It was three years ago when Bentley showed off their controversial EXP 9 F SUV concept and now we can say that after all this time, they will be heading off to Frankfurt Motor Show with a production version called the Bentayga. We were told that most of the EXP 9 F’s design would be changed but if you look at it, most of it has been transferred to the production model except for the front-end (thankfully). Inside the car, it is typical Bentley with real handcrafted wood and sumptuous leather covering just about everything. You can choose to have it in a 4 or 5 seat configuration and the two front seats can be adjusted in 22 ways and come with a six-program massage system, seat heating and ventilation. For the tech people, it comes with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with 60GB hard drive, a removable 10.2-inch Android-based Bentley tablet with 4G, WiFi and Bluetooth for the rear passengers, three available audio systems, including a 1,950 Watt unit from Naim with 18 speakers, and a whole host of other standard and optional features. The platform is a modified Audi Q7 one and powering this beast is a brand-new 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged W12 engine which according to Bentley will make it “the fastest, most powerful, and most exclusive SUV in the world”. That means the power plant is connected to all four wheels by an 8-speed automatic transmission and is good for a 0 to 100 km/h sprint of just 4.1 seconds. This is thanks to the enormous output of the W12 engine which is 600 horses and 900 Nm of torque.
Wolfgang Dürheimer, CEO of Bentley Motors, commented: “The Bentayga is truly the Bentley of SUVs. It redefines luxury in the SUV sector and offers a genuine Bentley experience in any environment, thanks to a combination of unparalleled attention to detail, go-anywhere ability and cutting-edge technology. With this extraordinary car we are looking forward to an exciting period of strong growth and sales success for Bentley. The Bentayga is the next step in our brand’s bold future.”
Deliveries will begin early next year and you can bet your bottom dollar that we will get a handful in South Africa!
