First shown as the EXP 9 F concept at the Geneva Motor Show in 2012, Bentley later confirmed that it had significantly changed the design in response to customer feedback.
To accompany the announcement, Bentley released a sketch revealing a slightly sportier profile than the upright concept. There’s an uncanny resemblance to Porsche’s Cayenne, too, suggesting the two SUVs will share more than just a platform – they’ll have similar proportions as well.
The Bentley Bentayga interior was let out of the bag by Bentley in an official promo video containing small glimpses of the controls and technology features on the car. We can see a rotary controller for the SUV's 4x4 system that appears to ape the Terrain Response set-ups pioneered by Land Rover.
There's also a head-up display and a look at the digital instrument cluster which shows mapping information and views from external night-vision cameras. There's also a clear wide angle look at the Bentayga's glossy centre console with gear shifter, cup holder and other controls.
Bentley SUV: why's it called Bentayga?
“Bentayga is a name that reflects what we know our SUV will do better than any other car in the world – combine the best automotive luxury with outstanding performance to take the Bentley experience to new environments,” said Wolfgang Dürheimer, Bentley Chairman and CEO.The name is designed to encapsulate the wide variety of climates and terrains that the Bentayga is capable of tackling. It comes from a combination of ‘Taiga’ – the world’s largest snow forest that crowns the entire Northern Hemisphere – and Roque Bentayga, a rugged peak in the Canary Islands.
We've seen the Bentayga as a test mule blasting round the Nurburgring, but now it can be seen with almost nothing in the way of disguise. A development car fitted with the 6.0-litre W12 engine from the Continental GT had already been seen, and we expect the 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8 to appear as well.
In comparison to the Bentley SUV EXP 9 F concept, we can see the general shape and structure of the SUV will remain intact, but a Continental GT face has been crafted onto the front end. These latest images see the bulbous cladding of previous test mules ditched, and the more curvaceous production body can clearly be seen.
Viewed in profile and from the rear, there is more of a resemblance to the concept than there is round the front. The steeply raked rear windscreen and two oval exhausts give a more athletic look, while the number plate and tail-lamp positioning seems unchanged from the concept car.
Bentley Bentayga: release date
The new Bentley Bentayga luxury SUV will go on sale in 2016, with the company set to invest over £800million in its Crewe HQ and developing new models before then. More than 1,000 UK jobs will be created as a result of this investment.Dr Martin Winterkorn, chairman of the board at the Volkswagen Group, said: “We believe in the UK as a competitive location for industrial production. Bentley fans all around the world are looking forward to its first SUV. Together we will make this car another true Bentley – powerful, exclusive and successful.”
Bentley SUV price and global sales
CEO Dr Wolfgang Schreiber has revealed that Bentley has had over 4,000 ‘expressions of interest’ in the Bentley Bentayga from customers – way ahead of initial predictions.Schreiber doesn't expect to have the ultra-luxury SUV segment to himself for very long, though: “Competition is always good for the customer. We all know Rolls-Royce is thinking about an SUV, Aston Martin is also considering one and we all know about the Range Rover. There could even be some others that come along.”
And Bentley's sales and marketing director, Kevin Rose, is confident that the SUV will be a showroom success: “Thirty per cent of our existing customers already have a high-end SUV, so if we can convince even a small amount of those into buying the car we have a very strong business case indeed.”
Bentley Bentayga could be the first of many Bentley SUVs
Bentley Chairman and CEO, Wolfgang Durheimer, has also expressed interest in a expanding the number of Bentley SUVs, to compete with the likes of Land Rover, albeit at a higher price point. The revelation came during a press conference where Durheimer announced record global sales of 11,020 cars in 2014 – a nine per cent increase on 2013.“There are good examples in the market, so a derivative is an interesting idea,” Durheimer said. Kevin Rose, head of sales and marketing, added: “We are keeping a close eye on what Land Rover has done with the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and even the Evoque.”
The rapid growth of the SUV segment, which Durheimer revealed is expanding at three times the rate of the new car market as a whole, clearly hasn’t escaped his attention and could be the catalyst for both a smaller SUV and sportier derivatives of the car we’ll see later this year. A 'baby Bentayga' seems very likely at some point in the future.
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