By Dumi Xaba

A wise man once said, you can judge a man by the company he keeps.

I have personally coined the one that says, you can judge a man by his ride.

Everyone has different tastes like sipping champagne from a special champagne glass or if you are like me, drinking your beer directly from your 750ml bottle.

Four years ago, a very refined company that caters only for the well-refined ladies and gentlemen by the name Bentley Motors, which is part of VW group, tested unchartered waters by launching an SUV.

Although it’s not one of their historical motoring offerings, it has suddenly become a leading trend in the world. They launched a product called Bentayga which is one of the most beautiful and classiest SUVs in the market.

There was nothing like it at the time. It was launched with a beast of heart in the form of a 6L W12 engine that will haul this behemoth from standstill to freeway speed in 4 seconds. Now, that’s totally insane, considering that the car weighs well over 2.5 tons.

Trust the Germans when it comes to such bonkers figures. They have a bad influence on our English gentlemen in a good way, of course.

For those whose consciousness is easily affected by emission figures, we are treated to an oil burner in the form of a 4LV8 that will make your jealous boss trade in his S-Class in a haste.

This is one of the fastest oil-burners, less than a second slower than its W12 gas addicted sibling.

Note that although you can haul this beauty at lightning speed, it’s actually meant for that classy gracious effortless driving. Inside, you are treated to that known British no-nonsense pure leather meant for those who have those luxury titles like Sir, Your Highness and so forth.

The instrumentation is analogue, giving that British hand-made touch. Wireless Apple car play and Android comes standard. Cell signal-booster comes standard while charging. You are also treated to the Rolls Royce-like stitching. Beautiful silver chroming and almost a total absence of plastic.

I must confess, I don’t own a tuxedo, hence I only started the car and was driven around in the most luxurious cockpit by the blokes from Fouche motors. The W12 whispers until you slam that gas pedal and the beast awakens.

This engine produces 412kw and 900Nm of power, almost like a Bugatti. The diesel engine produces an insane 320kw and the same power figures of 900Nm.

Make no mistake, everything about this car is royalty. The air suspension gives you an aircraft-like smooth ride. It absorbs all your pot holes, as if you are riding on a magic carpet. Although petrol is not an issue when driving this kind of vehicle, they have that modest VW gentleness when it comes to fuel consumption.

The current Bentayga takes more of its facial DNA from the previous generation flying spur with those beautiful crystal headlamps that are automated, based on your speed. They are carefully made so as not to dazzle your fellow road users, dimmer on lower speeds and brighter I8 on higher speeds.

The SUV recipe was a good bet for Bentley Motor. Close to 70% of all Bentley cars sold, the Bentayga their flagship. The car has just been updated and the newer model is to die for.

It boasts clean lines and a beautifully updated back and front. It will be launched in South Africa around the third quarter of 2022. If you are a well-refined gentleman, this car will definitely be your steed. For the rest of us cowboys, we will take our chances with the gangster G-wagon. Both the petrol and diesel retail for around R4 million. The main competitors, who have recently copied the recipe, are Rolls Royce Cullinan, Aston Martin DBX and Lamborghini Urus.