Autoblog

Bentley SUV given green light by VW board

Chris Paukert — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 13:02:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, SUV, Bentley, Design/Style, Luxury

The "will they, won't they" saga over Bentley's SUV plans appears to finally be over. They will. That's according to the German business newspaper Handelsblatt, which is reporting that the controversial SUV will be built after receiving the go-ahead from Volkswagen's board.

Known internally as "Falcon," the still-unnamed Bentley SUV will be based on the EXP 9 Concept that received wildly mixed reviews at its 2012 Geneva Motor Show unveiling. Since the EXP 9's unveiling, there have been a steady stream of leaks and rumors suggesting that the bold-faced vehicle will get a redesign prior to going into production, but it remains unclear how different the final vehicle will look.

According to Automotive News, Bentley is itself stopping short of confirming the green-light report, though it does admit that the SUV's production outlook appears "very positive." Production will likely take place in Slovakia at a plant owned by parent Volkswagen.

Seen as a key part of Bentley's plan to expand its sales volumes, the SUV is expected to arrive within three years under V8 and possibly W12 power, just like the brand's volume Continental GT range. Said to start at a cost of some 200,000 euros - over $270,000 US - the Bentley will stare down a suddenly crowded segment of luxury utility vehicles, taking on newcomers like the Maserati Levante and as-yet unnamed Lamborghini SUV along with segment stalwarts like the Land Rover Range Rover and Porsche Cayenne.

Bentley SUV given green light by VW board originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Feb 2013 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Bentley EXP 9 F to be redesigned, renamed Falcon?

Jeffrey N. Ross — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, SUV, Bentley, Luxury

In concept form, the Bentley EXP 9 F had neither the styling nor the name to impress us when we first saw it earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show, and while we already knew some sort of design change was imminent, we're unsurprisingly now hearing that a name change is also in the cards. Automobile Magazine is reporting that the eventual production Bentley SUV will get a complete redesign from what we saw in the EXP 9 F, and it will wear a new name as well: Falcon.

The article says that Luc Donckerwolke, Bentley's newly appointed director of design, is giving the SUV a complete redesign from the concept vehicle, which goes against what we last heard of the vehicle in August that a "radical redesign" was not in the cards. Donckerwolke has been on the design team at various Volkswagen Group automakers since 1992, helping to pen such memorable designs as the Lamborghini Gallardo and Murciélago, but now he is tasked with giving Bentley an SUV worthy of its lineup. Last we heard, the model could go into production in 2015, but there is no indication whether the Falcon will get three-row seating or a plug-in hybrid version as has been previously rumored.

Bentley EXP 9 F to be redesigned, renamed Falcon? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Nov 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Lamborghini and Bentley may hold off on SUVs so VW can conserve cash

Chris Tutor — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 14:16:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, SUV, Europe, Crossover, Bentley, Lamborghini, Volkswagen, Earnings/Financials, Luxury

After surveying the European economic scene, Volkswagen may have decided now is not the time to launch utility vehicles with Bentley and Lamborghini badges. Bentley officials say they will continue to push for support for the EXP 9 F and Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelman has said planning for the Urus will continue until VW tells it to stop.

That decision could come on November 23, when VW's board will vote on the company's budget for equipment, factories and vehicles. With VW's sales slowing and the Euro economy slumping further, some industry watchers say the company is more likely to build its cash reserves than to introduce super-expensive luxury SUVs or crossovers.

"Such vehicles are anything but obligatory during a crisis," says Frankfurt-based Equinet AG analyst Tim Schuldt in a new Automotive News Europe story. "Delaying their launch would be no drama but help save costs."

Lamborghini and Bentley may hold off on SUVs so VW can conserve cash originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 14:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Production Bentley EXP 9 F could get optional 3rd row au pair seating

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 16:28:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Performance, SUV, Bentley, Luxury

While at Pebble Beach, Bentley CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer sat down with Inside Line to elaborate on plans for the production version of its controversial EXP 9 F concept SUV. As recently as a month ago, the blue behemoth was still being talked about as if a final decision hadn't been made, Durheimer didn't appear to show any reticence when discussing what the report cited as "the 2015 production date."

