2016 Bentley Bentayga

Bentley has officially revealed its first ever SUV, which will be called the Bentley Bentayga. The vehicle is now in the final phases of testing, and is predicted to be available for sale in early 2016. However, the full production car will be publicly
unveiled at a motor show later this year.

The original Bentley SUV concept, dubbed the “EXP 9 F,” was first previewed at the Geneva Motor Show in 2012. It was later confirmed that the manufacturer made significant design changes in response to customer feedback, which contributed to the current ‘sportier’ Bentayga design.

“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 Bentayga comes from a combination of ‘Taiga,’ the world’s largest snow forest crowning the northern hemisphere, and from ‘Rogue Bentayga,’ which is a rugged peak in the Canary Islands. The diverse environments that inspired the name for this SUV capture the wide variety of climates and terrains the Bentayga can handle.

Not only is the Bentayga 4x4 the first SUV from Bentley, but it will also be the first model featuring a gasoline-electric powertrain. There are two models to be expected, one with a 6.0-litre W12 engine and the other with a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. Schreiber also hinted that it will be the first Bentley to use a diesel engine and be the first model to feature plug-in hybrid technology from 2017 onwards.

“Bentley is in a good position as part of the VW group,” said Schreiber. “With technology like hybrids you need lots of investment. Smaller companies will struggle, so it’s a good opportunity for Bentley to use synergies from the VW group. For example, batteries can be used across numerous models.”

The all-new SUV price starts at $215,000 with additional packages available costing close to $306,000. Bentley’s plan is to sell 3,000 to 4,000 SUVs a year, making it a sizable piece of the Bentley line-up in the US.

If you are interested in the Bentley Bentayga or other luxury vehicles, contact Sonny Morgan at 512.401.4607 through Late European or sonny@lateeuro.com.