will see stickers and coverings around the oval headlights. Looking further down, the lower fascia also has stickers and some false panels hiding changes to the Bentley's wide face.

We don't expect those changes to be extraordinary, as this is a mid-cycle refresh. But we do expect the headlights to be a bit smaller, and the lower grille to be more pronounced. Corresponding changes to body lines on the fenders and hood will make it all come together in a seamless redesign.

The same goes for the Bentayga's backside, where quite a bit of black tape is clearly visible at the base of the D-pillar and around the liftgate. Taillight graphics make the lenses look huge, but we actually expect to find much slimmer lenses underneath. Once again, corresponding changes to body lines might be found on the quarter panels and lower fascia.

One area we've yet to catch yet is the interior. Something is happening inside, as we see covers visible through side windows. As with the exterior, changes inside should be minor but noticeable. A larger touchscreen is almost guaranteed, and a digital instrument cluster is expected to arrive. Powertrain options should carry over, though the W12 might see some changes to make a bit more friendly at the fuel pump.

Coronavirus has everything delayed, so it's hard to say when the updated Bentayga will debut. It should happen sometime before the end of the year.