Bentley Bentayga SUV Navy Green

In the UK, there’s a chance that the new Hybrid model, a first for Bentley, will appeal to Bentayga buyers. It is quite well suited to our tax structures, especially for company car drivers, and helps ease the conscience of anyone driving a car that weighs as much as a prefabricated house. Behind that huge grille and beneath the floor is a petrol, 3-litre turbocharged V6 engine and battery-powered electric motor to offer an electric driving range of up to 24 miles, and a combined total range of 464 miles when operated in the default hybrid drive setting. These work together to help reduce CO2 emissions to 124g/km, and fuel economy rises to 50mpg, yet it’s still a quick car, with 0-60mph taking 5.2 seconds. The trouble is, the battery drains quite quickly and the engine note is far from the mechanical symphony that Bentley is so well known for. Opt for the 4.0-litre V8 – as around 70 per cent of customers do – and you have a car with all the performance you could ever need. It can catapult the car from standstill to 60mph in 4.4 seconds, which is as fast as many sports cars, but really comes into its own in day-to-day driving. Here, it delivers effortless urge, a perfectly judged soundtrack and roadholding that will have you and your passengers in awe of how composed the big Bentley feels. Those who insist on the ultimate will find much to like about the Speed. Powered by a 6.0-litre W12 engine, it is an excess-all-areas driving experience, with a loud sports exhaust that pops and bangs in the manner of a 12-gun salute when you select the Sport driving mode. The acceleration will have the air turning blue if passengers are aboard, and the braking and roadholding are – thankfully – up to the task of managing this 626bhp steamroller. The driving experience can be subtly adjusted by more than your right foot. All Bentaygas feature a rotary dial between the front seats that can be cycled between Bentley, Comfort, Sport and Individual modes, while the Hybrid model can also be set to run on battery power alone. The same controller switches between the settings that define how the car’s suspension and four-wheel drive systems work together.