Geneva motor show 2012: Top 10 cars - Bentley EXP 9 F

A Bentley SUV should barely have registered a blip among the noise of Geneva’s big launches. However, it had the most talked-about car of the show (and by some way), thanks to the outlandish, brash, jaw-dropping rudeness of the EXP 9 F.

We’d expected the Bentley SUV to incorporate elements of the Continental on a jacked-up frame. What caught us by surprise was how much Mulsanne is in there too – principally the enormous headlights.

Designed with customers in China, Russia and the Middle East in mind, and engineered with a long wheelbase to give it chauffeur-friendly levels of rear legroom, the EXP 9 F sits on a platform that will eventually underpin many of the VW Group’s larger SUVs; including the next Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne.

However, it takes scale and luxury to new heights, keeping Bentley’s W12 petrol engine, wearing 23-inch wheels and featuring a sumptuous cabin.

The EXP 9 F could make production in a similar form to the car shown at Geneva. It could happen within the next couple of years, too. Bentley could charge from £150,000 upwards – and it would sell. We've heard Bentley boss Wolfgang Durheimer has already collected a healthy batch of deposits to help him in his bid to secure the car’ production.

Audi A3
Renault Zoe
Seat Toledo
Nissan Invitation
Mercedes A-Class
Ford Kuga
Fiat 500L
Jaguar XF Sportbrake
Volvo V40

John McIlroy

See also: All Geneva motor show 2012 news