Bentley's SUV concept, the EXP-F9, is coming to life and may be joined by a new coupe-like sedan.
There was a time when Bentleys were little more than rebadged versions of old partner Rolls-Royce models. But, in recent years, the British maker has been generating significant demand with an expanded and updated line-up of offerings such as the new Flying Spur and the big Mulsanne.
Now, it seems, Bentley’s line-up is set to get significantly bigger. As we’ve already reported, the maker is moving ahead on the development of its first-ever luxury SUV, a model that will be based on the EXP 9F concept vehicle the world got a first glimpse of in Geneva at the 2012 Motor Show. But could there be still more to come?
Apparently, yes. Reports from Europe suggesting the next model will be a coupe-like sedan – think Mercedes-Benz CLS on an even grander scale – due out in 2018, according to the U.K.’s Car magazine.
While the British maker has had a series of management changes in recent years, one thing remains consistent in the corporate strategy: expanding the model line-up.
The production version of the EXP 9F remains the highest-priority project, numerous sources indicate – and for good reason considering the success high-line utes and crossovers from the likes of Porsche, BMW and Mercedes have achieved.
But the coupe-like sedan has become one of the most successful design variants in the luxury passenger car market in recent years, so there’s little surprise that Bentley wants a piece of the action.
Significantly, the new model would pick up on the plans laid out by former Bentley Chairman Franz-Josef Paefgen, who had wanted to launch a third model line priced below the current Continental range – which includes the Continental GT, the convertible GTC and the Flying Spur. That lower-end line was put on hold when Paefgen retired and his successor, Wolfgang Durheimer, shifted focus to a Bentley SUV.
So, the news suggests that the third model range is back on track – and hints that still more body styles could be in the works considering automotive economies of scale only really work when a maker produces a wide range of variants to maximize sales.
According to car, the new SLS-fighter would be priced between 125,000 and 150,000 euros, or under $200,000.
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That would be just slightly higher than such existing models as a well-loaded CLS 63 AMG, Porsche Panamera or BMW M6 – Bentley clearly expecting a premium for its perceived brand exclusivity.
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Ironically, the new model could wind up sharing its underlying architecture with one of the other brands that, like Bentley, are part of the vast Volkswagen AG empire – the D5 platform used in the next Audi A8, for example, or the MSB platform developed for the next-gen Porsche Panamera.