Bentley battery-electric SUV first details: Will deliver super-fast charging and 322km/h top speed
Bentley has revealed that its first-ever EV can add more than 100 miles (161km) of range in little more than 6.5 minutes thanks to charging rates that are believed to exceed 350kW.
The new Bentley EV, being developed under the Urban SUV codename, will lag the very fastest EVs out there for fast-charging but among its emerging luxury class will remain one of the quickest EVs to top-up when sales start in 2027.
Bentley’s R&D boss Matthias Rabe has also confirmed the unnamed all-electric SUV will be “very comfortable like a Flying Spur and agile like a Continental GT”, while delivering “very fast” 0-100mph (0-161km/h) and a 0-200mph (0-322km/h) times.
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That 322km/h speed suggests Bentley will equip its latest model with a two-speed transmission to ensure it will be one of the fastest electric cars on sale globally.
Designed to be the “best Bentley on the road”, the new Urban SUV will slip into the range beneath the Bentayga but still feature a length of almost five metres.
Promising a “good turning radius”, it’s thought the new Bentley will feature rear-wheel steering that will boost its manoeuvrability in towns and cities, hence its ‘Urban SUV’ codename.
It’s been hotly tipped the new Bentley will be based on the same Volkswagen Group PPE platform as the current Audi Q6 e-tron and Porsche Macan Electric.
The larger Bentley is almost certain to share much with the inbound Porsche Cayenne that will be unwrapped on November 19.
It’s not known if the Bentley will share the 1000+bhp (746+kW) power output the Cayenne EV is expected to boast and come with the same 108kWh battery that should provide a range of around 600km.
Despite its high-tech powertrain, Rabe confirmed the Urban SUV would not deviate from Bentley’s roots and still come with as much as 30 square metres of leather in the cabin employing an incredible 13,000 stitches using more than 150m of thread.
Commenting on the new Bentley Urban SUV, newly installed CEO Frank Walliser said:
“Our first fully electric Bentley, the world’s first true luxury urban SUV, 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.”
When it arrives, the new Urban SUV is tipped to draw plenty of influence from the 2024 EXP15 concept, featuring its imposing monolithic surfacing and boxy proportions.
It is expected to have a much lower ride height than the current Bentayga SUV, while the teaser suggests a sleek body that might draw comparisons with the current Range Rover Velar.
Meanwhile, the Volkswagen-owned British luxury brand has announced in the wake of a decline in the uptake of electric cars, its combustion engines will now live on beyond their original 2030 retirement date and remain on sale beyond 2035.