The big news is that no "radical redesign" of its exterior is planned before it arrives. That could be wordplay hinging on the term "radical," since reports of a redesign surfaced the same month the EXP 9 F was revealed, and a report in Autocar last month cited Volkswagen Group sources as saying "the front and rear end styling would need to be modified" for production. On the other hand, Dürheimer told Inside Line that Bentley customers rated the looks of the SUV "only a 7 out of 10."

We're not sure if he meant the word "only" in humility or sarcasm; Dürheimer has plenty of cheek, as evidenced in his line that Bentley has "solved [the] problem" of there being no SUV on the market above the $170,000 mark.

At whatever price that ends up being, the EXP 9 F will be able to go off-road but won't be a devoted off-roader, capable enough, however, to handle Middle Eastern dunes, polo fields and yacht launches. And don't let anyone tell you that Bentley doesn't care about the help, either: the lauded interior, which isn't expected to change much for production, might get optional third-row seating for the owner's au pair. All those Swedish lasses can rest easy now.

Production Bentley EXP 9 F could get optional 3rd row au pair seating originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Aug 2012 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Bentley releases first rolling footage and new images of EXP 9 F Concept

John Neff — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 12:44:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, SUV, Videos, Bentley, Design/Style, Luxury

Bentley has now paraded its EXP 9 F concept in front of crowds at the Geneva Motor Show where it debuted, the Beijing Motor Show, and most recently at last weekend's Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK. Still claiming that the concept SUV is "part of a systematic and comprehensive process of gauging customer and public reaction to the idea of a Bentley SUV," yet nevertheless getting very specific about what would power such an SUV and how many they would hope to sell, the English automaker is clearly marching this concept down a path towards production.

In the wake of its latest debut to the English country folk, Bentley has released a new set of EXP 9 F images, as well as the first video of it in motion. Scroll down and hit play to see what you'd look like idling through the forest in your own Bentley sport ute.

Why release new images and a video now? It may have something to do with a report by Autocar that claims Bentley pitched the idea of developing the EXP 9 F for production to the brass at parent company Volkswagen last week. Autocar claims the concept attracted enough interest from potential buyers to play a part in the Volkswagen Group's decision, noting that the vehicle's controversial front and rear styling treatments would have to change (echoing sentiments we've heard before). The interior, however, has reportedly been so well received that it likely won't change much at all.

Continue reading Bentley releases first rolling footage and new images of EXP 9 F Concept

Bentley releases first rolling footage and new images of EXP 9 F Concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Jul 2012 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Bentley plotting Dakar effort with used VW Touareg racers?

Noah Joseph — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, SUV, Bentley, Off-Road, Racing

Bentley is an automaker not without its own racing pedigree, but the bulk of that is anchored in the 1920s and at Le Mans, to which it returned in winning form in the earlier part of the new millennium with the Speed 8. The latest development could, however, see the Flying B marque enter into another class of motorsport competition altogether.

That opposite end of the endurance racing spectrum is the torturous Dakar rally. We first published rumors of Crewe's consideration of the possibility back in November, but according to CAR Magazine, those rumors are apparently kicking into high gear.

That much is owed largely to the emergence of the above-pictured EXP 9 F program, Bentley's concept SUV currently under development. Well, sorta. Bentley's parent company Volkswagen recently withdrew from the Dakar rally after winning it three times in a row - ostensibly to focus on its new World Rally Championship effort, but spurring rumors all the same of it transferring the team to another brand.

Given that the EXP 9 F is based (or would be, anyway) on an architecture related to the Touareg - the race model of which is what the VW team used to dominate the event - the facilitation of Bentley's take-over of the program could prove even more straight-forward than the manner in which Audi successfully supported Bentley's Le Mans team.

To wit, the boys from Crewe are said to be in the process of buying back all the Race Touareg rigs - complete with their 2.5-liter twin-turbo diesels producing 300 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque - that Volkswagen sold to privateer teams upon its departure, suggesting rather poor planning and perhaps only a passing resemblance to the eventual production EXP 9 F (which, incidentally, isn't expected to look like the concept above).

