A newBentleySUV is on the cards according to the auto manufacturer and it will be the first time the brand ventures into the highly competitive SUV segment.The new Bentley SUV will go on sale in 2016 and will be Bentley's fourth model line to be built in Crewe, in the process creating more than 1000 jobs.

New Bentley SUV faces stiff competition

The luxury SUV will join a future segment which is very much in full swing, with both Maserati and Lamborghini confirming that they will be building SUVs of their own. While this is good news for manufacturing in Britain in general, car enthusiasts will be wondering why Bentley is pursuing a project that was met with such derision last year. Rumours are that the new Bentley SUV will look nothing like the 2012 EXP 9 F Concept which the brand showed at last year’s Geneva Motor Show as a preview for an SUV production model. But Bentley has brushed that reaction aside, saying there has been extremely positive reaction to a new Bentley SUV from its customers. No matter what us journos think of it, this will probably become the new unofficial car of the English Premier League. The new Bentley SUV styling “will set it apart from any other SUV on the road and will be true to the Bentley design DNA. In addition, Bentley describes the model as being the "most luxurious and most powerful SUV in the market." Details remain sketchy There’s no word on specs as yet, but if the sketch that Bentley has provided is anything to go by, it seems the new Bentley SUV will feature improved styling including a sleeker roofline, and will most likely be based on the same platform as the next-generation Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne. This gives them a whole range of engines to choose from, but we would speculate that the car will run the twin turbo V8 from the Bentley Continental GT, and possibly the W12 also from that model line. The £800 million that the company is investing will not only be used to develop the SUV, but also for additional models which will be added in the future. There has been no word as yet as to whether or not it will come to SA. Note: Pictured is the 2012 EXP 9 F concept, not the forthcoming car.