LUXURY PERSONIFIED

If you’re the kind of New York driver who loves a luxurious ride yet also needs space for your skis, beach chairs, luggage, and/or kids, there’s an SUV that you’ve just got to consider. The Bentley Bentayga is practically perfect in every way, with only its gas consumption holding it back from true faultlessness.

This SUV is currently offered in either a 4.0-liter V8 engine (15 mpg city/24 mpg highway) or a 6.0-liter Bentley signature W12 engine (12 mpg city/18 mpg highway). Either version is a powerful vehicle with responsiveness on the road and a cocoon of comfort inside. A 3.0 hybrid coming in 2023 is expected to get up to 46 mpg.

This being a Bentley, there are endless configurations that make the one you choose specific to your desires. We’re particularly fond of the Neptune blue metallic exterior paint, which makes the SUV gleam with a gorgeous, slightly ethereal glow. Paired with the regal front grille and 22-inch five-spoke directional wheels, it makes for a fantastic ride. 

And ride the Bentayga does, moving effortlessly through city traffic and leaping forward on the highway as the leader of the pack. With the S model, you’ll find shift paddles and a 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 that can take you just about anywhere, as every model of Bentayga is equipped with all-wheel drive and Bentley Dynamic Ride. This electronic anti-roll system keeps the cabin stable in all conditions.  

INTERIOR BEAUTY
The inside of the vehicle is all about luxury, which it should be, given the hefty price tag this Bentley SUV commands. Expect to pay over $220,000, and substantially more if you add the options that bring it into a true thing of beauty. The Naim for Bentley audio system is significantly worth the upgrade, 20 speakers installed to create an unparalleled sound experience. Bentley even commissioned Steve Mazzaro, the composer of music for films like Top Gun: Maverick, Dune, and No Time to Die to create The Extraordinary Journey, bespoke music that brings out the incredible richness of the Naim 2,200-watt amplifier.

There’s plenty more to delight in the interior, including butter-soft leather upholstery, seats with heating and cooling as well as all the positioning adjustments you could ever want. Also featured is a world-class information/entertainment system and rear-seating configurations that can meet your needs, from two comfortable second-row seats to a five-seat and even a seven-seat option. In addition, you can add 10-inch TV sets in the second row, complete with headphones included for personal sound control.

Bentley Motors was founded in 1919, an English marque that W. O. Bentley created for people who loved to drive. Today, over 100 years later, the Bentley name still tweaks one’s imagination to envision a luxurious automobile that is elegant and fun to drive. Still built in Crewe, where you can tour the factory if you’re in that area between Manchester and Birmingham, Volkswagen now owns Bentley. In 2020, Bentley announced that all their new cars sold by 2030 will be electric, so even this original marque in the world of automobiles is joining the modern trend of going electric in the future.  

For more information on the Bentley Bentayga SUV, visit bentleymotors.com