Bentley plotting Dakar effort with used VW Touareg racers? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Bentley aims to sell 3K SUVs annually... including plug-in hybrid version

Noah Joseph — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:01:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Crossover, Bentley, Luxury

If you want a top-of-the-line SUV with serious performance capabilities, look no further than the Volkswagen Group. Its Porsche unit has had tremendous success with the Cayenne, a vehicle that has doubled its sales all on its own - and that's not even accounting for the Volkswagen Touareg or Audi Q7 that share some of its underpinnings. Keen to capitalize on that success, the German auto giant is overseeing the application of the same formula to two of its other divisions: Lamborghini, which just unveiled its new Urus concept, and Bentley, which is working on an SUV of its own.

The British marque has been showcasing the EXP 9 F concept to preview what it has in store. It only hinted at powertrain possibilities upon its unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show, but at the Beijing Motor Show, it got ever so slightly more specific. Like the Continental range, the production version of the Bentley sport-ute would pack a 600-horsepower, 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12, but offer the (relatively) more sensible 500hp, 4.0L twin-turbo V8 as well. The bigger news, however, is the V6 plug-in hybrid option which Bentley is planning for its SUV, enabling it to travel up to 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) on electric-only mode, while rocketing to 100 km/h (62 mph) in less than five seconds.

Bentley projects the variety of powertrain options will help it sell 3,000 units of the vehicle once it enters production in 2015 - the same figures sister-company Lamborghini is projecting for the Urus. To put that into context, consider that Bentley sold just over 7,000 vehicles (from its current Continental and Mulsanne lines) around the world last year. That's still a far cry from the number of Cayennes that Porsche churns out - it delivered nearly 13,000 of them in the United States alone last year - but then the EXP 9 F is expected to carry a price tag north of $200,000 (double the price of even the most expensive Cayenne Turbo) while sharing common components to make its first entrance into SUV market a lucrative one for the Flying B brand.

Scope out the fresh high-resolution images we've added to the gallery above for another look at the EXP 9 F (which is still expected to look different by the time it comes to production), and scroll down for the press release containing powertrain information.

Continue reading Bentley aims to sell 3K SUVs annually... including plug-in hybrid version

Bentley aims to sell 3K SUVs annually... including plug-in hybrid version originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Bentley to show SUV concept unaltered in Beijing

Zach Bowman — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:28:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, SUV, Geneva Motor Show, China, Bentley, Beijing Motor Show, Luxury

Automotive News reports Bentley is staying the course with the company's EXP 9 F SUV Concept. The ultra-luxury automaker plans to bring the vehicle to the Beijing Motor Show exactly as it appeared at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month, despite the fact that the concept didn't exactly debut to resounding acclaim. Critics described the design as awkward and unbecoming of nameplate like Bentley, but the automaker says it wants to vet the design in as many markets as possible before finalizing the exterior. Here's hoping the crowds in China are as repulsed as those in Switzerland.

The EXP 9 F has already been green-lit for production, and while we have no qualm with the thought of a high-riding luxury brute with a twin-turbo 12-cylinder engine under the hood, we'd like to see something a little less muddled outside. Bentley says an SUV will give the company a leg up in markets like the Middle East and China, where luxury SUVs remain king. Through the first two months of this year, the company's sales are up 66 percent in China, putting the country ahead of the United States as the largest market for Bentley products.

Bentley to show SUV concept unaltered in Beijing originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

That Didn't Take Long: Bentley SUV redesign already in the works

Jeff Sabatini — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 19:19:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, SUV, Geneva Motor Show, Bentley, Design/Style

Guess we called this one from the outset. Looking like a Mulsanne that just ate a Continental Flying Spur for breakfast and a GT for lunch, the Bentley EXP 9 F concept was the biggest disappointment - and we mean that literally - of the Geneva Motor Show. Apparently, Bentley must have agreed with our headline, because it's working on a new design for it's first production SUV, according to Britain's What Car? magazine.

According to the report, Bentley officials have admitted that the design was "heavy handed" and have promised to tone it down, as the SUV heads toward a likely 2015 on-sale date. Potential changes include "slightly smaller" headlights, and "more traditional SUV proportions," according to the magazine's source.

We hope Bentley goes a bit further and just starts from scratch, dumping the sedan-ified SUV look entirely. If Bentley is bound and determined to sell an SUV, it should come up with something distinctive for the brand that doesn't just ape the classic look of its car line.

