Bentley Approves Hand-Craftsmanship Procedures For The Bentayga EWB

Start of production draws closer for the Bentayga Extended Wheelbase or the Bentayga EWB, as Bentley has given the approval on new hand-craftsmanship processes.

Serving as Bentley’s new flagship, the Bentayga EWB merges world-class luxury and technological innovation whilst demonstrating new heights of hand-craftsmanship and comfort.

Taking over 132 hours to handcraft, the new model showcases lofted quilting, intricate veneer and metal overlays, and Bentley’s Diamond Illumination, all to offer a unique interior ambience.

First off, Bentley’s recognizable diamond quilting has been reimagined in a contemporary new design, executed via a combination of digital craftsmanship and precision technology.

Beautifully, the symmetrical pattern at the top of the seat backs stretches the diamonds as they move away from the centerline of the seats. 

Contrasting that, the doors boast an asymmetric pattern, of which accentuates the length of the door and the rear cabin as a whole.

Notably, using a process called ‘digital-crafting’, in each diamond, the leather is perforated with holes of less than 1 mm, digitally positioned with precision to attain a unified overall design.

Once the leather has gone through a perforating machine, the stitching of the diamonds is achieved with a specialized embroidery machine. 

Said machine incorporates a camera which analyses the perforation pattern and ensures the lines of embroidery are perfectly parallel and equidistant between the perforation diamonds. 

Then, for a luxuriously softer panel, a finer thread usually found in Bentley’s embroidered logos, and a smaller micro-stitch, half the length of Bentley’s standard stitch has been used. 

This change of thread and innovation of manufacturing process has created a more accentuated, softly lofted quilting, in a way Bentley has never done before in production.

Next, the woodworking artistry. In recent years, the shaping and application of ethically sourced, sustainable wood veneer to Bentley interiors has been recognized as industry-leading.

For the Bentayga EWB, shaping and polishing wood veneer to measure in tenths of a millimeter brings an intricate, beautiful element of natural luxury to its cabin.

Each Bentayga EWB’s wood set takes over 10 hours to curate, and will see the first use of the Metal Overlay in Veneer feature in series production.

Located on the passenger’s fascia panel and all four doors, this optional feature’s design consists of individual brushed metal badges crafted to be exceptionally thin, just 0.07 mm thick.

To create the inlay designs, a process called photo-etching is used, where a very fine stencil of the design is laminated to the metal. 

After some intermediate steps of UV light exposure and development of the laminate, the main process chemically etched away areas of metal not required, leaving only the inlay design. 

Etching means there is little manual handling or cutting of the material so the risk of damage is less and the precision that can be achieved is incredibly high. 

Completing this process, each badge is bonded by hand in a precise location on the surface of the veneer, before the part is lacquered and polished.

Now, comes the new Bentley Diamond Illumination which is another striking and elegant optional feature introduced for the Bentayga EWB.

The illumination effect is achieved using a total of 68 LEDs that emit light through small perforations of 1 mm in diameter in the leather trim on the door panels. 

Interestingly, the intensity and color of the illumination through the trim can be controlled by the passenger through the infotainment system and Touch Screen Remote. 

Moreover, the feature is linked with the mood lighting, ensuring consistent color and intensity of light throughout the car that can dramatically transform the interior feel, especially at night.

That said, with 24 billion trim combinations and a total number of possible specifications running into the trillions, the cabin of the Bentayga EWB is able to offer the most distinct Bentayga ever.

According to Bentley, more than 50% of customer orders include the Bentley Airline Seat Specification or Bentley Diamond Illumination. 

Meanwhile, around 30% of customers include the extended paint range, metal overlays in the veneer and open pore wood. 

Bentley’s new Bentayga EWB will make its UK public debut at this year’s Southampton Boat Show between the 16 to 25 September.