Here's a question that has been answered a few times: is there room in the pickup class for a premium/luxury model?
Mercedes would tell you no. After all, its Nissan Navara-based X-Class was a huge failure. Production ended in 2020 after two and a half years, and the three-pointed star brand is no longer interested in this segment.
Truth be told, no major automaker intends to launch a similar product, so while there may be a tiny bit of room in this class for such a machine, no one is willing to risk investing a large amount of money into something that might fail.
As a result, customers interested in such a product will have to live with the mainstream proposals that vary from one company to another. Should they order a range-topping one, then they will enjoy stuff such as leather upholstery, ambient lighting, a pair of screens, heated and ventilated front seats, and other things that were once considered premium.
Photo: Bentley
Mind you, despite the lack of interest in a premium/luxury pickup truck, multiple such models have graced the CGI realm over the last few years. One of the latest that we came across bears spdesignsest's signature. The pixel manipulator took to social media a few days ago to release a digital illustration that imagines the mighty Bentley Bentayga with an open bed design.
The rendering artist showed the real thing next to the virtual model, and the changes are obvious. For one, the rear doors were reshaped. The roofline is shorter and ends right above the C-pillars. Further back, it has an open bed accessible via the tailgate, and on each side, it has new vertical taillamps. The rear bumper is also new, and no sporty diffuser is attached to it anymore.
This hypothetical Bentley Bentayga pickup also features a few other modifications. The ride height has been jacked up so it could drive over some larger obstacles. However, it would need all-terrain tires on its feet, preferably wrapped around a set of different wheels, should it want to do any off-roading. However, such a model would never be able to compete against the likes of real 4x4s.
The reason is that it shares its construction with the Volkswagen Touareg, Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q7, and Lamborghini Urus, and it's not a body-on-frame one. Therefore, as much as anyone would want these rides to take on some steep trails away from the comfort of smooth tarmac, they will never be able to venture farther into the unknown than something that was built with this purpose in mind.
So, do you still think a Bentayga-based workhorse is a good idea? And would you buy one if it was real and you had enough money in the bank?
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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