Bentley Urban SUV steps up winter testing the EV’s debut draws near
Bentley’s pure-EV plan has been pushed back - but the Urban EV is still coming
Bentley’s new electric ‘Urban SUV’ is on track for a reveal later this year and we’ve caught it testing once again.
At the end of 2025 Bentley’s ‘Beyond100+’ electric car strategy was updated with the luxury firm claiming that a positive response to its latest plug-in hybrid models could see a postponement of its range going all-electric until after 2035.
Bentley is still forging ahead with its first electric car however, which will bring the latest EV technology from the firm’s VW Group parent company to Crewe. Bentley is expected to start customer deliveries of the Urban SUV in 2027.
The Bentley Urban SUV’s exterior design
We’ve seen the electric Bentley SUV testing on the road before and we’ve even had an official teaser image from Bentley. Those cars had plenty of cladding hiding the exterior design, however. The latest set of images gives us a much better look at the new car’s styling - along with some fresh details.
What we can now make out are the Bentley’s headlights. Before they were made to look like the twin headlamps you get on the current Flying Spur and Bentayga. The lights on this prototype model look more closely aligned to the single-unit featured on the distinctive Bentley Batur. Within the light we see four separate LEDs - not dissimilar to Porsche’s current set up.
At the bottom of the front bumper there’s the need for air intakes - presumably for battery and electric motor cooling, plus a radar is mounted in the middle.
At under five metres it’s shorter than the 5.1-metre long Bentayga, though elements like Bentley’s typically upright front end will remain, albeit influenced by the styling of the recent Bentley EXP15 concept car, rather than its existing model range.
The nose of the Urban SUV is relatively long and coupled with the high-set wheel arches, it looks pretty purposeful - especially given that it’s billed as an SUV. The roofline extends almost all the way to the rear of the car, rather than sloping down to provide a coupe-SUV shape. The wheelbase also looks proportionally long - possibly needed to house the battery between the axles.
The new Urban SUV’s classic two-box design has a generous bonnet, with a relatively compact front overhang and steeply raked windscreen. This will help with the car’s high-speed aerodynamics, and hopefully feature some form of under-bonnet storage.
The wheels on the test car we spotted are 22 inches in diameter and yet don’t over-fill the wheel arches. The body also sits quite low, suggesting that despite the snow tyres on this test car, off-road ability won’t be a main consideration.
There are a couple of other little things this new prototype reveals, such as the use of frameless windows (a first for a Bentley SUV) and the fact the lower front intake looks to lift up at its extreme edges, similar to how the EXP 15’s integrate into its vertical headlights.
Bentley Urban SUV: range and power
The Crewe firm says the design will be ‘pure Bentley’, though it’ll come in a "more advanced and modern way".
During a strategy update in late 2025, Bentley’s research and development chief, Matthias Rabe said the Urban EV will be “really comfortable like the Flying Spur, agile like a Continental GT, and acceleration will be the best in a Bentley ever".
That’ll make it quicker than the new Continental GT Ultra Performance Hybrid, which dispatches the 0-62mph sprint in 3.2 seconds. “It’s not just fast-driving, it’s fast-charging. To charge 100 miles takes less than seven minutes,” added Rabe.
Alongside Bentley’s teaser image, Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, CEO of Bentley, also said: “Our first fully electric Bentley, represents a bold step forward, it embodies our vision for sustainable luxury and technological excellence. With industry-leading charging capability and unmistakable Bentley character and design, it marks the beginning of an exciting new era for our brand - a future defined by innovation, craftsmanship, and sustainability.”
Along with the record acceleration claims and charging speed (up to 100 miles at least) Bentley has already confirmed that its new SUV will share lots of its technical elements with the forthcoming Porsche Cayenne EV. It will sit on the latest version of Porsche’s PPE platform, which means it will integrate an 800V architecture, with dual-motors and lots of new-age chassis technology.
The Bentley will draw from the upper-end of the new Cayenne’s technical toybox, which could include a 112kWh battery pack, with 400kW charging and up to 1000bhp from its electric motors.
We also know that Porsche’s new Cayenne will feature standard air suspension with new dual-valve damper technology, plus the option of the incredible Active-Ride system that’s already available on the Taycan and Panamera.
It’s far too early to suggest potential range figures at this stage, but the extra weight and aerodynamic compromises of the Bentley’s more upright shape will hinder it next to the Porsche, so a range of around 350-370 miles seems reasonable.
Speaking to Auto Express, CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser offered up a bit more detail, saying: “The concept is super-versatile – you can use it for long range or you can use it in the city. We also want to attract new customers, and we think with that concept it really adds something new to Bentley.” He also made it clear that this is not a replacement for anything in the firm’s current line-up.
Bentley Urban SUV: interior and design
The Bentley’s cabin design and tech remain unknown. Depending on the model, Bentley has typically drawn its digital hardpoints from Porsche. With this in mind we’ll certainly see the new Cayenne’s user interface, including its vertically mounted centre display with a curved lower section, integrated into the Urban SUV’s dashboard.
Expect the materials to be far more opulent than the Porsche, with a combination of high-quality leather, wood and metals to be featured heavily. As this model will be built at Bentley’s Pyms Lane plant in Crewe, we expect the full use of Bentley’s mastery of these elements to be integrated into the new SUV’s design.
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