The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)

Bentley’s Bentayga for when only the best will do

- By Marc Grasso

Most have only dreamed about even seeing them, let alone experienci­ng them firsthand.

With so many vehicle categories on the market, it’s difficult to find a vehicle for the extreme upper class. Historical­ly, the first thing that has come to mind has always been Rolls Royce and Bentley. Now with Volkswagen’s increased luxury flair as Bentley’s parent company, we recognize why, for the price, they shine and glimmer.

This week we define the ultimate luxury experience with Bentley’s newly redesigned Bentayga, the most luxurious SUV of all.

For Bentley, they love the sporty yet upscale look of their vehicles while setting the standard for luxury among other manufactur­ers in the segment.

For the budget-friendly (in this category, at least) $177,000 base price, you get to experience

the unimaginab­le. Our Breeze colored exterior and Linen/ Burnt Oak accent interior was exquisite. You can tell that the fine “down to detail’ is where Bentley shines. Our Bentayga came with over $65,000 in options, from hand-crossed stitching in the seats to mood lighting. The Bentayga was certainly

created for the upper class.

There are seven exterior color paint options and five premium interior hide colors.

A V8 4.0 twin-turbo-charged engine producing 550 horsepower and a meaty 770 lb.-ft. of torque was easy on its feet and had no problems getting there quickly. But that was not the only thing — it did it in such a fashion that it was smooth and soothing. The dynamic ride option helped out a lot in this category and is a must-have. We used Sport mode for most of our test and loved its ultra-low ride height and instant power at the push of the pedal.

A 10.9-inch infotainme­nt system with high resolution retina display was positioned correctly in the center stack of the Bentayga, and the center console was wide and comforting while not impeding on leg room.

This vehicle is your typical everyday cruiser for the atypical driver who loves to experience something special. For that classifica­tion of consumers, do me a favor and go build a Bentayga on the web ... allow yourself to dream.

Bentley Bentayga

MSRP: $177,000

As tested: $244,870

MPG: 15 city, 24 highway, 19.2 as tested

 ?? MARC GRASSO — MEDIANEWS GROUP ?? The Bentley Bentayga is a luxury SUV to write home about, with A V8 4.0 twin-turbo-charged engine producing 550 horsepower and a smooth and powerful ride, plus more cool options than you shake a stick at.
MARC GRASSO — MEDIANEWS GROUP The Bentley Bentayga is a luxury SUV to write home about, with A V8 4.0 twin-turbo-charged engine producing 550 horsepower and a smooth and powerful ride, plus more cool options than you shake a stick at.

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