The letter ‘S’ of this Bentley Bentayga does not stand for ‘slurping’ | Car

The extravagant Bentley Bentayga was actually the first real Super SUV when it was unveiled in 2015. And believe it or not, the S-SUV is an invention of compatriot Victor Muller. Sixteen years ago, this co-founder of the Spyker brand showed a prototype of the ‘Spyker C12 Peking to Paris’ at the Geneva Motor Show. The gigantic luxury off-road vehicle never came, but Muller had seen it right, because for rich Russians and bored oil sheiks it turned out to be an answer to a question they had never asked.

Yet it took until 2015 before their hunger could be satisfied. That’s because it initially appeared that the large SUV was an evolutionary mistake, doomed to die in the ecological arms race. Nevertheless, the SUV concept has risen like a phoenix from the ashes in recent years – also in the guise of flagship in the luxury segment. Because not only Bentley plunged into the Super SUV. Maserati has the Levante, Lamborghini has the Urus, Rolls-Royce has contributed with the Cullinan and then there is also a Ferrari SUV.

Of course you could opt for a Mercedes-Benz G 65 AMG with 612 hp for a while, but at the time that was not much more than an army Jeep of almost four tons with leather and a refrigerator on board. The real elite, of course, only travel in lavishly luxurious automobiles and the Bentley Bentayga is one such lavishly luxurious automobile. But it was also a sort of British mansion on wheels, a lavish giant, full of luxurious woods and hand-stitched leather. The model, which initially only came with a W12 twin-turbo and a fat diesel engine, was surprisingly good on the road given its enormous dimensions and weight, but until recently, enthusiasts of sporty driving were forced to look elsewhere.

But now there is the Bentayga S: the sportiest member of the Bentayga family. Equipped with a 4.0-liter V8 engine with two turbos and therefore good for a power of 550 hp and a pulling power of 770 Newton meters. With this, this model sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds, only to stop when the speedometer is at the bottom right and indicates 290 km/h. Those are improbable numbers for a behemoth like the Bentayga with its weight of 2,518 kilograms.

The sportiness of the ‘S’ is mainly due to the active roll stabilization, which keeps the car upright in places where some competitors start to lean like an Amsterdam canal house. The system reacts within 0.3 seconds with a torque of up to 1,300 Nm to counteract lateral forces when cornering. It is the same 48-volt system that we know from the Porsche Cayenne, among others. This ensures maximum contact with the tires ‘for a surplus of stability, driving comfort and exceptional steering characteristics’, as Bentley itself writes.

According to Bentley, the damping of the air suspension is 15 percent stiffer in Sport mode and the steering feel is also improved compared to a ‘regular’ Bentayga. This is noticeable, because in the sport mode it seems as if the Bentley is equipped with steel springs, that’s how strong the chassis feels. The balance is also striking: the car steers sharper than you would expect from an SUV and the Bentley does not look for the outside of the bend when you go too fast. In fact, the focus of the drive is more on the rear, making the car feel as if it is rear-wheel drive – which is exactly what sports car enthusiasts love.

The S also has a unique exhaust system, so that people other than yourself know that you like sporty driving. And it must be said; the engine sounds great with its soft staccato rumble, which turns into a hammering roar as soon as the accelerator is pressed. The ESP system in the Bentayga S has also been adjusted slightly less tightly, so that the throttle is not immediately released when the first tire starts to squeak in the bend. Fortunately, the Bentley is equipped with sports seats that offer a lot of lateral support, because it is unimaginable how fast you can turn the corner with this car.

That the Bentayga S is sporty, the car also radiates on the outside. An S emblem adorns the front doors, while the entire body is decorated with the Blackline specification. That means black roof and window frames, tinted light units and black door mirrors and glossy black side skirts. The Bentayga S is standard on new 22-inch wheels. The bumpers have been extended a bit further down for a tougher look and Bentley also mounts a larger rear spoiler for more downforce at higher speeds.

The interior is beautiful and is characterized by sporty red stitching compared to the less sporty models. Naturally, the customer of a Bentayga S can completely determine the complete decoration of his or her car. The whole exudes solidity, luxury and refinement at the same time and appears to be perfectly finished. The only caveat is that given its enormous size, the Bentayga could have been a little more spacious. It is not a problem that we recognize the direction indicators and some other elements from the Audi A4. It is a pity that we have to manually raise the headrest of our chair. There should be a button for that in this class.

If you like sporty steering and still think you need an SUV, you have come to the right place at Bentley. Because the Bentayga drives excellently for a 2.5-ton luxury off-road vehicle. As you drive faster, the car seems to lose more and more kilos and thanks to the advanced chassis techniques, this mastodon frolicates through the bends like a hatchback. The only thing that could potentially be sensitive is its fuel consumption, because with an average of 13 liters per 100 kilometers (one in 7.6), the Bentayga S is currently quite an expensive car to drive.

Anyone who finds that a bit too much, can always opt for the Bentayga Hybrid, which is in the price lists from 210,000 euros and which also comes out of its place with an acceleration from 0-100 km/h in 5.5 seconds. The Bentley Bentayga S is for sale from 305,880 euros.