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Automobiles

Volkswagen Group Green Lights Bentley’s SUV Project

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By Jens Meiners

A Bentley SUV will go on sale in 2016, but it likely won’t look like this early design proposal of the EXP 9 F concept.

It’s official: the Bentley SUV will happen. Today, Volkswagen Group chief Martin Winterkorn declared that the long-rumored off-roader—previewed by the unfortunately styled EXP 9 F concept at the 2012 Geneva auto show—will go on sale from 2016. British Prime Minister David Cameron’s presence added a political dimension to the announcement, highlighting Bentley’s investment of more than £800 million, roughly $1.2 billion, which will see the SUV built in Crewe and generate 1000 jobs in the U.K.

No further details were provided, but Bentley did say, however, that the new model “will be a thoroughbred Bentley” and “the most luxurious and most powerful SUV in the market.” The SUV moving to production will be a late triumph for Wolfgang Dürheimer, the recently dismissed head of Audi’s R&D program, who was Bentley’s CEO when work on the SUV model commenced.

Echoing Dürheimer’s remarks of last summer, Bentley maintains that the reaction of customers to a Bentley SUV has been “extremely positive.” Nevertheless, the vehicle will receive a complete makeover; design chief Luc Donckerwolke is in charge of a comprehensive restyling that will address some of the concerns about the model’s design.

What we know is that the Bentley SUV will be based on the Volkswagen Group’s MLB architecture, originally designed by Audi and to be shared with the next generation of Audi Q7, Volkswagen Touareg, and Porsche Cayenne. It will be available with a range of powertrain options that will include a hybrid, a V-8 diesel, and a twin-turbo W-12. Competition will come from the likes of Range Rover, an upcoming Jaguar SUV, and top-drawer versions of the Porsche Cayenne and the Audi Q7. Perhaps most interesting will be the dynamic between Bentley and Lamborghini, as Audi CEO Rupert Stadler announced that the Italians’ Urus SUV project will arrive on showroom floors roughly at the same time as Bentley’s SUV. Just how the VW Group plans to position two similar models with such historic badges and astronomical sticker prices will be fascinating to say the least.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Car & Driver

Automobiles

Report: Bentley SUV given green light by VW board

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By Chris Paukert

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Bentley EXP 9 concept SUV live at Geneva Motor Show unveiling in 2012

The “will they, won’t they” saga over Bentley’s SUV plans appears to finally be over. They will. That’s according to the German business newspaper Handelsblatt, which is reporting that the controversial SUV will be built after receiving the go-ahead from Volkswagen’s board.

Known internally as “Falcon,” the still-unnamed Bentley SUV will be based on the EXP 9 Concept that received wildly mixed reviews at its 2012 Geneva Motor Show unveiling. Since the EXP 9’s unveiling, there have been a steady stream of leaks and rumors suggesting that the bold-faced vehicle will get a redesign prior to going into production, but it remains unclear how different the final vehicle will look.

According to Automotive News, Bentley is itself stopping short of confirming the green-light report, though it does admit that the SUV‘s production outlook appears “very positive.” Production will likely take place in Slovakia at a plant owned by parent Volkswagen.

Seen as a key part of Bentley’s plan to expand its sales volumes, the SUV is expected to arrive within three years under V8 and possibly W12 power, just like the brand’s volume Continental GT range. Said to start at a cost of some 200,000 euros – over $270,000 US – the Bentley will stare down a suddenly crowded segment of luxury utility vehicles, taking on newcomers like the Maserati Levante and as-yet unnamed Lamborghini SUV along with segment stalwarts like the Land Rover Range Rover and Porsche Cayenne.

Bentley SUV given green light by VW board originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Feb 2013 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Autoblog

Automobiles

Bentley Design Chief Donckerwolke Bins EXP 9 F Concept, Working on New SUV and Continental

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By Jens Meiners

Bentley EXP 9 F SUV concept

A few months into his tenure as Bentley chief designer, Volkswagen Group’s star designer Luc Donckerwolke is shaking up operations to prepare the brand for the future. Shortly after the departure of exterior design chief David Hilton, Donckerwolke has hired former GM and VW Group designer Sang Yup Lee to take charge. Meanwhile, former interior chief Robin Page has left Bentley to work with former VW Group designer Thomas Ingenlath at Volvo. Page’s replacement will be announced shortly.

Donckerwolke and his team have their work cut out for them. While the brand is pushing an SUV into production, the EXP 9 F concept—unveiled to incredulous eyes at the Geneva auto show last year—has been canned. After Geneva, it was shown not only at the Beijing show, but surprisingly also at last year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Élégance. Now the brand is working on a sportier and more contemporary interpretation of an SUV.

Work also is progressing on the next-generation Continental GT, which will break away from the current look. Because of budget constraints during its development process, the second-generation Continental GT is little more than an extensive face lift. At least its Flying Spur derivative, finalized before Donckerwolke came on board, will be more differentiated from the first-generation model than the two-door Continentals were.

Donckerwolke is a graduate of the Art Center College of Design in Vevey, Switzerland. He joined Audi in 1992 and held different positions at Audi and Škoda, then moved to Lamborghini in 1998 and became the brand’s chief designer in 2003. Two years after that promotion, Donckerwolke took over as chief designer of Seat; he became head of the Volkswagen Group’s advanced design in 2011.

He was heavily involved in the Audi A2, first-generation Škoda Fabia and Octavia, and the Lamborghini Gallardo and Murciélago. Donckerwolke is a genuine car guy; his personal collection includes a Lamborghini Espada, a Lamborghini Miura, a VW-Porsche 914/6 race car, a BMW 3.0 CSI, and a Fiat 850 Coupé Sport. His level of enthusiasm for grand-turismo cars is hard to surpass.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Car & Driver