That Didn't Take Long: Bentley SUV redesign already in the works originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Mar 2012 19:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Bentley can do better than the EXP 9 F Concept [w/video]

Damon Lavrinc — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 05:43:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, SUV, Geneva Motor Show, Bentley, Design/Style, Luxury

Bentley has been hinting at the possibility of a full-size ultra-luxury SUV for a few years and here in Geneva the rumors finally became reality in all their awkwardly majestic glory.

Just as awkward is the 'ute concept's name: the EXP 9 F, which is about as imaginative and puzzling as its styling. If you were to task a sophomore Photoshop wizard to digitally create a Bentley SUV, this would be the result. And that's probably the most disappointing aspect of the EXP 9 F - its utter predictability.

Grabbing bits from the Mulsanne and Continental range, mounting them up front, raising the ride height and then adding a liftback hatch is the easy way out. Same for the interior, which takes Bentley's bespoke aesthetic and gives it the Big Gulp treatment. Maybe we're too plebeian, but for this ute's target demographic, it just doesn't carry the gravitas you'd expect of something this large wearing the Flying B.

The same applies to the drivetrain, which utilizes the 6.0-liter W12 that's been doing duty in the Continental for years. The only interesting propulsion proposition is the possible fitment of Bentley's new V8, augmented with an electric motor and battery pack to make the world's largest and least efficient plug-in hybrid.

It's just bad on all sides, so like the Aston Martin Lagonda concept before it, we're hoping Bentley sees the light, heads back to the drawing board and comes up with something befitting of such a storied marque. Just after it quietly pulls it off the show stand, just like Aston did two years ago.

Continue reading Bentley can do better than the EXP 9 F Concept [w/video]

Bentley can do better than the EXP 9 F Concept [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Mar 2012 05:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Volkswagen Group previews its wares on eve of Geneva show

Damon Lavrinc — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:55:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Coupe, Hybrid, Sedan, Performance, Truck, Geneva Motor Show, Crossover, Hatchback, Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Porsche, Volkswagen, SEAT, Skoda, Design/Style, Electric, Diesel, Luxury

The Volkswagen Group is comprised of 11 brands producing 240 vehicles across 49 factories throughout the world. So the best way to show off the range of the VW family is to cram a few thousand journalists and VIPs into a massive makeshift stand to outline the Group's goals, what's in the pipeline and what you'll be able to buy later this year.

To that end, VW pulled out all the stops on the eve of the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, bringing along 10 vehicles from across the range. We'll be delving into the details of each over the next two days of show coverage, but before that happens, you can read all about what we saw tonight from the cheap seats after the break.

Continue reading Volkswagen Group previews its wares on eve of Geneva show

Volkswagen Group previews its wares on eve of Geneva show originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Bentley previews luxury performance SUV with EXP 9 F concept

Noah Joseph — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Performance, SUV, Geneva Motor Show, Bentley, Luxury

There once was a time, not so long ago, that if you wanted a luxury SUV, your options basically came down to a Range Rover. The Bentley of off-road vehicles, they called it. But those days are behind us, as nearly every luxury automaker is making a sport-ute of its own. And soon, so will Bentley.

Called the EXP 9 F, the vehicle you see here is a concept, er, truck, that Bentley will unveil at the Geneva Motor Show this week. Although still a design study, strictly speaking, the EXP 9 F previews what could emerge as a third model line for Crewe to roll alongside the Continental and Mulsanne. Power comes from the same 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 as found in the Continental, but in a drastically different form, and V8 and hybrid propulsion are also being considered for production.

Charting new territory for the Flying B marque, the EXP 9 F aims to apply traditional Bentley styling cues to an SUV shape, from the oversized air intakes to the split rear tailgate. And based on these images... well, let's just say we're not convinced yet. The interior space, however, looks as pleasant a place to be as any vehicle ever to roll out of Crewe. And if that blend of questionable shape and beautiful cabin sounds familiar, look straight to the Porsche Cayenne, a vehicle ushered into reality - a first for its brand as well - by the same Wolfgang Dürheimer who now heads Bentley.

We'll reserve final judgement for when we see it tomorrow in person in Geneva, where Bentley says it will be evaluating public reaction with an eye towards potential production. In the meantime you can check out the images in the gallery above and the press release below for a closer look.

Continue reading Bentley previews luxury performance SUV with EXP 9 F concept

Bentley previews luxury performance SUV with EXP 9 F concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments