Bentley kicked off its press conference at the 2015 North American International Auto Show applauding the U.S. market for taking to its brand so warmly. The VW Auto Group-owned British luxury brand announced that the U.S. is its largest market, and in turn will offer what its customers truly want — an all-new crossover called Bentayga that will go on sale globally in 2016. And now, AutoBlog has learned more information about the vehicle’s various powertrains.
Initially, the Bentley Bentayga will be offered with the brand’s iconic W12 engine. Then in 2017, a V6 or V8 hybrid variant will be added to improve fuel economy, with a final decision about the cylinder count not yet made up, according to Bentley CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer. Lastly, a diesel V8 will also be offered, marking a first for Bentley.
The Bentayga will add to Bentley’s climbing sales, specifically in the U.S. where the ultra-luxury brand has a list of 4,000 customers interested in the vehicle. Many customers have put down deposits, but an official list has not been created since pricing has yet to be announced. The Bentayga is expected to lift Bentley’s annual sales to the 15,000 units mark.
“Our customers liked the idea,” Dürheimer said. “We see a growing SUV market share around the world.”
The Bentley Bentayga concept was initially shown at the 2012 Geneva Auto Show as the EXP 9 F. The concept was received with mixed reactions due to its unrefined styling, but Bentley is said to tweak the final production version.
No Comments yet