Munich Leave the scorching heat of this Italian August to find 15 degrees and pouring rain in Munich quite surprising. The intense early morning traffic accompanies the taxi ride that takes us from the airport to the local Bentley dealership where we will find an example of the 2021 model year Bentayga subjected to a robust face-lift compared to the first version.
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The Bentley Bantayga Orange Flame First Edition 2021
The forecourt of the Bavarian Bentley dealer crowded with beautiful and expensive toys but, above all, the grandeur and personality of the Bentayga Orange Flame First Edition that will be the protagonist of our short test stands out. Receiving the keys to such an inevitably exciting object but, before getting on board, it seems appropriate to take a closer look at this imposing luxury SUV. The particular color, so lively and almost cheeky, can leave you perplexed for an instant but in reality, once the first surprise is overcome, you can notice the mastery with which the painted and mirror-polished car is enriched with aluminum particles so as to make the color almost iridescent depending on the light conditions.
Taking a ride around the new Bentayga the aesthetic differences compared to the recent past are also evident. Now the indisputable grandeur of this model has been softened with softer and more sinuous lines. The completely revised front highlights the characteristic four headlights, naturally full LED, and the huge air intakes but the appearance is decidedly less martial than previously. Even the sides, while retaining the well-evident muscular wheel arches, have been refined with a clever use of softer lines and the rear of the car now appears much more elegant, clean and contemporary.
The Bentayga, in short, with this face-lift it becomes much more attractive and elegant. Going on board, however, no surprises. The interiors show the usual opulence, charming quality and sophistication of this prestigious brand. You can spend whole days admiring the painstaking care, the craftsmanship, the preciousness of the materials with which these cars born in Crew are built. You really have to lose your head enjoying every detail, even the smallest detail, the result of a skill and the search for the best of the best that have made the Bentley workers a legend in interior design. The quality of the leathers, seams, steel of the various buttons and of each component always leaves you speechless.
The impression of being in a precious living room hi-tech in this First Edition of the Bentayga 2021 is then accentuated by the fully digital cockpit and a brand new carbon fiber band that embraces the dashboard and the upper part of the doors. After the first moment of luxury ecstasy, it is time to press the On button that gives life to the 550hp 4-liter V8 and…, nothing seems to happen. In reality, the mighty engine is regularly started but the Bentayga’s soundproofing level insulates its occupants so well that the engine sound is unnoticeable.
Automatic gearshift lever in Drive and off we go, the Bentley SUV glides silently in the pouring rain of this Bavarian summer and climbs in relationship with exemplary sweetness. The traffic on the roads that lead out of Munich is very intense but still allows you to see how naturally the Bentayga can move even in very crowded streets. The destination of the first part of our test is the Tegernsee, a beautiful lake surrounded by the mountains of Bavaria. The ride tests our eagerness to unleash the reins of this mighty Bentley. The traffic is always intense and even the stretch of motorway we travel on is subject to severe speed limits and therefore the dream of unleashing the full power of the Bentayga V8 remains so for now. The heavy rain and the type of roads and conditions show very well the very high level of technology lavished with both hands in this prestigious British SUV. The Adas fitted to the Bentayga are the most complete and recent and the gear is constantly monitored by the car’s redundant equipment which, for its part, also accompanies moments of boring driving with an absolutely exemplary infotainment, navigation and air conditioning system.
The Tegernsee once reached, it would be a beautiful lake if you could only admire it with the sun. For us it remains a gray mirror under a thick blanket of clouds. Starting again from the first stop, the journey becomes much more interesting. After a few kilometers that are still quite banal, we reach a toll road that winds along a stretch of the river Isar. Very little traffic and lots of curves finally allow us to better test the dynamic capabilities of the big Bentayga. And it must be said immediately that this Bentley immediately demonstrates that the brand’s DNA is absolutely present. If in the past, in fact, racing Bentleys were affectionately called racing trucks, the Bentayga, today, shows that it knows how to perfectly marry extra large dimensions with high performance. The V8’s 550 hp are always ready to respond and, in spite of the truly remarkable mass of over 24 quintals, the Bentley SUV is fun and brilliant to drive.
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The proverbial icing on the cake arrives immediately after half an hour of tight curves when we take the highway in a stretch where, finally, there are no speed limits. Despite the rain, the low traffic in this area allows us to press the gas pedal with determination and the Bentayga turns out for what it is. A travel cruiser that allows a completely safe and convincing drive even at speeds that would be considered criminal by us. The car can reach 290 km per hour, we have not pushed it up to this limit but by traveling well over 200 per hour on wet surfaces we have finally been able to understand what is the most authentic nature of this car that welcomes its guests sumptuously. occupants but who also knows how to create a real intimacy between the car and its truly satisfying driver.
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To achieve this close link, for the price list he says about 157,000 euros are needed for the standard versions which become almost 225,000 for the First Edition of our test. And therefore with this vaguely sad consideration that we return the keys to the jewel and go back, in the rain, to the taxi to the airport. The scorching heat of Italian August for free …
10 August 2020 (change August 10, 2020 | 14:04)
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