We Hear: More Details Emerge on Bentley SUV

Home  >  WOT  >  We Hear: More Details Emerge on Bentley SUV Whether or not you're a fan of the proliferation of SUVs across every class and brand of vehicle, too late. The cat's clearly out of the bag, and it seems nearly every manufacturer either has an SUV or crossover on the market or in the pipeline. We've known about Bentley's aspirations to get into the SUV market for quite a while, with the company showing the EXP 9 F concept at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. Although the concept's styling got a mixed reception at best, it has not deterred Crewe from proceeding with the project. British automotive media outlet Auto Express has revealed a few more details about what we can expect when the Bentley SUV finally comes to showrooms. Appropriately for a Bentley, the starting price is expected to come in around $200,000, putting it on par with top-of-the-line models from Range Rover, and just above a fully-equipped Porsche Cayenne, which can run well into the six figures with the numerous personalization options available. Initially expected to be closer in size to the Audi Q7, and possibly having three-row seating, the AutoExpress report says the production version of the Bentley SUV will be closer in size to the Cayenne. The SUV may be the first Bentley to get a diesel engine option, with the most likely candidate being the VW Group's flagship 4.2-liter turbodiesel, a version of which is used in the Porsche Cayenne Diesel S, producing a generous 627 lb-ft of torque. In addition to the diesel, the SUV could also be the first Bentley to get a plug-in hybrid powertrain. According to Auto Express, Bentley CEO Wolfgang Schreiber himself said to expect the plug-in hybrid option by 2017 in the SUV. Source: Auto Express