Hot as fire: One in four Bentley Bentayga worth ₹3.78 crore at flame risk

A quarter of all Bentley Bentayga SUVs are in the process of being recalled to check a possible fault in the fuel line connector that could potentially put the uber luxury vehicle at a fire risk. The recall primarily affects the company's US and European markets with as many as 6,000 units now being called back to check the possible problem.

According to a report in Automotive News Europe, the recall pertains to Bentayga V-8 SUVs manufactured between January of 2019 and March of 2020. This would include about 1,892 units in the US and another 783 across Europe. As per National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) - an agency under US federal government, the fault pertains to a fuel line connector. "On some of the affected vehicles, the integrity of the quick connector of the fuel line located in the engine compartment may not have met the design specification," it said. "If a fuel leakage at the quick connector of the fuel line occurs, this may be perceived initially by an odor of fuel. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source may cause a risk of engine bay fire."

Not that any vehicle should ever be at risk of going up in flames but when the car is a luxury SUV priced at hundreds of dollars (around ₹3.78 crore in India), it could massively dent the image of a brand that prides itself in the field of automotive luxury and opulence.

Bentley, however, has confirmed that there have been no fire-related incidents so far in a Bentayga. It is also reported that dealers will be notified from July 31 onwards and the recalled vehicles will be fitted with a re-designed quick connector that would eliminate the potential risk.

Bentayga is the first-ever SUV from Bentley and has been a successful product from the British auto company. It was first launched in 2015 and was touted as the world's first 'true luxury SUV.' The first Bentayga had a W12 engine while subsequent products have been offered as per customer needs and trends. There is also a Bentayga Speed and Bentayga Hybrid on offer. Apart from the US and Europe, West Asia has also been a lucrative market for the product and for the company.