Photo: SB-Medien
Last time we met the Bentley SUV test vehicle, this came in the form of an Audi Q7 mule, but now the Brit greets us in its prototype form for the first time, being so kind as to also reveal its interior. Ah, what treasures the Alpine roads bring.
Bentley did say that the design would be quite a venture from what we’ve seen on the EXP 9 F concept (not the prettiest of the lot) and, as it turns out, they were right. Their upcoming SUV looks just like one would expect it to - a more... solid incarnation of the Flying Spur, if you like.
Up front, we have Bentley’s traditional mesh grille, with massive coolers hiding behind the side air intakes. As for the headlights, it appears that Bentley is heading even deeper into its LED jewel-like design.
Underneath the heavy camouflage of the spied prototype, we can see Bentley’s aluminium superforming technique, introduced on the revised Continental GT, at work - the clue here are the front and rear fenders, which will come with a strong visual personality. The side view also reveals the indicators mounted on the door mirrors.
At the rear, the camo gets even heavier, with the edgy shapes reminding us of the styling used on 1950s Bentleys. Peering though the taillight camouflage, we notice Bentley’s characteristic rear light cluster design. As an interesting detail, the prototype doesn’t sport Bentley’s traditional LED strip brake light that runs across the entire width of the rear window. At the other end of the rear fascia, we find a pair of chrome faux exhaust tips.
Moving to the cabin, we get a small taste of Bentley’s evolved interior design language, all thanks to the new paddle-gifted steering wheel. Moreover, a Head-Up display is present on a Bentley vehicle for the first time.
The dashboard is all digital, with the layout featuring a speedometer and a rev counter than spin in the bespoke manner we’ve seen on the Mulsanne. By the way, the test drivers were listening to just the right music for the occasion - The Beatles’ Abbey Road.
Underneath these shapes, we find the VW Group’s third-generation SUV platform. Bentley’s SUV will share this with the future second-gen Audi Q7 and the Lamborghini Urus, among others. Expect to hear quite a lot of aluminum talk when the vehicle is released.
While all we could tell was that the spied prototype was powered by a petrol unit, the Bentley SUV will be the first to introduce a (plug-in) hybrid powertrain to the brand, with this set to be subsequently offered for every model in the range. As for the more conventional power, both the Audi-co-developed V8 and the W12 engines have great chances of ending up under the SUV’s bonnet. Nonetheless, diesel power shouldn’t be ruled out, with a reworked Audi TDI V8 being a good candidate for the luxurious machine.
While the aforementioned hybrid powertrain will be launched in 2017, the Bentley SUV itself will arrive by 2016. As for the pricing, the Bentley SUV will start a tad over the area where current top-class SUVs, such as the Porsche Cayenne S and the Range Rover Sport Supercharged end. If you want to talk numbers, the starting price will sit at about £140,000 (around $235.000/€172,700).
Up front, we have Bentley’s traditional mesh grille, with massive coolers hiding behind the side air intakes. As for the headlights, it appears that Bentley is heading even deeper into its LED jewel-like design.
Underneath the heavy camouflage of the spied prototype, we can see Bentley’s aluminium superforming technique, introduced on the revised Continental GT, at work - the clue here are the front and rear fenders, which will come with a strong visual personality. The side view also reveals the indicators mounted on the door mirrors.
At the rear, the camo gets even heavier, with the edgy shapes reminding us of the styling used on 1950s Bentleys. Peering though the taillight camouflage, we notice Bentley’s characteristic rear light cluster design. As an interesting detail, the prototype doesn’t sport Bentley’s traditional LED strip brake light that runs across the entire width of the rear window. At the other end of the rear fascia, we find a pair of chrome faux exhaust tips.
Moving to the cabin, we get a small taste of Bentley’s evolved interior design language, all thanks to the new paddle-gifted steering wheel. Moreover, a Head-Up display is present on a Bentley vehicle for the first time.
The dashboard is all digital, with the layout featuring a speedometer and a rev counter than spin in the bespoke manner we’ve seen on the Mulsanne. By the way, the test drivers were listening to just the right music for the occasion - The Beatles’ Abbey Road.
Underneath these shapes, we find the VW Group’s third-generation SUV platform. Bentley’s SUV will share this with the future second-gen Audi Q7 and the Lamborghini Urus, among others. Expect to hear quite a lot of aluminum talk when the vehicle is released.
While all we could tell was that the spied prototype was powered by a petrol unit, the Bentley SUV will be the first to introduce a (plug-in) hybrid powertrain to the brand, with this set to be subsequently offered for every model in the range. As for the more conventional power, both the Audi-co-developed V8 and the W12 engines have great chances of ending up under the SUV’s bonnet. Nonetheless, diesel power shouldn’t be ruled out, with a reworked Audi TDI V8 being a good candidate for the luxurious machine.
While the aforementioned hybrid powertrain will be launched in 2017, the Bentley SUV itself will arrive by 2016. As for the pricing, the Bentley SUV will start a tad over the area where current top-class SUVs, such as the Porsche Cayenne S and the Range Rover Sport Supercharged end. If you want to talk numbers, the starting price will sit at about £140,000 (around $235.000/€172,700).
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