This thing makes the Continental GT family look good.
M
There are 2000 clients that a ready to buy it. Enough to green-light ?
This car is so incrdibly ugly.
The interior is great, though.
Like it or not, Bentley will be bringing an SUV to showrooms based on its polarizing EXP 9 F concept car unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March. Bentley tells us potential customers love the design, something the brand’s outgoing CEO, Wolfgang Dürheimer, reaffirmed at the recent Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Though the general public may disagree, Dürheimer explained that Bentleys aren’t sold to your average new car buyer.
"A Bentley is not a car for everyone," he said to Inside Line. He went on to concede that the design is not perfect, and that survey results show that most Bentley customers rate the design somewhere “between 7 and 10."
In a previous interview, Bentley’s exterior design chief David Hilton said the styling of the production version will be toned down a bit compared to the concept, though the quad-circle headlight design would remain, as well as the commanding driving position and overall proportions.
Something not previewed on the concept, though likely to make production, is the option of third-row seats. While most versions are expected to be ordered with just two rows, some buyers, particularly those who typically have a nanny tagging along to mind their kids, are said to be interested in a third-row.
This means that the production version is also likely to be bigger than the concept, which may look big in images though is not quite full-size when it comes to SUV standards. To make sure the big SUV still performs like a Bentley, the vehicle will debut with a 12-cylinder engine. Further down the track a more sporting V-8 option will be offered, followed by a plug-in hybrid option.
Bentley has confirmed that 2,000 people have already expressed a firm interest in the car, and it looks like the automaker’s plant in Crewe is already starting the early preparation work for its production. We expect the new SUV to launch sometime in late 2014 or early the following year.
Though there have been reports that preparations for the production of Bentley’s new SUV based on the EXP 9 F concept are already underway, the automaker’s CEO Wolfgang Schreiber has now revealed that the decision on the SUV is yet to be made, though it’s close. Schreiber has also revealed that the styling of any SUV launched by Bentley will be closer to the tasteful lines of its existing models, rather than the polarizing look of the EXP 9 F.
“The main intention was not to show the final styling but to get feedback from the market," Schreiber explained during an interview with Automotive News (subscription required). An updated concept is expected to be revealed soon, while the production version, if approved, should be on sale within the next three years.
This relatively short gestation period is due to the Bentley SUV sharing a platform with the next-generation Audi Q7. This platform will also be used for future versions of the Porsche Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg.
As for engines, Schreiber said Bentley’s new twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 will likely be standard, with the twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W-12 remaining an option. This range-topping engine is expected to be updated soon for improved performance and efficiency.
As previously confirmed by Bentley, a plug-in hybrid option may also feature on its SUV. Based on the Volkswagen Group’s next-generation hybrid technology, the plug-in hybrid system likely employed in Bentley’s SUV will feature a V-6 engine and offer an electric-only driving range of 18 miles and 0-60 acceleration in less than 5 seconds.
I thinkt he GL is fine just as it is, you can't take it too much farther upmarket. The X7 won't be any different from other BMWs either, just bigger. The bright spot for Mercedes is the next G. That should be the Bentley competitor, a clean sheet, bespoke cost not an object off roader with Ranger Rover-beating on/off road prowess and a interior to match either. The G should be that truck IMO, not the GL.
M
Just a couple of weeks ago, Bentley CEO Wolfgang Schreiber gave an update on the status of the company’s plans for its first-ever SUV, revealing that senior managers at the Volkswagen Group, Bentley’s parent company, were yet to give final approval for production.
Schreiber also revealed that a significant redesign of 2012’s controversial EXP 9 F concept would be implemented for any production version.
According to a recent report in Germany’s Handelsblatt, first picked up by Automotive News (subscription required), approval for production of the EXP 9 F has been given.
Citing company insiders, the report also said the new SUV would retail in Europe for 200,000 euros (approximately $271,000).
Despite the steep price, the SUV is expected to be Bentley’s most popular model, commanding a sales volume of up to 5,000 vehicles annually. Last year, Bentley’s total sales were just 8,510 units.
A spokesman for Bentley said the company is still waiting for approval, though things were looking very positive.
The new SUV is to be based on the Volkswagen Group’s new platform for mid- to large-sized SUVs. The platform will debut in the next-generation Audi Q7 and will eventually spawn new versions of the Porsche Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg.
The basic structure of the Bentley SUV will be built alongside the Audi version at a plant in Slovakia before being shipped to Bentley’s headquarters in Crewe, England for final assembly.
As for engines, Bentley’s new twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 will likely be standard, with the twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W-12 remaining an option. This range-topping engine is expected to be updated soon for improved performance and efficiency.
As previously confirmed by the automaker, a plug-in hybrid option may also feature. Based on the Volkswagen Group’s next-generation hybrid technology, the plug-in hybrid system likely employed in Bentley’s SUV will feature a V-6 engine and offer an electric-only driving range of 18 miles and 0-60 acceleration in less than 5 seconds.
There’s still no word on a possible launch date but previous reports have suggested a launch sometime in 2014.
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