Photo: Automedia
If the Conti GT hasn't got enough doors and the Flying Spur isn't to your liking because it has more things in common with a yacht than luxury motoring, the upcoming Bentley SUV might suit your needs accordingly. Even though the British marque has been teasing us with it since the EXP 9 F was unveiled in 2012, the high roller is slowly but surely nearing its launch date.
Our carparazzi managed, for the second time already, to snap a few photographs of the Bentley SUV wearing pre-production clothes. Despite its heavy camo'd bodywork, the overall look of this upmarket Audi Q7 resembles an odd mix of styling cues borrowed from the Continental GT and EXP 9 F Concept.
Thanfully, the visual identity is biased toward the Conti GT more than the unsightly concept vehicle. You might be tempted to say "Oh my gosh, it looks like a brick or something!", but don't get ahead of yourself. The vehicle is full of thick padding that hides a far more svelte bodyshell adorned with elegant curvaceous lines.
You should also be aware that the thin oval-shaped chrome exhaust tips are fakes, the final design expected to be more rectangular. It's not certain if those dual five-spoke alloy wheels will be offered on the 'entry-level' model, but we sure hope they won't because they look like something a boy racer would fit on a horridly tuned Citroen Saxo.
However, the Bentley SUV's strongest point is its hi-tech cabin. Analog gauges of yesteryear are replaced by a digital instrument cluster featuring a speedo-rev counter combo similar to the bespoke layout we've encountered on the Mulsanne. The steering wheel is fitted with flappy paddles, while a head-up display is also on the menu.
Expected to start at around £140,000 ($235.000/€172,700) when it will hit dealer showrooms sometime in 2016, Bentley confirmed that the uber SUV will also get a hybrid variant the following year. If you're not that interested about the eco-friendly mumbo jumbo, you'll be happy to find out that the Conti GT's 4-liter twin-turbo V8 mill and the 6-liter W12 are most likely to provide this 4WD British beef with generous horsepower and torque figures.
Thanfully, the visual identity is biased toward the Conti GT more than the unsightly concept vehicle. You might be tempted to say "Oh my gosh, it looks like a brick or something!", but don't get ahead of yourself. The vehicle is full of thick padding that hides a far more svelte bodyshell adorned with elegant curvaceous lines.
You should also be aware that the thin oval-shaped chrome exhaust tips are fakes, the final design expected to be more rectangular. It's not certain if those dual five-spoke alloy wheels will be offered on the 'entry-level' model, but we sure hope they won't because they look like something a boy racer would fit on a horridly tuned Citroen Saxo.
However, the Bentley SUV's strongest point is its hi-tech cabin. Analog gauges of yesteryear are replaced by a digital instrument cluster featuring a speedo-rev counter combo similar to the bespoke layout we've encountered on the Mulsanne. The steering wheel is fitted with flappy paddles, while a head-up display is also on the menu.
Expected to start at around £140,000 ($235.000/€172,700) when it will hit dealer showrooms sometime in 2016, Bentley confirmed that the uber SUV will also get a hybrid variant the following year. If you're not that interested about the eco-friendly mumbo jumbo, you'll be happy to find out that the Conti GT's 4-liter twin-turbo V8 mill and the 6-liter W12 are most likely to provide this 4WD British beef with generous horsepower and torque figures.
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