Too often we end up identifying a car by what it shows at a first and fleeting glance. Looking at the Bentayga, it is legitimate to wonder whether the majority of its customers will actually use it for the skills that this SUV is able to offer. We decided to see it as a Grand Tourer with a few more centimeters from the ground and therefore drive in search of the longest and most winding road. However, the 462 hp and 700 Nm of torque also know how to entertain on the fastest stretches.

Words Andrea Albertazzi / Photos Bruno Serra

If you haven’t miss the first episode of “The Explorers Club” series – for which I have the honor of writing the second chapter – you did the right thing and you will surely have read how the most beautiful adventures often come to life through a pure succession of coincidences. Everything begins and then, to paraphrase a certain Heraclitus, everything flows (panta rei, ed.). Almost. In fact, “my” Bentley has been stuck on the fast lane of the motorway for thirty minutes, now literally overwhelmed by construction sites and the endless traffic jams that form at any time of day or night.

We made sure to set the alarm before the cockcrow, to check the weather conditions once again and not to forget a good supply of caffeine and warm clothing, but Autostrade per l’Italia doesn’t give a damn about our plans and continues to make us accumulate delays on the idealized timetable. I take advantage of one of the many moments in which both the thermal V6 and the electric unit of the new Bentayga Azure go to rest in order to leave the driver’s seat to the photographer Bruno and sit in the back sofa. Since it is an SUV particularly dedicated to comfort, it is not a bad decision at all, especially considering that the traffic shows no signs of decreasing. With the sun about to rise we finally manage to free ourselves from the snake of cars and cross the French border, continuing some other boring kilometers towards Nice, the point in which we finally leave that motorway hell.

A little less than a year ago we were lucky enough to drive the Flying Spur Azure, the sedan (almost the size of a limousine) that positions Bentley as one of the major references in terms of luxury and elegance. The Azure trim is then that touch of refinement that is the result of a maniacal search for comfort that cannot be found elsewhere, emphasized by solutions bordering on the unthinkable and that precisely where they do not come into play in an obvious way, nevertheless manage to make the on-board experience a triumph of relax and peace of the senses. Yes, even after hours of motorway traffic, I have now forgotten everything and am preparing to return where I prefer: at the wheel. After all, even more than the Flying Spur, the Bentayga is an SUV that invites you to drive, rather than live it in the rear. This particular model gives up some bits such as the rotating central display, refrigerated armrest and rear screens, so I don’t delay any longer and I sit where I belong.

As I hold the steering wheel in my hands, I can feel the soft leather and the care with which every millimeter fits perfectly around that smooth crown from which to maneuver an authentic ship on wheels: 513 centimeters long and exactly 2 meters wide, for a weight that touches two and a half tons. Numbers that you perceive on the move, but that are as if zeroed out especially thanks to the fluidity with which you can overtake in electric mode thanks to its 18 kWh that guarantee about 43 kilometers with zero emissions. This is a value that can then be regenerated, not only by connecting the car to the charging column – yep, it’s a Plug-In – but during driving and braking. Of course you don’t buy a quarter-million-euro Bentley thinking about fuel consumption and refueling costs, but in this case the hybrid component is more of something that optimizes emissions and driving, because let’s be clear, as silent as the 3-liter V6 is, traveling in electric mode you only perceive a slight rustle of the wind, which is incredibly muffled by the excellent soundproofing of the passenger compartment, that still cuts the typical noise of winter tires very well. We keep the Var on one side and climb north, taking advantage of a day kissed by a warm sort-of-spring sun. If I had to describe this car with just one adjective, I would still use the word “imposing”, and not only referring to the grandiose grille at the front, which in black also increases the charm and sportiness of the car, but because between the ground clearance and the on-board pampering you really feel above the rest of the world. You can’t help but notice it also by the way in which the motorists around look at you. The Azure treatment, as mentioned, amplifies every sensation thanks to an attention to detail that starts from the materials used, passing through soundproofing, air quality and electronic management of suspensions that in turn communicate with the satellite navigator. In short, the Bentayga Azure could be the cure for back pain and not only the ideal way to reach fabulous locations with four other people on board and 484 liters of cargo in the trunk.

