Just when Range Rover was settling into its well-deserved place on the 4×4 throne, along comes a complete game-changer. The Bentley SUV, previously unveiled as the EXP 9 F concept car at the 2012 Geneva show, has now been completely redesigned – largely because the exterior of the concept car was none too popular – and also at last been given a name.
Bentley has now confirmed its upcoming ultra-luxury SUV will be called the ‘Bentayga’. This unusual word is a rock formation on Gran Canaria, and has just been registered as a trademark by Bentley.
Bentley CEO, Wolfgang Dürheimer, commented: “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.”
This hype centres around the dedicated SUV sub-site, which is slowly drip feeding information to the expectant public. Enticing phrases include:
“The new Bentley SUV is changing how people think about all-terrain vehicles. In the eyes of Bentley, the SUV is not just supremely capable in any environment, it is also supremely comfortable – and with new vistas on the world, you will see through new eyes.”
So what do we definitely know? The SUV will come in V8 and W12 versions, with a hybrid (electric engine) version of the V8 also on the cards. Bentley are going all-out to beat Range Rover as the most luxurious SUV on the market. They also want it to be fast, and are aiming at a speed that can rival the zippy Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, which can do 0-60 in just 4.3 seconds. All in all, it’s shaping up to be a pretty amazing vehicle.
According to Top Gear, there were 2,000 orders of the SUV back in 2012 – even though it looked less than pleasant – so we are expecting huge waves to ripple through the automotive world once the final design is announced. We’re keeping our eyes peeled for all the latest developments, which we’ll post here as soon as we can.