Bentley seems to be on the path to expand its range and this includes an SUV, a Mercedes-Benz CLS rivalling four door coupe and a new Mulsanne all of which should see the light of day by the end of 2020. It had previewed the SUV in the form of EXP 9 and despite facing much criticism for the design will go forward with it for a 2015 launch. The Mulsanne and the Continental GT by that time will be due for a facelift and should get new models; however, the surprise is the announcement of the four-door coupe which will be their first car to go below the Continental GT.
A report from Carmagazine UK suggests that the four-door Coupe will be 4.8-meters long and will make use of turbocharged V6 diesel and petrol engines. It is expected to be priced in the region of 125, 000 GBP to 150, 000 GBP (Rs 1.2 Crore to Rs 1.5 Crore). We had reported in June that the third generation Continental GT and Porsche Panamera will share common underpinnings that were being developed by the latter. The new four-door Coupe is also expected to use the same design and construction.
The new Mulsanne, Bentley flagship palace on wheels, will see the light of day in 2020 and will switch from the 6.7-litre V8 to surprisingly a larger W12 mill and will include four-wheel drive option also.
Finally the SUV, which we hope will look better than the EXP9 concept vehicle is expected to share its engines and underpinnings with the next generation Audi Q7. The report suggests that it will only get a petrol engine but we believe that if Bentley sees potential in markets like ours, the its upcoming SUV will also have a diesel-hybrid under the hood. It has already previewed a basic design sketch for the SUV on its official website.
It’s a common strategy among manufacturers to have a wider range of vehicle in different segments and it seems that even the ones sitting on top have realised that such move is financially viable and provides stability in the long run.
Source: carmagazineuk
