The British carmaker Bentley has given the green light for its new SUV model. The luxury sedan will be built at the site headquarters in Crewe UK. 2016, the car will go on sale, like the Volkswagen subsidiary announced on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Bentley had also played with the idea of having to build the SUV VW SUV factory in Bratislava, Slovakia. A mega-luxury SUV for 200 000 euros - that is Bentley's new terrain cruiser. What the British have in mind? "Of course the head of the segment," said Peter Guest, Product Line Director of EXP 9F. The terrain cruiser would "be as luxurious as other Bentleys, but even more everyday practicality and functionality" offer. As various media reports, there are now green light to the car, he should be ready for series production. "We are confident that we will build this car," said a spokesman for the news agency dpa. , the five-meter-long "Falcon" - a name that has so far been rumored - could cost at least EUR 200 000 in the base version. There should be customer inquiries from all over the world. For a long time has been speculation about how the Group's strategy in business with large sport utility vehicles (SUV) continues. Bentley chief Wolfgang Schreiber would be 3000 to 4000 "Falcon" build, it said company sources.
Wood, leather and metal
The study EXP 9F was the cracker at the Geneva Salon in March 2012. As carved from a block of marble, pulled the brawny SUV with the distinctive Bentley face all the attention. The study rolls on massive wheels with 23-inch rims in turbine style and is designed as a 4 +1 seater. The interior is full of rich woods, polished metal and fine leather. The tailgate is divided into two parts and can be opened by remote control. Behind maintains a complete picnic equipment.
The British are looking at the development of the new car already in the "benchmarking" process. This means that you test competitors like the Porsche Cayenne or Range Rover off-road. "We want to find out what a Bentley SUV may need - and what he must be better than others," explains Peter Guest. Although I would not compete off-road ability of a Range Rover, but terrain is the Bentley SUV will definitely. "In key target markets such as Dubai, the customer will be using the car in the road, take for example through the dunes," said Guest.
Which engine could work under the hood of the SUV, is still open. The Continental and Mulsanne models are fueled by strong eight-and twelve-cylinder units with turbocharging. But for Peter Guest and diesel engines "absolutely inconceivable" - provided they delivered the usual Bentley performance. The Volkswagen shelf is currently an eight-cylinder diesel engine with 4.2 liter displacement and 340 hp available, Audi has also developed a twelve-cylinder TDI. He had been only a short spell in the Q7. Until a production model of the F EXP9 appears, however, go a few years to the country. Until then, it would seem to be a new generation of diesel engines. Peter Guest believes that Bentley could sell "well over 3000 vehicles," a year of his SUV. So that the car would have the potential to become the best selling model of the brand. "You just look at what the Cayenne has done for the Porsche brand," said the Briton. polarizing design on the car will certainly be some change. In the industry it is, the show car was deliberately a little Range Rover resembled - to customers, in addition to their Bentleys often also have a Range Rover in the fleet, slowly get used with the usual lines to the idea of a Bentley SUV.
Rolls-Royce turns up his nose
What is on the agenda of the developer is far above, is lightweight. Bentleys are extremely heavy. The flagship Mulsanne, for example, brings more than two and a half tons on the scale. Advantage for the British: expertise in lightweight construction is the Volkswagen Group abundant, for example at Audi.
When Bentley Rolls-Royce competitor one is way more reticent when it comes to SUV. "A Rolls-Royce is not a utility vehicle to which I drive through the mud," said Rolls CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös on the edge of the presentation of the Phantom Series II Peter Guest believes that its customers did not make such a fear of contact are "Bentley has always been a strong driver-oriented brand. What is now called the SUV is a Grand Tourer in the best Bentley tradition for us. So why not offer a grand tourer, with which you can cross entire continents? "