Bentley's Brutes

A break in proceedings during an exclusive preview of the fourth-generation Bentley Continental GT afforded us an opportunity to sample the stately yet hair-raising Bentayga S

- Ian McLaren

BENTLEY BENTAYGA S ETA: NOW

Under the custodianship of the Volkswagen Group since 1998, the subsequent arrival of the first Continental GT in 2003 provided both the groundwork and the profits for Bentley to build on its legacy of producing proudly British, powerful yet effortlessly luxurious automobiles. On trend, this included the introduction of the Bentayga in 2015, the brand's first SUV.

Like the Porsche Cayenne with which it shares its VWAG MLB platform, this raised-ride height (and best-selling) Bentley has evolved from being a somewhat clumsily styled amalgamation of various marketing department-driven 'requirements' to an altogether more fluid proposition. This includes an extended wheelbase version, a dramatic-looking new Black Edition derivative, and the revised middle-ground Bentayga S.

The S model, introduced in 2021, offers customers a best-of-both-worlds scenario where a comfortable and luxuriously appointed family SUV is nevertheless capable of delivering an astonishing turn of pace should the mood dictate; its exterior styling upgraded accordingly.

Parked alongside the Azure version, in which I was chauffeured to the Parcmotor Castelloli test circuit outside of Barcelona, the updated Bentayga S distinguishes itself via a standard Blackline package that replaces the chrome grille and accents on the flagship model with sportier-looking black finishes for the honeycomb grille, badging, mirrors, sills, and roof rails. Massive brake callipers are visible behind the standard 22-inch alloy wheels, while a substantial tailgate-mounted wing and quad oval tailpipes complete the look.