Bentley Bentayga: On-Road Elegance, Off-Road Warrior

So what’s it like to drive? I’d say it’s a good combination of practical vehicle (with plenty of legroom and headroom, and terrific visibility) and the Millennium Falcon, with the ability to hit warp speeds so quickly and effortlessly it defies logic. In an SUV weighing just short of three tons, you now can blow the doors off most any boulevard challenger (and then tow it home after you’ve gathered up the pink slip). And with what seems like an excellent candidate for the world’s largest sunroof competition, there’s a Domeliner feel for all passengers to experience, which stretches well over half- way back on the roof.

Being an L.A. guy, my foray into off-roading in the Bentayga probably was similar to what most Southlanders will experience—a couple of potholes here, a few “calming humps” in residential neighborhoods there, and an occasional parking spot just off the pavement. So I can’t provide much insight into the desert-stormer chops of this vehicle, but much has been written about how amazingly capable it can be, in sand, mud, loose dirt, and gravel (not to mention snow and ice), with crazy inclines that present no challenge whatsoever.

Some have questioned Bentley’s need to provide such terrific off-road abilities for a vehicle that will likely never need it, but that’s just how Bentley rolls— provide more than the driver could ever utilize and maybe, just maybe, perhaps someday it will come in handy. It’s absolutely the perfect transportational choice if you have to cross the moors and slog through the bogs on your way to that black-tie event at Dromoland Castle.

Driving the Bentayga is to experience that rare combination of elegance and power. Of course it feels substantial because it most certainly is. But with the seamless power of a double-turbo 12-cylinder engine, the torque gives one the feeling that this vehicle can handle anything you throw at it and barely break a sweat.

And here’s the word of the day for the Bentayga: effortless—elegance and speed with- out having to work at it, with the driver and passengers nicely ensconced in sumptuous woods and leathers, with a power plant more capable than anyone likely ever will need, with a sound system to rival a modern concert hall, and a ride that is deceptively supple yet firm. Bentley knew that with its SUV coming in at a base price a bit under $230,000, one adds a bit of this and a touch of that, and we’re approach- ing 300 large. For that price, its new baby has to be good…and it sure is.