Bentley Believes Bigger Bentayga Could Benefit Brand

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

Bentley Motors’ initial attempt at an SUV did wonders for its volume. While its status as an automaker catering exclusively to the rich keeps annual production totals exceptionally low, the Bentayga now accounts for almost half of its total output. After the model’s introduction in 2016, the Bentley’s annual deliveries shot up 33 percent in Europe.

That wasn’t a coincidence.

Ever since Porsche’s massive success with the Cayenne (introduced in 2002, if you can believe it), super-premium marques have been hunting for a way to make expensive crossovers work equally well for them. If you’re seeking supportive evidence, look no further than the Lamborghini Urus, Rolls-Royce Cullinan, Aston Martin DBX, or Ferrari Purosangue. Bentley’s Bentayga also qualifies, though the company has a slight lead over the field, giving it the opportunity continue capitalizing on the segment by introducing another model — just like Porsche did with the Macan.

While Porsche scaled its second utility vehicle down in size from the Cayenne, Bentley (which is likewise owned by Volkswagen Group) has every reason to go bigger. The brand is already synonymous with excess and the Bentayga is borderline dainty when compared to mainstream giants like the Chevrolet Suburban. Bentley just has to decide whether or not there’s actually a market for something so sizable. At 202 inches in length, the Bentayga is pretty big in relation to most other vehicles. But there are still vehicles in its own segment that are technically larger.

“I could imagine a bigger one, I could imagine a smaller one, I could imagine a coupe-type one and I could definitely imagine battery electric, but only battery electric when you get past that ’25 to ’30 period,” Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark told Automotive News this week. However, the brand has still committed itself to electrification, promising smaller, hybridized powertrains on all future models.

The CEO went on to say that battery technology has reached a level where the company feels comfortable using it on SUVs, adding that the general preference was to build a vehicle offering more of the brand was famous for — opulence. “We’d love to make an even more luxurious, even bigger Bentayga,” he explained. “Watch this space.”

Hallmark also expressed to Car & Driver that something would need to be developed to replace the Mulsanne. “Our ambition is to fill that price space for sure,” he said. “It will not be a sports car; we will not build sports cars. SUVs were 47 percent of our sales last year. If you look at the segment below us, it’s about 50 percent … the clear indication is that both premium-car buyers and luxury-car buyers now see SUVs as being far more attractive.”

[Images: Bentley]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • Raydo Raydo on Mar 20, 2020

    Lots of these on the road in SoCal. They look too short in length. The brand and styling would fit well on a large SUV

  • Inside Looking Out Inside Looking Out on Mar 20, 2020

    My guess is they are popular in LA because of that notorious celebrity syndrome.

    • Stuki Stuki on Mar 20, 2020

      Judging by who takes selfies in front of parked ones, I am pretty sure they have been featured in more than one rap video....

  • ToolGuy This is the kind of thing you get when you give people faster internet.
  • ToolGuy North America is already the greatest country on the planet, and I have learned to be careful about what I wish for in terms of making changes. I mean, if Greenland wants to buy JDM vehicles, isn't that for the Danes to decide?
  • ToolGuy Once again my home did not catch on fire and my fire extinguisher(s) stayed in the closet, unused. I guess I threw my money away on fire extinguishers.(And by fire extinguishers I mean nuclear missiles.)
  • Carson D The UAW has succeeded in organizing a US VW plant before. There's a reason they don't teach history in the schools any longer. People wouldn't make the same mistakes.
  • B-BodyBuick84 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport of course, a 7 seater, 2.4 turbo-diesel I4 BOF SUV with Super-Select 4WD, centre and rear locking diffs standard of course.
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