Powered by company's W12 engine

British media is reporting Bentley is targeting a 200 mph top speed for its upcoming SUV.

Bentley's SUV is now a certainty as the company has confirmed the existence of such a model for a couple of times. We also know it will look different than the EXP 9 F concept and will be powered by the company's W12 engine while based on a teaser photo released earlier this week we noticed the styling won't stray away at all from current Bentley designs.

Now, Autocar is saying Bentley's engineers are pulling out all the stops to make the SUV hit an impressive top speed of 200 mph (322 km/h). To achieve this bold objective Bentley will have to lower the roofline and tweak the underbody aerodynamics while at the same time do some changes at the back to come up with a more slippery shape. The vehicle is expected to be almost two meters wide and will probably ride on special tires able to resist at such high speeds but also handle light off-roading.

Bentley's first ever SUV will be unveiled in 2015 but sales will kick off a year later. A plug-in hybrid system will be offered in 2017 by the Crewe-based marque and chances are the SUV will be the one to get it.

Bentley’s new SUV is due to enter production in 2016 and should be in showrooms either that year or in early 2017. Today we have our first spy shots of a prototype for the new SUV, which in addition to testing new mechanicals is being used to promote a new microsite that already contains a few teasers and will be updated with more information as we approach the eventual reveal.

The prototype is heavily camouflaged, with most of the panels found at the front and rear sections tacked on to hide the true shape. However, we can still ascertain a number of details from the latest shots and also peer into the lavish interior.

The styling of the new SUV is based on Bentley’s EXP 9 F concept from 2012, although the somewhat gaudy design of the concept is being updated to something more elegant and athletic. A previous teaser image shows that Bentley designers have adopted four individual lights for the production SUV’s headlights as opposed to the two lights fitted to the concept, and this is confirmed in the latest spy shots.

The interior features Bentley’s traditional leather, wood and metal elements. We can also see that the vehicle is getting a new design for the air vents as well as a digital instrument cluster complete with head-up display. Expect a sophisticated electronic interface to go along with the new instrument cluster. Third-row seating is planned, though it’s not clear if this will be standard or optional.

Underpinning the vehicle is the SUV version of the Volkswagen Group’s next-generation MLB Evo platform that debuts in the 2015 Q7 and, in shortened form, will eventually appear in the next-generation versions of the Porsche Cayenne, Volkswagen Touareg and a new SUV from Lamborghini based on 2012’s Urus concept. Previous test mules for the Bentley SUV were even hidden beneath the makeshift body of a current-generation Q7.

In the powertrain department, expect Bentley’s current V-8 and W-12 engines to be featured. The prototype here is fitted with the W-12, as denoted by its oval exhaust tips. Bentley’s V-8 models get exhaust tips with a figure-eight design. The automaker has also confirmed that a plug-in hybrid system will be offered in the new SUV, though it’s not clear yet what internal combustion engine the system will incorporate. We’ll most likely see the V-8 used although there’s the possibility Bentley may utilize a V-6 engine to help maximize efficiency.

Production of the new SUV will take place at Bentley’s main facility in Crewe, England. While there have been reports the SUV may be called a Falcon, this is unlikely given Ford’s rights to the name.

Plug-in hybrid version confirmed for 2017

The first ever SUV to wear Bentley’s badge has been spied once again, this time undergoing testing in southern Europe.

Bentley previewed the model a couple of years ago through the much debated EXP 9 F concept that was heavily criticized for its rather unappealing design. The British marque has promised to fix the styling for the production version seen here hiding in an extensive full body camouflage. Speaking of camo, Bentley is the first car manufacturer in the world to release a teaser image for a camouflage, a marketing move which many weren't expecting.

The SUV will likely borrow design ideas from the Continental GT and Flying Spur which will probably be mixed with concept's styling but hopefully not too much. A while back we shared a few spy pics of the interior cabin revealing a digital instrument cluster together with circular air vents and lots of wood and metallic accents.

Planned for a 2016 market release, the Bentley SUV will utilize the MLB Evo platform and will presumably be powered by a twin-turbo V8 4.0-liter along with the firm's familiar 6.0-liter W12. A plug-in hybrid version has already been confirmed and will be introduced in 2017.

As expected, the model will be built in Crewe, United Kingdom following a massive 800M GBP investment and the addition of 1,000 jobs.

