Bentley SUV: first picture revealed

Bentley has revealed the first official image of its new SUV, which is due to go on sale in 2016.

Although the new car is effectively set to rival the upper end of the Range Rover model line-up, Bentley is keen to emphasise the new SUV’s exclusivity, saying that it will be the most luxurious and powerful SUV on the market.

Speaking at a press conference in London today, Dr Wolfgang Schreiber, chairman and chief executive at Bentley Motors, said: “It will create a completely new segment in the SUV market.”

First revealed as the EXP 9 F concept car back at the Geneva Motor Show in 2012, the new SUV will be crucial to Bentley as it looks to increase its sales over the next few years.

The luxury off-roader will form a key part of Bentley’s plans to invest £800 million in its Crewe factory in Cheshire, which could lead to an extra 1,000 jobs.

Bentley

Bentley hopes to sell at least 3,000 examples of the new SUV each year.

Expect power to come from the 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo engine first seen in the Bentley Continental GT V8, while a V6 plug-in hybrid is also a possibility.

The teaser image was released today as part of Bentley’s annual press conference, when the VW-owned British luxury brand also revealed record operating profits of £139.7 million for 2013.

Last year was also a record for Bentley for sales volume, as the car manufacturer managed to sell 10,120 cars – a 19% increase on 2012’s figure. A total of 3,140 cars were delivered in North America, making it Bentley’s biggest market, with China second at 2,191 cars. British customers, meanwhile, gave new homes to 1,381 cars.

Bentley SUV confirmed for production
Why Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, Bentley and Jaguar are going crazy for SUVs
On Bing: more Bentley SUV images
Search for a used Bentley on Auto Trader
 

By Matt Rigby, content editor, MSN Cars