The Bentley Bentayga is the world’s most luxurious and fastest SUV. The veil has been lifted, this isn’t just any SUV its the Supercar of SUVs. (Little known fact, Bentley invented the term supercar back in 1920.) Bentayga perpetuates the Bentley racing and engineering heritage wrapped in five star luxury. Recently I took a spin in a 2017 Bentley Bentayga, oh my.
When Bentley first introduced the idea of an SUV, purists were uncertain. We viewed one of the early prototypes behind the curtain at Pebble Beach in 2012, which was bigger, beefier and I may have said something about it having limited appeal, to sheiks or one-hit-wonder rap stars. Those wheels were too much, on the other hand the interior detailing was marvelous. Bentley took in the public comments, regrouped and the results were extraordinary.
Bentley Bentayga global media drive, Palm Springs, USA. Jan 2016
Photo: James Lipman
With hints of the sculptural aspect of the Mulsanne with those carved hips, the new Bentayga achieves its birthright in terms of physical appeal, luxurious details and unwavering performance.
This SUV is not quite the wolf in sheep’s clothing though the typical four door body style is an illusion as to how the Bentayga drives, hint: not like a truck and definitely not pedestrian. The eight-speed, twin turbo 6.0 liter W-12 delivers a top speed of 187 mph, making the Bentayga’s performance as rapturous as any supercar. While I didn’t test this exactly, there may have been many times I ended up far beyond the speed limit without really trying. This is important. Forget the dynamic specs on the page, how does it really drive? For real life day to day driving what matters is a vehicle’s ability to navigate traffic in a safe, efficient manner. The Bentayga is as nimble as it is fast. Once you are seated behind the wheel and depress the pedal an undercurrent of confidence ripples throughout your body, a characteristic I’ve noticed in every other modern Bentley I’ve driven. Driving the Bentayga is like driving a supercar with the added luxury of being up in the air, literally above the rest.
Comfort is another factor in vehicle drivability, its a Bentley, of course the Bentayga is comfortable, in every way you’d want it to be. Magnificent finishes sweep over all surfaces from the best leather hides on the 22-way adjustable seats to the glossy specimen woodwork. 
Similar to the Continental GT, the dashboard is easy to see and the improved eight-inch touch screen is a breeze to navigate. Loaded with the latest tech such as 4G Wi-Fi hotspot, live streaming of real time traffic and Google Earth, predictive and adaptive cruise control, hill descent control, electronic night vision, and heads-up display systems, the Bentayga is very much the modern day cruiser. Admittedly the heads-up display of my current speed took a bit of getting used to, one has to not let it be a distraction. 
But the trustworthy Breitling clock with its new face is a welcome reminder, the one shown is an upgrade with the mother-of pearl and diamonds. At Bentley the traditions of bespoke luxuries will not be broken.
Bentley Motors’ dip into the SUV market was a long time coming, and well worth the wait. So would I drive it, absolutely. I configured it, now I have to configure how I’m going to pay for it when I’m ready to #BeExtraordinary. 🙂 
