The wait is over to hear the name of Crewe’s new 2016 SUV: we can now confirm you are looking at what will become the new Bentley Bentayga.
The Bentley what?
Bentayga. It’s certainly a stretch for traditionalists at Bentley, but it’s said to name-check a mountain peak on the Canary Islands, the Roque Bentayga. The name was announced at the 2015 Detroit motor show as the company gears up for the launch of its new SUV.
Bentley also references the Taiga, the world’s largest transcontinental snowforest to the north of the company’s Crewe headquarters. Seems this crossover has a lot of inspiration behind its name.
Over to Wolfgang Duerheimer, the CEO and chairman of Bentley to explain further.
‘Bentayga is a name that reflects what we know our SUV will do better than any other car in the world – combine the best automotive luxury with outstanding performance to take the Bentley experience to new environments,’ he said.
When can I (not) buy the new Bentley Bentayga 4×4?
See Crewe’s new SUV unveiled later in 2015, and in showrooms in 2016. The pictures here are of the EXP9 F concept, the show car which stated Bentley’s intent to build a Range Rover rival.
We’ve cheekily popped the Bentayga on to its namesake to see how it’d look driving up the Canary Island peak.
What next for Bentley’s SUV?
We expect the style to be fully overhauled before launch; the 9 F did not draw universal praise at launch, and Crewe designers have pledged a major rethink before it lands in showrooms.
But remember: the Bentley Bentayga is not primarily aimed at Europe. It is likely to sell best in SUV-first markets, such as the US, the Middle East, Russia and – the big one – growing Asian markets.
Which may explain its name. And the fact it’s being engineered for 200mph – enough to make it the world’s fastest 4×4.
Are you a fan of the Bentayga name? Let us know what you think in our comments below.