By Nat Shirley
Tuesday, May 1st, 2012 @ 1:17 pm
 
Bentley's EXP 9 F concept elicited strong reactions - not all of them favorable - from the press and onlookers when it debuted earlier this year, prompting many to speculate that the SUV would be significantly redesigned before it reaches production.

However, the EXP 9 F was apparently a hit with the most important demographic of all: potential customers.

"The response [from customers] has been incredibly positive,"Â said Bentley exterior design chief David Hilton in an interview with Motor Authority. "They love the presence of the vehicle and the personality it projects."Â

While Hilton suggested that some of the more flashy cues of the concept would be dialed down for production, he also stated that key elements, including the SUV's proportions and and quad-circle light design, would remain.

Moreover, the basic design motif found at the back of the vehicle - rectangular taillamps and oval exhausts - will actually make its way to other Bentley models in the future.

Bentley ambitiously hopes to eventually sell 15,000 examples of the $200,000+ SUV per year, which would represent twice the sales achieved by the brand's entire lineup last year.