Words, too many words that I know very well are not capable of truly conveying the idea of ​​what it is like to drive comfortably perched on a leather armchair with a hundred thousand adjustments, without ever worrying about anything other than gently pointing the steering wheel towards your destination. The Bentley mode takes care of the rest, which adapts the response of the gearbox, steering and engine in real time based on the driver’s inputs. But the road to Entrevaux widens to the point of tickling my fingers and moving the knob to Sport, then managing the 8-speed automatic transmission via the (small) paddles on the steering. The V6 revs up and as I press the throttle to the floor I notice that the 462 horses available quickly move the blue colossus along the very wide road ahead. Even more suddenly than I would have imagined. The traffic disappears completely and aware that this Bentayga was not designed to tear up the asphalt, I note with pleasure that the 700 Nm of torque delivered by the petrol and the electric engine ensemble is undoubtedly capable of moving us quickly from one point to another. We are talking about an acceleration that from a standstill reaches 100 kph in just 5.3 seconds – remember that we are carrying 2,440 kg – and a constant progression that is reflected in that engine hood that seems to point to the sky every time you step on the gas pedal with more force than usual. Without even realizing it, everything becomes even more muffled and I drastically slow down the pace. I am surrounded by the majestic Daluis gorges and its red rocks, one of the most absurd places on the planet, made even more scenic by the tunnels barely dug into the stone and those balconies overlooking the canyon that seem to have brought a bit of Arizona to the old continent. It is necessary to slow down and not only because in some sections the width of the road and that of the Bentley imply greater caution when crossing those few vehicles coming from the opposite direction, but because it is truly impossible not to be enchanted by this Martian landscape that depending on the light makes the walls red as fire or more tending towards a burgundy wine. Once past the Tête de femme (the woman’s head), also known as the guardian of the gorges, it is like having access to another world and it seems impossible that a road could find space and meaning in a place like this. We proceed at 30 kph in order to enjoy such a natural masterpiece, benefiting from the enormous panoramic roof of the Bentayga and noticing how some rocks extend above our heads at least as much as they do a few centimeters from the wheels, then throwing themselves downwards for over 900 meters of vertical cliff.

Stops are a must here and while Bruno captures the fantastic contrast of colors and shapes in a photograph, I let the sun’s rays caress my skin before getting back on board and setting off again towards a place that we could define as antipodal, at least in terms of scenery. Less than fifty kilometers away is in fact one of my favorite Alpine passes: the Col de la Cayolle. It’s late February and so the pass is logically closed, but the high temperatures of the last few days suggest that it will be possible to almost reach the summit and above all enjoy the majesty of the road that leads from Entraunes to the peak, in the almost total solitude of an Alpine road in the heart of winter. But first it’s time to let the 6-cylinder breathe and so I take advantage of the so-called prairies after Guillaumes, leaving the helm to Alex and returning to enjoy the comfort offered by the rear area. The Bentayga, thanks to its four-wheel steering, moves well in tight spaces, but where it has the possibility of enjoying more space it logically has the skill to make the most of the power available. In this regard, although 462 horsepower is a remarkable value, both the delivery and the dynamics – even in Sport mode – never act abruptly, leading the driver to prefer a soft and relaxed ride, which is the ultimate mission of the Azure treatment.

The road has become literally deserted and from the back seats I enjoy the landscape of the Cayolle which at least up to 1,500 meters is completely free of snow. The road surface is clean and after a few kilometers I notice that the outside temperature is approaching 0°. Climate control at tropical setting and we continue ringing curves and hairpin bends as if we were the last human beings in the world: the silence of the electric unit – at least on flat stretches – and the absence of any sign of life give us a Cayolle like we have never seen. This is a wild place and even if it won’t be possible to reach an altitude of 2,300 meters we get closer like never before. We are still enraptured by the view that the clear sky offers of the snow-capped mountain ranges a few kilometers as the crow flies from where we rest the enormous tires with 21-inch rims and I wonder how it is possible not to use a car like this to reach these places instead of keeping it in the city center and scraping the bumper as someone clumsily did before us. Trust me, here you would not have risked making a fool of yourself as a random self-proclaimed influencer and you would have fully enjoyed the quintessential Bentley, namely its nature as a luxury grand tourer, in the case of the Bentayga suitable for all seasons.

Now, a few meters away from us, there is a wall of frozen snow. It is the word stop to our climb, but not to the adventure shared with a car that perhaps more than any other earned a place in the hearts of enthusiasts, finally demonstrating that even with a few extra centimeters from the ground, the identity of one of the historic and most noble British brands has its own precise space in the contemporary automotive panorama. As far as we are concerned, it is no news that we prefer the less traveled roads, the more tortuous and distant ones, rather than the chaos of the city. After all, we do not care about being observed from other motorists, what matters is what we see beyond the windshield and the emotions we feel in the cockpit. The Bentayga Hybrid, considered as the entry level of the current range, does not give up anything other than the roar of the V8 or W12 and the relative performance of its bigger brothers, but thanks above all to the emphasis offered by the Azure spec, it enjoys a life of its own in a price list that is anything but limited and limiting.

The starting price is around €200,000, to which you add significant optional extras such as the black profiles (instead of chrome) for €4,405 and the Naim stereo system for €6,865, which I admit I have never turned on, but this is my professional deformation, given that in a car I prefer to hear the engine or in this case the silence while driving. All things considered, you take home a model like this for €226,653, an expense – allow me to say – honest for what you actually get away with. The more powerful engines and sportier characterizations are obviously more appealing for different needs and perhaps for a more dynamic and young customer, but after a whole day of driving and with at least 5 hours on the road home and the awareness of the motorway traffic that await us, I would not want to be in any other car. I’m done for today, I sit in the back and while I stretch my legs I put on the headphones and start spinning a good old Genesis LP. Everything else remains outside my very personal comfort zone.

BENTLEY BENTAYGA AZURE

Engine V6 cylinder Plug-In Hybrid, 2.995 cc Power 462 hp Torque 700 Nm

Traction All-Wheel-Drive Transmission 8-Speed Automatic Gearbox Weight 2.440 kg

0-100 kph 5,3 sec Top Speed 254 kph Price from€226.653