If you’ve ever heard the old saying, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too,” it usually proves to be true. However, the fine folks over at Bentley are bent on dining on cake whilst enjoying its lavish, unaltered aesthetics. Yes, Bentley is designing its upcoming SUV with a 200 mph V-max.
Bentley’s->ke15 first utterance of producing an SUV took form at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show->ke228. The EXP 9 concept was a terrific interpretation of what Bentley designers could do with the ‘corporate look.’ With development still happening, rumors are starting to swirl from insiders about slight redesigns of the vehicle in order to achieve lower drag numbers.
A lowered roofline, smoothed-out rear end, and a carefully crafted underbody aero pan are all playing a role. The Bentley will still be big at a reported 6.5 feet wide, so engineers are having to cut corners and streamline where they can. Undoubtedly, a massive engine will be needed to power the SUV->ke145 into supercar territory. W-12 anyone?
Bentley hasn’t had issues making cars go fast in the past. Just look at the Continental GT Speed. The issue comes when combining the characteristic of an Autobahn burner with that of a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Tires are yet another issue. They’ve got to be tough and knobby enough for powering over muddy slopes while still holding the track at warp factor 10. Such tires aren’t in existence yet, so Bentley will likely partner with a reputable developer/manufacturer for such an ambitions product.
The Bentley -- rumored to be called the Falcon -- is expected at market for the 2016 model year, with early preproduction mules seen in 2015.
Click past the jump to read more about the 2016 Bentley SUV.
The Bentley SUV, reportedly dubbed the Falcon, is Bentley’s late answer to the Porsche Cayenne. The idea for either company to manufacture a SUV seemed absurd 10 years ago, but Porsche has since sold more Cayennes than practically any other car it makes. It makes sense. Bigger is always better with bank accounts are Bentley-sized. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that…)
Covered in rich materials, the interior will surely be class-leading with amenities expected within such a vehicle. We suspect the Falcon’s suspension with feature a system much like Range Rover’s air setup – allowing it to adjust the ride height and firmness with a few clicks of a button.
Bentley reports over 2,000 orders have already been placed for the Falcon even though its expected arrival time isn’t until 2016.