Month: May 2024

A new series of Bentley Bentayga special editions has been announced, with a focus on performance and personalisation.

The Apex Edition is the latest addition to the Bentayga range. The luxury SUV features sportier styling, plus plenty of carbon fibre components.

Bentley’s bespoke Mulliner department has created six themes for the Bentayga Apex Edition, ranging from subtle to extravagant. Alternatively, customers can opt for a completely bespoke car, tailored to their individual taste (or lack of, potentially).

There is also a special Le Mans-inspired colour scheme available, with sales limited solely to those who already own a Bentley Continental GT or GTC Le Mans Edition.

Carbon captured

Being based on the Bentayga S V8 means the Apex Edition can muster a substantial 542hp and 568lb ft of torque. The headline numbers are 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 180mph.

Bentley has added a set of Mulliner 22-inch alloy wheels, crafted from lightweight carbon fibre, which reduce unsprung mass by a considerable 24kg. They are also said to improve steering response and even reduce tyre wear.

Carbon ceramic brakes are also fitted as standard, shaving another 20kg from the Bentayga’s kerb weight.

More carbon is used for the front splitter, rear spoiler, side sills and door mirror caps, along with on the dashboard. Completing the package, carbon Apex Edition badges can be found on the Bentayga’s rear pillars.

Go as bold as you like

Of the six Mulliner-created themes, the one pictured here is the first choice on Bentley’s list.

Providing an example of what is possible, it combines bold Candy Red exterior paintwork with an Anthracite body stripe. The latter is highlighted by Arctic White pinstripes.

On the inside, Arctic White and Hotspur leather upholstery are used throughout the cabin. More Arctic White features as the contrast stitching, seat piping and around the carbon fibre dashboard trim.

Owners of the Le Mans Edition Continental models can have their Apex Edition finished in Verdant Green, with a contrasting Moonbeam racing stripe.

The sky is the limit

Production of the Bentayga Apex Edition is limited to just 20 examples worldwide. Customers will be encouraged to work with the bespoke Mulliner team, helping craft their perfect specification for the luxury SUV.

Given the level of customisation on offer, Bentley has not released prices for the Apex Edition. As a guide, however, the standard V8-powered Bentayga S starts from just over £200,000.

We suspect those considering a unique Bentayga will be limited only by their imagination, rather than by their bank balance.

What makes the Kamiq Skoda SUV good to drive?

The Kamiq, which is Skoda’s smallest SUV, has a modern SUV style, so despite it having a footprint no larger than a typical family hatchback, it has a lot of presence and looks very much like a mini version of the brand’s other SUVs.

Its compact dimensions make it an excellent pick for urban environments, where it’s easy to manoeuvre and its high driving position gives an excellent outward view.

Inside, the Kamiq is equipped with everything you’ll need, including a touchscreen infotainment system that works with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – just like the system on any other modern Skoda.

The engines you can pick from represent this car’s town-based nature, and we think the 116hp 1.0-litre petrol engine is a good match for this car. Other popular picks include a less powerful 95hp variant, plus a 150hp 1.5-litre petrol. Older cars had a 115hp 1.6-litre diesel option, but unless you’re doing high miles, the petrols are better.

Is the Karoq a good Skoda SUV model?

Something of a large crossover or small SUV, the Skoda Karoq is an excellent family SUV for anyone graduating from a hatchback – it’s not an awful lot larger in terms of size, but it has a lot more space inside.

The well-appointed cabin offers all the essentials, with newer cars getting features like rear parking sensors, LED headlights, a digital instrument cluster and dual-zone climate control as standard. Some optional extras, when you climb the trim levels, include heated seats, a heated steering wheel, a reversing camera, front parking sensors and keyless entry.

Compared with other small SUVs in this class, the Karoq has a great-sized boot. Models fitted with the VarioFlex system have three separate rear seats that can slide independently – if you don’t need loads of legroom, you can unlock even more boot space.

You get the standard pick of engines, which includes a 150hp 1.5-litre petrol and a 116hp 1.0-litre petrol, but over the years, more powerful models have been available, including two 2.0-litre diesels with 150hp or 190hp.

Is the Kodiaq the best in the Skoda SUV range?

The Skoda Kodiaq might just be the ultimate seven-seater SUV (some entry-level models only have five seats), because all the seats are very usable and it can be a lot cheaper than more premium alternatives, despite its high-quality interior.

The seven-seater model has a huge 765-litre boot, and even with the rearmost seats in place there’s a very practical 270-litre space – this is around as much as you’d get in the entire Ford Fiesta.

The Kodiaq has been available since 2017 when it became the brand’s first in a series of new SUVs. As a guide, facelifted models sold after 2021 come with all-round parking sensors and a reversing camera, while mid-spec models add real luxuries like a powered boot lid, keyless entry and leather upholstery.

The core offering consists of that popular 150hp 1.5-litre petrol engine, plus a 2.0-litre diesel with 200hp and a 2.0-litre petrol with 190hp. You can even get a performance Kodiaq vRS with a 245hp 2.0-litre petrol engine.

Used Skoda SUVs: is the Enyaq worth a look?

If you’re after a stylish electric SUV, then the Skoda Enyaq is a great model to consider because it’s ultra modern-looking but it still looks conventional – for example, it still has a familiar grille area, even though electric cars don’t need one. It’s distinctly Skoda, but it has a different look from the brand’s other SUVs to separate it as an electric model.

Energy is stored in either a 58kWh or a 77kWh battery, which means you will be able to travel up to 250 or 350 miles between charges.

A 2024 facelift saw power upgraded to 179hp or 286hp, depending on the variant, plus there was a 204hp variant when the car was first introduced. A performance 340hp model, the Enyaq vRS, can do 0-62mph in 5.5 seconds (or 6.5 seconds for pre-facelift models), and there’s also a regular 4×4 model.

Boot space is great, and all models have a 585-litre area regardless of powertrain, which is more space than you get in the Volkswagen ID.4, with which this car shares its platform.

Why is the Enyaq Coupé the best Skoda SUV for me?

As the name suggests, an Enyaq Coupé is a coupé-SUV that’s based on the Enyaq but has a sloping rear roofline reminiscent of the BMW X6. It’s mechanically very similar to the Volkswagen ID.5.

Apart from the sportier styling, it’s the same car as the regular Enyaq, so you’ll have the same pick of electric motors and batteries, except the coupé-like styling helps to improve aerodynamics, so you might notice a slight increase in range.

Like the regular Enyaq, the Enyaq Coupé doesn’t do trim levels in the usual sense (though there are some Edition models to pick from, which add more kit than basic models). Instead, you’ll have the choice of interior styles and plenty of optional extras.

Even the most basic model is well-equipped, so you can expect things like front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, cruise control and a very big touchscreen infotainment system – always remember to check any individual listing, because standard equipment varies by model year.

Should I buy a Skoda Yeti SUV?

Skoda has been on an SUV mission lately, and several stylish models have followed on since the Kodiaq, however, the brand still made rugged-looking models before all of this.

One of its earliest SUV-like models, the Yeti, is a cross between an SUV and a people carrier, as evidenced by its boxy shape. It was first introduced in 2009, but Skoda made considerable upgrades to things like car tech and efficiency over the years.

You could have the Yeti with a range of efficient petrol and diesel engines, and it had a well-tuned suspension setup that was soft enough to absorb the lumps and bumps of our roads.

Some models were sold with an optional four-wheel-drive system, which added even more ability to this fairly small crossover. The inside might feel less up-to-date than Skoda’s latest SUVs, but it’s still a high-quality space with plenty of hard-wearing materials.