Bentley weren’t going to miss out on such an enormous segment of the car market. Launched in 2015, the Bentayga is Bentley’s answer to an obsession with SUVs seen across the world. A nod to the success of the luxury Range Rover model lineup, Bentley’s trick was to combine German engineering with a handmade British veneer. Part of the VW group, the Bentayga shares much of its underpinnings with Audi’s Q7 and Porsche’s Cayenne – a platform which later became the base for the Lamborghini Urus too.

There are a couple of key differentiators that go some way to justify the Bentley Bentayga as one of the world’s most expensive SUVs, though. Its flagship powertrain is a six-litre W12 engine, which at launch made the Bentayga the fastest SUV on the market. It’s been followed by more economical V8 petrols and diesels, and there is also a hybrid V6 variant. Meanwhile, all its parts come together at Bentley’s home in Crewe, England, where craftsmen trained over generations hand-finish each vehicle. If a Range Rover is luxurious, the Bentayga is truly palatial.

The Bentley Bentayga’s price indicates this supposed step-up – it starts where Range Rovers end, from just over £130,000. However, used Bentley Bentaygas are reasonably attainable, presenting good value as well as good residual expectations for second owners onwards. It seems that Bentley’s entry into the luxury SUV market has paid off for the marque and can even boast celebrity owners like David Beckham and even Her Majesty the Queen.

In 2019 Bentley unveiled the Bentayga Speed as the fastest SUV in the world. With power now up to 626bhp from the 6.0L Twin-Turbo W12 unit and more aggressive streamlined body-styling, the Bentayga Speed is now capable of a 0-60mph sprint of just 3.8 seconds and on to the record breaking top speed of 190mph!