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.

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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.

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