If I had told you ten years ago that Rolls Royce, Bentley, or Lamborghini would make an SUV, you likely would have laughed in my face, telling me “it’ll never happen!” Yet, here we are, with three SUVs from three of the most prestigious luxury brands in the world. The majority of you reading this will be wondering if you need an SUV. I don’t blame you because I have the same dilemma.

To be clear, I absolutely love my saloons. They have the right balance between power and practicality, and when I am driving through Europe they are a great GT option. But of late, I have been considering an SUV for myself. Many of you will already have had some experience with a Range Rover, whether it is the Vogue or the Sport. These are fantastic 4x4’s but lack the exclusivity feel. Today, almost anyone can buy a top-of-the-range Vogue. So, the timing of these new Super SUV’s could be right?

THE SMART CHOICE: BENTLEY BENTAYGA

For me, I have always seen Bentley as a brand that encourages its owners to get behind the wheel and take control. It doesn’t matter which model you pick within their current range; getting behind the wheel feels natural. And, let’s be honest, 95% of the time when I see one on the road, the owner is driving it. With the Bentayga, it is the same. From the moment you walk up to the SUV, you naturally walk towards the driver’s door.

When Bentley announced that they were going to make an SUV, my first reaction was, “Why?” I had never felt that they needed to, but now my view has changed. The Bentayga is large; it is 16ft long and almost 6ft wide, so it does dominate the road, even more so on country roads. Yet, when you are behind the wheel, it doesn’t feel as large as it looks.

The Bentayga has a 4.0-litre V8 engine with two twin-scroll turbochargers, which are placed inside the ‘V’ of the engine. This gives the Bentayga 542bhp and a top speed of 180mph. The power is delivered smoothly and gradually, in a very Bentley-like manner. Getting to 60mph takes only 4.4 seconds, which is enough to give most sports cars a run for their money. When you fill the fuel tank, you have a range of approximately 464 miles. The Bentayga also has a Start-Stop feature to help lower the car’s emissions. With many of the world’s cities introducing new laws based on a car’s emissions, the Bentayga should be safe for a good few years.

The exterior design of the Bentayga is in line with the rest of the range, with four round LED headlights and the large matrix grill. This is unmistakably a Bentley. The overall design of the exterior is, in my opinion, ok. It didn’t make me go “WOW” when I first saw it on the road; I didn’t get goose-bumps. One thing I do like is the rear end of the car, it is clean and simple. Overall I am not blown away by the exterior; I think given time, it will grow on me, only time will tell. In terms of the choice of alloys for the car, you have 11 wheel designs to pick from, including an all-new 22” five-spoke wheel with black paint and polished finish.

Moving to the interior, IT IS FAN-BLOODY-TASTIC!

It is one of the nicest places to be; the seats are soft and uber comfortable, the stitching detail on the doors and something you very rarely see--the Carbon Fibre finish. It is a car that you can easily take to Europe for a week with your family or friends and be comfortable no matter where you are going. Finding your way around the dashboard is effortless; the infotainment screen is clear and easy to navigate. Now, you have a choice of different trims from wood panels to wood and leather steering wheel, which is a first for Bentley. There is also a choice of different configurations for the interior seating, from four-, five- or seven-seat, depending on what you are looking to get out of your Bentayga. My advice would be to go for the Five-seat configuration as it will age better, but also it is the most practical layout. It is also worth mentioning that Bentley offers you 15 different interior colours and five different colour splits too.

The Bentayga comes with an 8” infotainment screen with a 60gb hard drive with a choice of 30 languages. You also have access to other features such as Traffic Sign Recognition, Rear Crossing Traffic Warning, which detects any crossing traffic when reversing out of a parking space, and Top View which gives you a birds-eye view of the car, ensuring you don’t hit anything that might damage the car. For your rear passengers, they have access to their own removable 10.2” Android tablet, which is 4g, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth enabled.

For all you music lovers out there, I would absolutely recommend that you get the Premium Audio package. It gives you 1,950 watts, and 18 speakers, as well as super tweeters. When streaming music from your mobile, the sound is immersive - a must-have.

When you are on the road, it is so easy to drive and manoeuvre. The ride is silky smooth, and the cabin is unbelievably quiet. Put your foot down and if you really listen, you can hear a little grumble from the rear quad exhausts. Bentley has given the Bentayga off-road abilities with up to 8 modes, four on road and four off-road. To be honest, you don’t really need to change the dynamics, as you can leave it up to the car to work out where you are and what you need. The Bentayga V8 comes with multi-mode air suspension with four different modes.

I know that the majority of you live in the city and won’t need the off-road features, but if you have country estates or frequently drive on unpaved roads, it is definitely worth it.

THE ULTIMATE SUV TUXEDO: ROLLS ROYCE CULLINAN

Here we have the Rolls Royce Cullinan, named after the largest diamond ever discovered. The Cullinan is Rolls Royce’s first SUV. Now before I go into the Cullinan, let’s look at the existing RR range, which includes the Ghost, the Wraith, and the Phantom.

Whenever I or anyone walks up to a Rolls Royce, I always walk to the rear doors. Whether it is the Phantom or the Ghost, I always do this; it is natural. I don’t even know that I am doing this when it is happening. A Rolls Royce is designed to be driven in, not to be driven. The only two models I can think of that I would want to get behind the wheel is the Wraith or the Dawn. Therefore, I am a little confused by the Rolls Royce Cullinan… Could this be the first model in the range that fits between the two? A car that you can drive and/or be driven in?

Let’s start with the exterior — I think it looks better than the Bentayga. It looks refined and purposeful. Now, don’t get me wrong, it is far from perfect. But it is more perfect than the Bentley. It is not as muscular, and I am glad, but the Cullinan does have a lot of flat panels. It is very BOXY… but overall, a good looking SUV that will sell. I do not doubt that.

So, who is this Cullinan aimed at? According to Rolls Royce, it is for the young adventurer who wants to be able to take his car off the beaten track. For the individual who wants to be comfortable no matter where they are in the world, from park ranges to deserts to remote beaches. The Cullinan can raise or lower the ride height, and it comes with a whole host of technology to allow the car to tackle any terrain.

At the heart of the Cullinan, you have a 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 giving you around 563bhp, with all-wheel drive. The Cullinan is Phantom-like: smooth, quiet, and a brilliant cross-continental cruiser.

This is where the Rolls Royce Cullinan really shines. They always get it right, and it’s such a nice place to be. The leather is soft, the carpet is thick, and thanks to the large windows, it’s light and spacious. When walking up to the car, I am drawn to the driver’s door. It’s odd, but I genuinely want to get behind the wheel and drive this Cullinan. This is something I don’t get with the Phantom or Ghost. The front part of the cabin is a great place to be. Everything is thoughtfully laid out. By pressing the ignition button, the infotainment screen is revealed behind the leather panel.

There is also a host of cutting-edge technology making this RR the most technologically advanced car in the range. You have access to Night Vision, Vision Assist, Alertness Assistant, birds-eye view of the car with Panoramic View, Active Cruise Control, Collision Warning, Lane Departure and Lane Changing Warning, as well as a head-up display and Wifi Hotspot. The Cullinan will also lower itself by 40mm to make entry easier. When you are ready to set off, the ride height will automatically go back to its normal setting.

THE RAGING BULL: LAMBORGHINI URUS

When I first saw the Urus, I was not going to lie; it put a smile on my face. The design works. It is a little out of the box for what Lamborghini normally produces, but with access to Audi’s toolbox and resources, I think that they have done a fantastic job. All the Lamborghini design cues are present with a sharp front bumper through to the muscular rear end. The overall proportions of the car are spot on. It is not as big as the Bentagya or Cullinan; in fact, it is small, but this means that the car feels and looks far more sporty than the Bentley or Rolls Royce. The Urus is designed to be used on a daily basis—a Lamborghini that you can share with your friends and family.

The exterior design takes some inspiration from the earlier LM002. The shape of the car over feels like a large coupé, with frameless doors and a lower front end to aid aerodynamics. The windows are large, allowing enough light to enter the cabin. You can’t escape the muscular lines and the use of the hexagonal theme from the wheel arches to the front grill.

Let’s talk power! Underneath the hood, you have a 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 that produces 650 bhp. That means that you can go from 0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds. There is no escaping that this SUV is quick and, with 4 wheel drive, you can use the power produced from the engine nearly all the time - from a gravelly road to winding passes in the Alps. The engine itself is mounted lower down to ensure the car sticks to the road and helps the car’s centre of gravity, which helps reduce body roll through the corners.

As I mentioned earlier, the Urus comes with four-wheel drive so you can take this SUV almost anywhere. You have access to six different driving modes: Strada, Sport, and Corsa with the addition of Neve (snow), Terra (off-road), and Sabbia (sand). There is also rear-wheel steering, which can vary depending on which mode you have the car in, but ultimately means that the Urus is easy to manoeuvre around town.

When you are accelerating rapidly down the motorway or down a B-road, the deep and throaty exhaust note gives you a tingling sensation in your spine, but when you are just cruising, the cabin is quiet and comfortable. This brings me onto the interior, which is just as luxurious as you would expect.

When you open the driver’s door, you are welcomed by a super simple dash. You have two screens in the centre, one for the main infotainment and the second to control the car functions like the air conditioning. In the middle of the console, you cannot ignore the three big, what look like fighter jet throttle leavers. The first leaver lets you choose the car mode, the large middle selector for the gears (Drive, park, reverse, etc) and the third to control the suspension, and various other abilities.

Compared to the high-end Cullinan and Bentayga, the Urus doesn’t feel quite as luxurious. But this is a very different vehicle. The Urus is designed for the driver, to give the family man or woman who enjoys driving but gives them the practicality of an SUV. Now don’t get me wrong, the quality is absolutely flawless. The materials are soft, the layout is functional, and the digital instrumental dials are stunning; it just doesn’t ooze style.

These three SUVs are unique in their own right.

The Cullinan is perfect for taking you and your family for a weekend break to the Chalet in the woods, or a formal Polo event. Realistically, this is not a car that you would take off-road and I am not talking about just driving in a field. The Cullinan is an amazing car and one that will sell really well, with individuals who want a Rolls Royce that they can drive themselves over the weekend.

The Urus is an amazing SUV which is the sportier option out of the three. I definitely won’t take this car off-road and would use it as a GT SUV, taking it across countries and for driving around towns and cities. The Urus is special, and honestly, if you are looking for an SUV that will give you a smile, a buzz, then you have to add this to your collection.

The all-new Bentayga? In my opinion, if you want a luxury SUV that can do it all, then this is the option for you. It’s one of the most versatile vehicles on the market; it truly can do it all. It feels great to drive, it’s practical, the interior is special and it really is a Super SUV that you can use every single day, whether you’re taking the family to the cinema, doing the school run or even going on a grand tour. I would advise that you go down to your local Bentley showroom and take a test drive. You won’t regret it.