Bentley SUV Starts Performance Testing

Bentley’s forthcoming luxury SUV has been caught testing again – this time in a disguised production body, as photographers captured it blasting round the Nurburgring.

The unnamed SUV certainly looks distinctive, even with heavy body cladding disguising the shape. It appears to blend the front end of the Continental GT coupe with a tall, rugged off-roader bodyshell, with interesting results.

Track testing is relatively new for luxury SUVs, especially at the gruelling Nurburgring, so we can expect the newcomer to carry some of Bentley’s sporting DNA. Details are sparse so far, but power is likely to come from an adapted version of the Continental GT’s drivetrain.

A test mule fitted with the 6.0-litre W12 engine from the Continental GT has already been seen, and we can expect the 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8 to appear as well.

The UK-built Bentley SUV is set to break new ground for the British brand on a number of fronts. Bentley CEO, Wolfgang Schreiber, has hinted that it will be the first Bentley to use a diesel engine, and the first model to feature plug-in hybrid technology from 2017 onwards.

Bentley has already received a staggering 2,000 pre-orders for the SUV, which is due in early 2016. Prices are expected to start at £140,000, but could rise to £200,000 for the top-spec models.

Source: www.autoexpress.co.uk