The first Bentley Bentayga SUV isn't even out yet, but the company is already mulling more SUVs for its lineup, according to Auto Express. The British luxury automaker will debut Bentayga toward the end of the year, but Bentley executives told Auto Express that the company will seek to take on Land Rover with additional models.
“We are keeping a close eye on what Land Rover has done with the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and even the Evoque," said Kevin Rose, head of Bentley sales and marketing, in an interview with Auto Express.
Bentley has been considering an SUV off and on for about a decade since the purchase of the ailing British automaker by Volkswagen, and its first SUV will debut in production form later this year, most likely at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The large Bentayga, which has been calling attention to itself with giant Twitter hashtags in barely-camouflaged form, is expected to go on sale at the end of 2015 as a 2016 model, and is rumored to start at $210,000. Bentley has already received 4,000 "expressions of interest," but any smaller siblings will still be at least a couple years off. Bentley will have the SUV platforms of Volkswagen and Audi at its disposal for smaller SUVs, should it choose to use them.
"As soon as the SUV is delivered we will keep the momentum going by adding more and more models that stay true to the brand," Chairman and CEO Wolfgang Durheimer told Auto Express.
A decision on additional models is not expected until mid-2016 by which time the Bentayga, expected to arrive in W12 gasoline, V8 diesel, and plug-in hybrid flavors will have been revealed.
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