Bentley SUV

320 KPH: The Hallowed  old 200 miles per hour top speed glass ceiling, for so long broken only by exotic supercars. But next year, Bentley will unveil a 320 kph car with a difference: it’s an SUV.

Sources say Crewe is striving to engineer the first 320 kph off roader, Porsche’s facelifted Cayenne Turbo tops out at ‘ just’ 278 kph. Imagine the engine power, airflow management, component cooling and tyre durability required to push this two-tonne beast that fast.

For sure, the next Crewe’s missile will require some serious power. Today’s 423 kW 6.0-litre W12 has a starring role: we’re not sure of the exact output, but cylinder deactivation, a 48V electrical system powering hungry ancillaries and a coasting mode will all be employed to keep the fuel consumption in check.

Another mighty powertrain is planned, an all new 5.0 litre V10 diesel, with 406kW and a whopping -
1000 Nm of torque linked to a ten-speed ’box of cogs. The V10 TDI is a pet project of VW supervisory board chairman Ferdinand Piëch,which shortens the odds of the first ever diesel Bentley.

Wolfgang Dürheimer is making positive noises too. ‘ Diesel and Bentley are not incompatible,’ says the CEO. ‘ Demand for diesel engines is particularly strong in central and eastern Europe, so we're investigating various applications. The SUV is one of them.’ Other power plants should include a 304 kW turbo diesel V8, and a twin turbo V8 available as a pure petrol or 373 kW plug-in hybrid. Coming in 2017, the hybrid should offer a 50 km EV range.

The SUV uses the stretched version of the group’s PL73 platform, which will underpin next year’s Audi Q7, the new VW Touareg and the third gen Cayenne. The Bentley’s body in white is made in Bratislava, but painstaking final assembly takes place in Crewe. VW is investing £800m (R14bn) in Bentley’s HQ over the next three years, creating some 140 jobs, and the SUV will swallow the lion’s share of this cash.

The SUV ‘redefines the way Bentley treats its interiors,’  says Wolfgang Dürheimer, also claiming: ‘ It sets new standards  in terms of packaging, driving position, throttle response and ride comfort.’ While the SUV will take a bow next year, deliveries won’ t commence until 2016. It’s expected to add a minimum of 3 000 sales a year. And its name? Though Bentley won’ t confirm it, speculation has focused on Falcon. One thing’s for sure this bird will certainly fly.