What Bentley’s Smaller SUV Could Look Like Is Already Stirring Debate

  • Bentley’s EV SUV may share powertrains with the Cayenne EV.
  • Front end could take cues from Bentley’s EXP15 concept car.
  • Design blends Batur-style lights with Bentayga proportions.

Luxury car buyers can’t seem to get enough of SUVs, so naturally, Bentley has decided to give them another. This will be the brand’s second SUV, a smaller model positioned beneath the Bentayga and sold exclusively as an EV.

It’s already been spotted testing in Europe, though, in classic prototype fashion, Bentley’s engineers have made sure we still have very little idea what it actually looks like.

Read: Bentley Is Going To Release A Smaller SUV Few Are Asking For

A tester snapped earlier this month at the Nurburgring was clad in so much camouflage, and so many pieces of body cladding, that it looked like a Botox job gone bad. However, hidden behind the black and white skin could end up being an SUV that looks quite nice, at least if these renderings by Nikita Chuyko for Kolesa prove to be accurate.

From the front, the new Bentley SUV imagined here introduces a grille design that stands apart from Bentley’s existing models, including the Bentayga.

What Bentley’s Smaller SUV Could Look Like Is Already Stirring Debate
Illustrations Kolesa
What Bentley’s Smaller SUV Could Look Like Is Already Stirring Debate

As the new model, currently known as the Urban SUV, will be all-electric, there’s no need for a big grille to cool a large-capacity engine. Instead, the British marque may add a large body-colored faux grille like this, inspired by the one that debuted with the recent EXP15 concept.

The renderings also suggest that the SUV could borrow headlight styling from the Mulliner Batur, one of Bentley’s more exclusive models. Along the sides, the profile doesn’t stray too far from the Bentayga playbook. Familiar creases mark the doors and carry into the rear quarter panels, lending it a recognizably Bentley shape.

There’s plenty to like about the rear of the new model, too. It sits noticeably lower than the Bentayga and includes a pair of distinctive LED taillights. Admittedly, if the production version ends up resembling these renderings, it probably won’t rival the sculptural beauty of the current Continental GT. But judged against the SUV segment as a whole, it could hold its own visually.

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SH Proshots

Inside, as we recently saw in our spy shots, the Urban SUV prototype mixes familiar VW Group technology with Bentley’s signature high-end materials. A sweeping curved OLED display, similar to Porsche’s Flow Display, takes center stage on the dash, flanked by recognizable components like the multifunction stalk from the Audi Q3. Even at this early stage, the cabin is finished in rich leather, polished metal, and layered color palettes.

Powertrains with an Electric Punch

Beyond its design, the new SUV will likely share many parts with the recently introduced Porsche Cayenne Electric. That likely includes the German model’s 113 kWh battery and 800-volt electrical setup. Electric motors could also be carried over, with the top-tier Porsche versions delivering up to 1,139 hp. Whether Bentley opts for that full output remains to be seen.

Also: Bentley’s First EV Is A Concept So Weird It Doesn’t Even Have A Front Passenger Seat

Charging speed will be a key metric. Bentley’s teaser suggests that this SUV could add around 100 miles of range in just seven minutes. Output is expected to begin around 604 hp, aligning with the upcoming Cayenne S EV, but higher trims will likely offer considerably more.

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Baldauf


The Auto World

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