Bentley Bentayga X Concept Previews Future Luxury Off-Road SUV

The Bentley Bentayga X Concept breaks cover as a rugged off-road luxury SUV based on the new Bentayga Speed.

It appears that Bentley is joining the overland SUV bandwagon, as the automaker unveiled its latest off-road concept, known as the Bentley Bentayga X Concept. Built based on the new Bentayga Speed, this rugged off-roader concept could go into production, provided that Bentley can “stimulate and gain feedback” for such a car.

At one glance, you can see that the Bentayga X Concept looks much more rugged and extreme compared to the standard Bentayga Speed, as it benefits from a series of makeovers. The ride height has been jacked up by 55 mm, the track width grows by 120 mm, the wheel arches are pushed outwards, and the whole SUV now rolls on chunky off-road tyres wrapped around forged 22-inch wheels.

As a result, Bentley claims this rugged concept now boasts a wading depth of up to 550 mm and a healthier ground clearance of 310 mm. Despite the jack-up treatment, the concept still gets the same air suspension and Bentley’s proprietary 48V active anti-roll system seen on the standard Bentayga, so you bet this thing is still relatively comfortable on pavement.

For the cosmetic upgrades, the X Concept gets a dedicated roof rack with spotlights and storage areas. There’s even a small electric go-kart mounted on the roof rack for discerning parents of a future racer out there.

While Bentley didn’t specify any upgrades for the X Concept’s powertrain, we knew that the concept runs on the same 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, delivering 641 hp to all wheels via an eight-speed transmission and a permanent four-wheel drive (4WD) system.

Although the Bentley Bentayga X Concept is not 100% confirmed for production, the Crewe-based marque will be using this off-roader concept to compete at the upcoming FAT Ice Race series in Salzburg, Austria. Perhaps a successful campaign at this upcoming ice race could provide an ultimate justification for Bentley to actually bring this rugged concept into production.