Planned for a 2016 market release, the Bentley SUV will utilize the MLB Evo platform and will presumably be powered by a twin-turbo V8 4.0-liter along with the firm's familiar 6.0-liter W12. A plug-in hybrid version has already been confirmed and will be introduced in 2017.

There's no shock in finding out that a new Bentley is going to be expensive; it kind of goes with the territory. However, company boss Wolfgang Dürheimer is indicating that its upcoming SUV could create a whole new rung of pricing for luxury utility vehicles.

While speaking with Autocar at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Dürheimer let slip that the company's forthcoming SUV would have a price of 130,000 pounds or more ($220,000 at current US exchange rates). Thankfully, the Bentley boss further clarified the reason for such a high cost of entry. He said that the elite players in the field like the Porsche Cayenne or Land Rover Range Rover have prices that hit the European equivalent of about $220,000 for top-trim, fully-optioned models. "We aim to solve this problem," said Dürheimer to Autocar. While it's exceedingly rare for converted foreign MSRPs to equal the actual expense in the US, it looks to be at the very top end of the class.

That is a stratospheric figure, but the Bentley SUV already has some big rumors to live up to. The company is reportedly aiming for a 200-mile-per-hour top speed and may possibly offer a plug-in hybrid powertrain, as well. It's being pretty flagrant in evaluating the new vehicle too by plastering a promotional URL on its test mules (see above). They show the model with the brand's trademark circular headlights up front, and interior photos indicate a digital instrument panel. If Dürheimer is serious about that price, the company better pack the car with every bell and whistle it can find to justify it.

W12 variant should have more than 550 PS

Bentley has already said their upcoming crossover will become the "most luxurious and powerful SUV on the market" and it looks like they meant it as sales and marketing director Kevin Rose has revealed the W12 version will be the "fastest SUV on sale."

In order to achieve this lofty goal, the luxury-oriented model - which could be called the Falcon - will have to duke it out with crossovers such as the BMW X5 / X6 M, Porsche Cayenne Turbo S and Range Rover Sport SVR. As a result, power will be provided by the company's familiar twin-turbo W12 engine but it unclear what it will be rated at.

Interestingly, Rose told Car & Driver that he expects the plug-in hybrid variant will become the best selling model. Nearly 30 percent of potential buyers are interested in the eco-friendly variant and it is expected to have an electric-only range of up to 30 miles (48.2 miles).

Besides the aforementioned engines we can expect a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 and possibly a Bentley-tuned version of Audi's 4.2-liter V8 TDI.

SUVs are the new frontier for ultra-luxury car brands such as Bentley, which will release its first-ever crossover model onto the market in 2016.

Before it does so, the Crew firm has to complete the development phase, with our spies capturing a prototype undergoing hot weather (…low suspension) testing in Southern Europe.

We've heard that the SUV is internally referred to as the Falcon, but there's still no official word on the final name for the production model.

Bentley has teased the car through shadowy videos and pictures, so we already know that its appearance will differ from the original and quite controversial, EXP 9 F Concept, featuring a less polarizing front end that's more in line with other current Bentley models.

The interior could be a different story, with Bentley keeping closer to the study, but we'll know for sure when we obtain scoop shots of the cabin.

While the styling will be very Bentley overall, the luxury off-roader's hardware, including the new platform, will be a VW Group thing, shared with the next generations of the Audi Q7, Porsche Cayman and VW Touareg, and Lamborghini's new SUV.

Powering the Bentley model will be the brand's 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 petrol engine producing over 600-horses, with the British firm also confirming the introduction of its very first plug-in petrol-electric hybrid, which is widely believed to use the V8 unit featured on the Mulsanne Concept. The 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 petrol could be offered without electric assistance as well.

Could feature a more muscular & sporty design

Bentley Design Director Luc Donckerwolke has revealed their upcoming crossover will feature a new a styling philosophy.

Speaking to Car & Driver, Donckerwolke said "We are adapting the DNA of the brand to a new topology of car but it’s always good when you do something that the brand hasn’t done before.” Donckerwolke declined to go into specifics but the magazine says we can expect a muscular design that will eventually spread to the rest of the lineup.

As we have previously reported, the Bentley crossover will go into production in 2016 and ride on the MLB Evo platform. Bentley has been coy on specifications but engine options are slated to include a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8, a 6.0-liter W12 and a plug-in hybrid variant for 2017.