Bentley is planning to launch both a small SUV to sit below the Bentayga while also developing a new sports car based around the EXP10 Speed 6 concept unveiled earlier in the year.
During recent press drivers of the Bentayga in Spain, Bentley chairman and chief executive Wolfgang Durheimer confirmed the news to Autocar. The launch of the two cars will come as part of a 840 million pound spending programme over the coming three years and will significantly boost the British marque’s deliveries and workforce.
Starting with the new SUV, it will sit between the Porsche Cayanne and Macan in terms of size and should hit showrooms in around three years. It is tipped to be based around the Bentayga’s underpinnings and as a result, could be offered with the same range of engines as the Bentayga including its 600 hp, twin-turbocharged W12 engine. A hybrid powertrain is also likely to be offered.
According to engineering director Rolf French, the project is currently in the initial design and engineering stages and will preview a refreshed and more modern design language for the company. It is expected to be previewed in concept guise in late 2017.
As for the new sports car, it will be launched after the small SUV and is expected to come standard with a petrol-powered V8 engine. Of most significance, it could also be offered in all-electric guise incorporating four electric motors capable of propelling the sports car to 320 km/h while achieving a 500 km range. In electric guise, it would offer an alternative to the upcoming electric Aston Martin Rapide.
