Bentley to launch ‘urban SUV’ in 2026 as its first EV

"This first BEV is definitely a milestone for Bentley," said Walliser. "As the Continental GT and the Bentayga, back in the days, really defined a known sector, a new segment, where no competition was, so that's again a task for this first EV. It will not replace a car: it will be an additional car in our fleet, and it will be something really different to what we offer today."

Focusing on a luxury SUV for urban use will help to offset the extra weight and size required by the batteries in an EV. While the company has yet to give firm details of the model's range, Bentley technical boss Matthias Rabe said: "No customer will complain about range." He added: "For us it's also important that the range is good under normal driving conditions, not just with a constant low speed, but also with higher speeds."

Rabe also promised: "We don't just want to create any electric car. It has to be a true Bentley." He said the firm had looked to its heritage fleet "to really learn what makes a Bentley a Bentley, from the driving feeling and all the senses of that car. We'll use that to create our first electric Bentley, so the sound and all that will be typical Bentley. We are really impressed and excited about that. It will be a true Bentley."

On the subject of sound, Rabe said that "we are all car guys and sound is extremely important, but it has to come naturally", ruling out the introduction of synthetic engine noises. But he hinted that the firm is working on "something in a very interesting way for sound. I can't say more because nobody else is doing it right now. It will be really exciting."

As previously reported by Autocar, the new model will sit on the Volkswagen Group’s new PPE bespoke electric platform, which has been co-developed by Audi and Porsche and is used for the new Audi Q6 E-tron and Porsche Macan Electric. This could hint at the broad size and performance of the Bentley EV.

However, speaking to Autocar recently, Walliser – who previously worked at Porsche – said it would be “completely wrong” for Bentley to develop a model that was “anything like” one that the Stuttgart-based firm would produce.

The PPE platform allows for a range of layouts, including single- and twin-motor options, the latter offering all-wheel drive. It can also accept a range of battery sizes and motor types, while its 800V architecture enables ultra-fast charging.

Bentley design chief Robin Page has already said the new model will retain many of the firm’s historic design cues while featuring a new front-end design to reflect the lack of a combustion engine. Extensive offerings from Bentley’s Mulliner customisation division are also likely to be key to making the model a true luxury car.

Notably, the decision to produce an ‘urban SUV’ distances Bentley’s first EV from new electric rivals such as the Rolls-Royce Spectre saloon.

Crewe development key to future line-up

The Beyond100+ business plan also includes what Bentley has termed a “fundamental reinvention” of the manufacturing infrastructure at its long-running Crewe plant. This will “secure” its future as the home of “the next generation of products”.

The new investment programme in the 85-year-old site will, Bentley says, be largely self-funded. It will include a new design centre, paint shop and EV assembly line, which, the firm claims, will set new benchmarks in “digital, flexible and high-value manufacturing operations”. Bentley says the aim is to turn the plant into a “dream factory” for its fully electric future.

According to Bentley, all of the new vehicles that will be produced between 2026 and 2035 will be “designed and developed” in Crewe – although that leaves open the possibility that some models could be manufactured, in whole or part, at another VW Group site. Currently, all of the firm’s models are assembled in Crewe, although bodies for the Continental and Bentayga are produced elsewhere.

While the initial Beyond100 plan called for five EVs in five years from 2025 until 2030, Bentley has not confirmed how many of the 10 models due between 2026 and 2030 will be EVs and how many will be plug-in hybrids. Rabe has, however, ruled out offering cars with a choice of PHEV or EV powertrains. He said: “That would be the wrong answer for a luxury platform. The packaging demands are so different that in the luxury segment you would never reach the optimum if you did that. If we did that, it would not be the best, and we want to do the best in all we do.”

Walliser previously hinted to Autocar that some of Bentley’s future models will be “surprising” and “more extreme” than its current line-up, although he added that such cars wouldn’t be the firm’s initial focus.

Rabe also said the firm could continue to offer new pure-combustion models in the future. A new pure-combusion variant of the Bentayga is due next year and Rabe hinted that "exciting special" ICE models could follow.

Q&A: Frank-Steffen Walliser, chairman and CEO, Bentley

What does an 'urban SUV' mean?

"It's considering the size of the car. It will be a little bit more compact, for a Bentley, I have to say. So we stay under five metres, and that gives a little bit better visibility and makes it easier to drive in urban areas. The concept is super-versatile: you can use it for long range; you can use it in the city and urban areas. We also want to attract new customers and this concept really adds something new to Bentley."

Is Bentley's electrification the result of customer demand or legislation?

"It's a mixture. Legislation, for sure, is driving electrification, fleet targets. With today's Bentley customers, we have to be honest: there's not a lot of demand. But we see there are new customers who want to have a more modern interpretation of a Bentley, including on the drivetrain side. And this is our target group that we're looking for, and we're sure we can convince a lot of existing customers once you have them in the car, because the car is really convincing. It's a little bit like the transformation coming from a W12, which is very traditional, and stepping in a plug-in hybrid – then you can feel it, and you see the difference. So I think we can definitely convince people [if] they're existing customers, but the target is definitely to get new customers."

Is the idea to make the EV a Bentley so the powertrain is a secondary thought?

"Exactly. [The goal is] to extract the Bentley DNA and to bring it in, whatever the drivetrain. There's way more to a Bentley than only the drivetrain: it's the drivability, the feedback, the look, the design, the interior quality, the build quality; it's this extraordinary journey our customers [are] going through. This makes the difference so the drivetrain is not priority number one – especially if it's that good, as it will be."