Skip advert
Advertisement

Bentley 4x4 revealed

The Bentley EXP 9 F concept previews a £140,000 SUV which is due in dealers by 2015

The new Bentley 4x4 will out-punch a Porsche Cayenne, be more luxurious than a Range Rover and “mark a new pinnacle of SUVs in several dimensions”, according to Bentley chairman and CEO Wolfgang Durheimer.

As well as a new Bentley-developed version of the W12 engine – expected to produce around 600bhp and feature eco technology such as cylinder deactivation – the new car will eventually feature a V8 diesel model and a plug-in hybrid with a six-cylinder engine. Bentley will also plunder the rest of the VW Group’s technology in the search for weight-saving innovations.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Video: Watch our video of the Bentley EXP 9 F at Geneva

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"content_narrow","fid":"69669","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image"}}]]

Officially, project EXP 9 F, on display at this week’s Geneva Motor Show, is a concept to gauge reaction from potential customers. But Bentley is well on the way to confirming production of the new car, which should be ready in 2015, slotting in neatly between the Continental and Mulsanne model cycles.

Bentley’s 4x4 sits somewhere between the Porsche Cayenne and Range Rover in terms of size, dynamics and ride comfort, and is set to out-perform both. The only fly in the ointment comes from in-house rival Lamborghini, which is also planning a high-performance SUV, possibly using a version of Bentley’s W12.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

However, the Bentley will bring a new level of luxury and price (around £140,000) to the class. Bentley will rely on its craftsmen to produce the most sumptuous 4x4 cabin using the very finest materials and including some neat touches from design chief Dirk van Braeckel and his team.

The concept features what van Braeckel describes as “a more modern, advanced interior, but with the usual quality of wood and leather”. However, Bentley is using harder saddle leather for the first time in areas that may be subject to harder wear – this is a 4x4 after all – with softer leather where customers are more likely to touch it.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The traditional, full-width burr walnut dash complete with bullseye vents is juxtaposed with a hi-tech infotainment screen that will emerge from the dash and seem to float above a panel with controls for the climate, navigation and entertainment systems. Full connectivity and Internet access with downloadable apps will keep the system up-to-date.

The instrument binnacle features digital TFT screens with analogue needles. The displays change depending on the driving mode and also show the view of exterior cameras. Major controls are larger than usual so the driver can use them with gloves on.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

A full-length panoramic sunroof has a central metal bar running its full length and featuring grab handles.

Bentley has lavished as much attention on the rear quarters as anywhere else in the car. The boot features a powered, split tailgate, beautifully trimmed for two people to sit or stand on. Two hampers swing out from panels above the wheelarches to boost the car’s picnic appeal.

Rear passengers in two or three contoured seats sit further back than in rivals to boost leg and headroom – there’s 200mm more legroom than in the current Range Rover. Upright side windows add to the feeling of space and make it easier for the driver to gauge the car’s size – which is substantial.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The Bentley is taller and wider than a Cayenne, but lower and narrower than a Range Rover. It’s longer than both, with a longer wheelbase, too.

Outside, a wide matrix mesh grille is flanked by large Mulsanne-style circular lights. Under the headlamps sit similarly-sized circular air intakes, surrounded by LED daytime running lights.

The traditional Bentley ‘catwalk’ bonnet crease runs from the outside of the grille to the edges of the wide, upright windscreen. Further styling lines are fed from the headlights, wrapping around the side of the car with side vents inspired by the Bentley flying B.

Muscular Continental GT-style rear haunches are nicely integrated into the sides, but an inelegant roof spoiler is necessary to boost downforce at high speed.

The square rear lights look clunky until they’re switched on when they resemble a fighter jet’s afterburner. Chunky twin exhausts are integrated into metal under the bumper, which also features at the front and sides of the car.

The 23-inch turbine-style alloys with 800mm diameter tyres are clearly performance orientated, while there will be a sporty feel to the steering: “effortless driving, but not effortless steering,” according to Bentley engineering chief Rolf Frech. Yet the car will still be a proper off-roader, with Frech adding: “We have to show we can be good off road. If we build an SUV, it’ll be a real SUV, not a fake.”

After Geneva the car will go to China for the Beijing Motor Show, then to the middle east, mainland Europe and back to the UK. Dürheimer says the US will be the main market, followed by China, but there would be strong interest in the UK. He also says he could see the 4x4 in the Royal garage, alongside the other Bentleys already there.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Editor-in-chief

Steve Fowler has been editor-in-chief of Auto Express since 2011 and is responsible for all editorial content across the website and magazine. He has previously edited What Car?, Autocar and What Hi-Fi? and has been writing about cars for the best part of 30 years. 

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

"BYD, Dacia, MG and Renault are among the most impressive and in-touch car brands in the world"
Opinion - MG3
Opinion

"BYD, Dacia, MG and Renault are among the most impressive and in-touch car brands in the world"

Mike Rutherford is confused as to why so many car manufacturers avoided the 2024 Geneva Motor Show
3 Mar 2024
BMW Isetta-inspired Microlino EV coming to the UK, and we’ve driven it!
Microlino Lite - Geneva front
News

BMW Isetta-inspired Microlino EV coming to the UK, and we’ve driven it!

The tiny Microlino and the new Microlino Lite electric cars have been given the green light for UK sales
1 Mar 2024
New Renault 5: price, specs, launch and on sale dates
Renault 5 - front
News

New Renault 5: price, specs, launch and on sale dates

The much-loved Renault 5 is back in action as a brand new electric car. Here's everything you need to know about it...
28 Feb 2024
Geneva Motor Show 2024: full show round-up and all the cars
Geneva Motor Show 2024 - header
News

Geneva Motor Show 2024: full show round-up and all the cars

Less extensive than it once was, the Geneva Motor Show 2024 still brought some interesting new models
27 Feb 2024

Most Popular

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay
Road tax documentation
News

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay

Drivers with newer cars will now pay £10 more per year, although the biggest gas guzzlers fare even worse
28 Mar 2024
Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power
Dacia Sandero - front
News

Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power

Both the Sandero and Sandero Stepway ranges have been tweaked, gaining more safety features to meet the latest regulations
26 Mar 2024
Car Deal of the Day: classy Audi A4 Avant estate plus 8,000 miles per year for less than £300 a month
Audi A4 Avant driving on UK roads
News

Car Deal of the Day: classy Audi A4 Avant estate plus 8,000 miles per year for less than £300 a month

Our Deal of the Day for 27 March is for those who want a big trunk for all their junk
27 Mar 2024