Bentley says no to smaller SUV based on Porsche Macan

Bentley will not cash-in on booming sales of mid-size luxury SUV with a scaled-down version of its Bentayga, the company says.

Wayne Bruce, global head of Bentley communications, told Drive on a recent flying visit to Australia a smaller SUV is not planned, and implied customers interested in one should consider a Porsche Macan instead.

"The question has been asked time and time again. A ‘Bentley-fied’ [Porsche] Macan?” Mr Bruce said.

“Bentleys have always been a certain size and scale and that’s true to the brand. And we have no intention to change that. [...] Porsche does a very good Macan. I don’t think we need one."

The Bentley Bentayga – which measures up to 5.3 metres long, similar to a Toyota HiLux or Ford Ranger – has been a best-seller for the Volkswagen Group-owned British brand since it launched late in 2015.

Built on underpinnings shared with the Porsche Cayenne, Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7 and Q8, and Lamborghini Urus, the Bentayga accounted for 42 per cent of the brand’s 15,174 global sales in 2022.

It's a similar story in Australia, where the 107 Bentaygas reported as sold in 2023 represented 46.7 per cent of the brand’s deliveries last year

Last year, Porsche sold 2925 Macans in Australia – about 48 per cent of the German brand’s total sales – while the larger Cayenne SUV accounted for a further 25.5 per cent.

Illustrations: Theottle