Bentley is weighing up a two-seat sports car against a ‘one-size smaller’ luxury SUV as the next addition to its model range.
A deep-dive global market research project, under the guidance of Bentley sales and marketing boss Kevin Rose, is looking closely at the business case for each car. A decision is expected in 2016-2017.
“We can’t do both at the same time, because Bentley is still a small company and our resources are stretched,” said Bentley boss Wolfgang Dürheimer. “We are doing the studies for both and then we will decide on the fifth model. We have to see if we now need an SUV one size smaller than the new Bentayga.”
Bentley had been expected to use the EXP 10 Speed 6 sports car concept, revealed at the Geneva motor show in March, as the basis for its fifth model: a £180,000 two-seater to battle the Aston Martin Vanquish.
However, at the Shanghai motor show in April, Bentley raised the possibility of adding a new compact SUV, priced below the forthcoming £140,000 Bentayga. To put clear space between the Speed 6 and Bentley’s Continental GT 2+2, Dürheimer said the two cars would have very different characters. “We have asked our customers and they have said about the Speed 6, ‘Just build it’,” said Dürheimer. “They see a big difference in the two models.”
Neither would the introduction of the Speed 6 force Bentley to change the next-generation Continental GT, for example by making the rear cabin bigger and more practical.“There is often pressure to make more space inside for bigger passengers,” said Dürheimer. “But we are very clear the Flying Spur is for that market. The next Continental will stay the same.”
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