Bentley pick-up truck ready for action

Bentley has just announced its first battery-electric vehicle will be a jacked-up super-limo… so how much of a stretch is it to push that concept in the direction of a pick-up truck?

Well, it would be a massive stretch, but that hasn’t stopped CG artist Kleber Silva from rendering this high-end ute from the British sports-luxury brand.

If this flight of fantasy somehow became reality, it would capitalise on the insatiable buyer demand for high-end utes – from mainstream sub-$100K performance models like the Ford Ranger Raptor and Volkswagen Amarok W580, up to the mad 895kW RAM 1500 TRX Mammoth 6x6 that costs a cool $678,000.

Based on the Bentley Bentayga SUV, the super-luxury pick-up truck has a hint of the Volkswagen Amarok to its flanks, the blistered wheel-arches adding a little rock-crushing fury.

That said, those 23-inch alloy wheels shod with gum-ball rubber suggest this is very much a city slicker, not a country bumpkin.

The front-end design is pure Bentley with its twin ovoid front lights and that big, bluff grille, while the rear tray gets a sailplane-style sports bar. And possibly a slab-of-beer cooler instead of a champagne chiller.

And power? There’d be plenty.

Envisioned as an EV, the nature of the pick-up truck platform would allow a huge battery pack to be fitted. And like the Rivian R1T, Hummer EV and Tesla Cybertruck, the Bentley would deliver tyre-shredding performance, a long driving range and possibly a few party tricks as well, like the Rivian’s tank turn.

Of course, there’s always Bentley’s intense 6.0-litre 12-cylinder engine to think about. Found in the 2021 Bentley Bentayga Speed, the W12 engine generates an impressive 467kW and 900Nm of torque, which should be enough to tow a house and provide a 306km/h (190mph) top speed when drivers are in a hurry.

The 0-100km/h dash would take around 3.9 seconds – quick enough to forcibly squeeze occupants into their high-end diamond-quilted massaging leather seats.

Hollywood celebrities and car-loving rappers and MCs would all but ensure the vehicle’s success if it was ever built.

But Bentley’s bean counters are probably looking for more SUVs in future, not a ute.