Bentley Bentayga: Will the company build a speed version of its SUV?
By Wade Thiel
Do you love your Bentley Bentayga but wish it was faster? Well, it looks like Bentley will build a high-speed version of its big SUV.
The Bentley Bentayga already offers a selection of powertrain options, including a plug-in hybrid version that gets a little over 30 miles per charge. But there really isn’t a ridiculously high-powered version of the SUV, and with all of the super high-performance SUVs and crossovers coming out, Bently must have felt left out.
Accord to Autocar, reported that Bentley’s design boss Stefan Sielaff said the company is working on a ‘Speed’ version of its SUV. Sielaff said that it will be a “big change” from the basic vehicle.
He did not go into exactly what that means. He did say, however, that it will be similar to the other Speed models that Bentley has made in the past. That should mean crazy-high horsepower numbers and a wild top speed.
Will the ‘Speed’ model be a Bentayga SUV Coupe?
CarBuzz points out that the new Bentayga Speed could be the unconfirmed Bentayga Coupe that was rumored after Bentley’s boss Wolfgang Duerheimer talked with Top Gear in 2015.
What fueled the fire at the time of that interview was Duerheimer’s comment about the fact that sports car, convertible, and sedans sales are slowing. Looking back, it would seem that he was right in 2015. Since then, there have been tons of growth for SUVs and crossover utility vehicles.
In the realm of the Bentley Bentayga, we see the Lamborghini Urus as the biggest high-performance SUV player right now. If Bentley came out with a Speed version of its Bentayga, it would be going head to head with Lambo. Making a Bentayga Coupe would be one way to differentiate from the Italian company.
What Would Go Under the Hood?
It’s unclear what Bentley would put under the hood of the Bentayga Speed should the company choose to produce it. CarBuzz suggested that it would be a 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 that makes 600 hp and 663 lb-ft of torque. That should move the big Bentley around with some serious authority.
Still, most of this is just speculation, and there’s no telling what Bentley will actually do with the model if it even chooses to produce it. CarBuzz thinks it’s possible to see this version at Geneva in 2019, but as of yet, Bentley has not said whether or not that will happen.
Next: The 10 Most Expensive Cars to Insure
One thing’s for sure, though, it seems there will be more high-performance SUV models in the years to come.