SUV’s continue to dominate new vehicle sales.

Interestingly, upper luxury brands Bentley, Lamborghini and shortly Rolls-Royce have an entry in the rapidly growing SUV market – an area of the market well outside their traditional boundaries. The Bentley Bentayga to me is boxy and heavy looking lacking the sportiness you’d expect from a Bentley. Bentley’s heritage after all is about sports orientated cars and the Bentayga is simply a large ugly box. Likewise the boxy Rolls-Royce Cullinen SUV due next year lacks the elegance and presence so synonymous with that brand. With slogans like ‘effortless everywhere’ and ‘tested to destruction’ and with a wading depth of 540mm its far from the Rolls-Royce of old – and as if you’d take a $685,000 Rolls-Royce off-road. The Rolls-Royce and Bentley upper luxury SUV’s to me do little to enhance their brand’s image whereas the brilliantly styled and sporty Lamborghini Urus SUV has the flair and excitement to further the Italian makers appeal. I’m David Berthon

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