You can try to hide under a rock all you want, but the first uber-luxury SUV from Bentley is here. It proves you can now ask something the size of a tractor to corner like a kart or climb Kilimanjaro while massaging your rump.
The first video review of any car from a prestigious automaker is unlikely to say anything bad. After all, if Bentley doesn't like what you've said about its first SUV, you'll be banned from future driving events. That means you'll be missing out on free food, exotic dancers, and trips to places where it's sunny during the winter.
That being said, we do hear a bit of criticism from Auto Express. Firstly, the big SUV is heavy and has trouble braking. We saw that with every performance model, including supercharged Range Rovers and the BMW X5 M50d. Unless somebody figures out how to make two rotors per wheel or defy the laws of physics, we're always going to have this problem.
Another issue with the Bentayga is that the automatic gearbox is nowhere near as sharp as a twin-clutch unit. Well, Steve, this is a Bentley and not a Porsche 911. So what did you expect?
As an all-terrain vehicle, it's almost as capable as a Porsche Cayenne or a Range Rover. It does all those things people never do with their expensive off-roaders. We're sure that somebody will buy one and drive it like Ken Block on a sand dune somewhere in the Middle East. However, football players will never find its off-road limits while driving to their country retreats.
It's not more fun than a Porsche Cayenne Turbo S or better at reaching the summit than the Range Rover. But the Bentayga will be accepted, and if only half of what this review says is true, it will change the high-end luxury vehicle market for the better.
Editor's note: You won't believe how many times Steve here says the word "proper" or "properly." It's a proper thing, this Bentayga.
That being said, we do hear a bit of criticism from Auto Express. Firstly, the big SUV is heavy and has trouble braking. We saw that with every performance model, including supercharged Range Rovers and the BMW X5 M50d. Unless somebody figures out how to make two rotors per wheel or defy the laws of physics, we're always going to have this problem.
Another issue with the Bentayga is that the automatic gearbox is nowhere near as sharp as a twin-clutch unit. Well, Steve, this is a Bentley and not a Porsche 911. So what did you expect?
As an all-terrain vehicle, it's almost as capable as a Porsche Cayenne or a Range Rover. It does all those things people never do with their expensive off-roaders. We're sure that somebody will buy one and drive it like Ken Block on a sand dune somewhere in the Middle East. However, football players will never find its off-road limits while driving to their country retreats.
It's not more fun than a Porsche Cayenne Turbo S or better at reaching the summit than the Range Rover. But the Bentayga will be accepted, and if only half of what this review says is true, it will change the high-end luxury vehicle market for the better.
Editor's note: You won't believe how many times Steve here says the word "proper" or "properly." It's a proper thing, this Bentayga.