With the central knurled rotary control you can sweep through the various driving modes. You will most often use Comfort, Sport or the Goldilocks mode, named Bentley.
We found that while the body take on a gratifyingly languid attitude when the suspension is in Comfort, it’s actually the marginally firmer Bentley mode in which the Speed feels sweeter. That extra edge of control makes for a neater gait and there’s seemingly no trade-off in ride quality.
At a quick flow, you’re treated to a touch of lean, resolutely cushioned, and balance that’s good enough for you to enjoy pushing the car a bit.
Add in steering that has surprising life to it, with a motion that invites you to guide the Speed gently and precisely, and the result is a 2466kg super-luxury SUV that is genuinely satisfying to drive.
Rear-wheel steering, seen for the first time on the Speed, also gives the car a useful bit of added manoeuvrability.
We would however be wary of the 23in wheels, particularly in the UK. They leave little in the way of sidewall and, with such a gargantuan wheel-and-tyre-package, which represents a considerable amount of unsprung mass, any imperfections in the road can be transmitted more faithfully than you would want in a £220,000 luxury SUV.
