We Hear: Bentley Working on Baby SUV, Fastback Bentayga

The Bentley Bentayga hasn’t even hit the market yet, but already the British marque is planning future SUVs to increase its profits. Following the trend started by the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, Bentley will launch a fastback version of the Bentayga. After that, expect to see a smaller SUV slot beneath the Bentayga in the lineup.

The reports come from Auto Express, which says the swoopier Bentayga will arrive “sometime next year,” perhaps previewed first as a concept in Geneva. Like the other “coupe”-styled SUVs on the market, the fastback Bentayga variant will have a dramatically raked roofline. The SUV will also receive larger wheels, unique bumpers, a sportier stance, and VW Group’s 6.0-liter W-12 engine tuned for more power than the standard Bentayga’s 600 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque.

Speaking to Auto Express, Bentley product line director Peter Guest said the new SUV will be “much more biased towards on-road performance. But it will still have four doors and four seats.” He continued: “It might not have as much luggage space as the Bentayga. But it will be much more aggressively styled, a lot faster, a lot more dramatic.”

In addition to the Bentayga coupe, Bentley will add a smaller SUV model to help it nearly double its sales by 2018. Though the Bentayga rides on the new Audi Q7’s MLB platform, the sub-Bentayga model is expected to use the MSB architecture planned for the next-gen Porsche Panamera and Bentley Continental GT.

Look for both SUVs within the next few years, along with an electric supercar based on the Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 concept.

Source: Auto Express 1, 2

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