LONDON: Just weeks from its official unveiling at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Bentley’s first SUV has broken cover, completely free of packaging.
Yes, packaging.
There are no photos of the real Bentayga yet, but images of an unboxed 1:18 scale model have snuck online.
From this we can see that, as expected, the Bentayga shies away from the bold stacked headlight look of Bentley’s earlier EXP 9 F concept.
Instead the front of the Bentayga aligns more closely with the front styling of the Continental GT coupe and Flying Spur sedan.
At the rear, bulging rear haunches lead into large, rectangular tail lights. There’s also plenty of chrome trim around the body to tie the whole look together.
Interior details are more difficult to discern, but it’s a safe bet there’ll be plenty of high quality cow hide, and hand-finished woodwork, to fit the Bentayga’s luxury aspirations.
Under the bonnet, a version of the 6.0 litre W12 engine from the Continental GT is expected, with a 4.0 litre V8 set to follow later.
Future powertrains may also include a pair of Bentley firsts, with a plug-in hybrid, and the possibility of a turbo diesel V8 from the Audi A8 joining the range.
While built by Bentley in England, the Bentayga is expected to sit on a version of the MLB platform shared the Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne, as well as the Volkswagen Touareg.
