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After what seemed like a never-ending stream of blog posts and rumours, it’s here – Bentley’s first SUV ever. Ok, at least in the concept form. It’s called the EXP9 and there’s no mistaking it for anything other than a Bentley, though the touch of the essential class is somewhat missing, at least in the concept form. It’s huge, almost gaudily so and we don’t know if it might grow on us in due time but right now, it’s not quite the looker, is it? Of course, we’re talking only about the renders here, which from the looks of it, have probably been done in a road-side internet café near Bangkok in Microsoft Paint (at least the outdoorsy ones). Yes, it looks muscular and the rounded design cues are likable and yet, as a whole, it’s not as elegant or stylish as the rest of its Bentley family. Maybe it’ll look much better in real-life. Who knows?
The other contenders in this ultra-niche SUV segment are some distance from production as well – the rumoured Lamborghini SUV and the Maserati Kubang, placed above and beyond the Porsche Cayennes of the world. The contenders are as yet still in the concept form – except for the Lambo, which is only news and rumours till now – and only time will tell how well the EXP9 matches up to the competition.
Powered by a massive 6.0-litre W12 turbocharged motor coupled to an 8-speed tranny, this SUV could very well teach some supercars a few things about speed. Expect the finest of materials to be used on the insides, and top-notch engineering throughout. The horsepower figure is expected to be north of 600 hp along with a staggering torque figure of 81.6 kgm – heck, it could very well tow the factory it was made in! Look for more news on the EXP9 on BSM.
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