Bentley's Drinking the SUV Kool-Aid as Plans For a Coupe-SUV Gains Ground

TopSpeed

By Kirby Garlitos

Published Jun 22, 2018

This was to be expected, especially given the popularity of SUVs these days

The success of the Bentayga SUV has empowered Bentley to add a new member to its SUV lineup. The new model is tentatively called “Bentayga Sport,” and rumors have surfaced that it’s going to take the form of a coupe-SUV to complement the more traditional SUV-looking Bentyaga. If the British automaker’s plans go as scheduled, the Bentayga Sport could be break cover as early as 2019.

While it’s not really a surprise to hear that Bentley is considering another version of the Bentayga SUV, it is interesting that it’s decided on a coupe-SUV as the body style that it’s going to come in. The specific SUV segment has its fair share of fans and detractors, but it is understood that it’s a niche sub-segment where only the brave enter. Bentley’s decision is curious because the Bentayga is already a niche model to begin with. Why add a coupe-SUV version to a model that only a handful of people in the world can afford?

Evidently, the British automaker is far more optimistic about the Bentayga Sport’s chances than most people. There are already reports that it has already begun development of the model. According to German magazine Auto Bild, the Bentayga Sport will have a sportier and more aggressive appearance than the “standard” Bentayga. If it is being prepared as a coupe-SUV, we can at least expect a coupe-like sloping roofline to be one of its main design features. Not only will that eat into whatever headroom is available inside, but it’s also going to cut into the SUV’s already limited cargo capacity. Still, it looks like Bentley’s confident that the Bentayga Sport is going to be successful enough to actually build it. Given how popular the crossover and SUV segments are these days, it’s hard to argue against the company banking on that popularity.

Besides, the Bentayga Sport isn’t the only thing that Bentley is reportedly preparing. There have also been discussions about a more performance-oriented version of the Bentayga, called the Bentayga Speed. Even if there haven’t been any confirmations on either of these two versions, it’s safe to say that Bentley isn’t sitting around and letting other automakers to have all the fun in the segment. Not only does it want to be a part of the party, but it also appears that, with these new versions in the pipeline, it wants to become the center of attention.

Whether it does so or not remains to be seen, but all signs seem to point to it happening sooner than later.

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