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Bentley’s New Urban SUV Copies A Controversial Feature From Audi’s Q3

  • Bentley SUV sheds disguise and reveals production lighting.
  • Interior photo shows Porsche-style curved OLED display.
  • Electric SUV rides on VW PPE platform shared with Cayenne.

Bentley’s upcoming electric Urban SUV has stepped out in public again, and this time it has ditched the heavy plastic add-ons and cartoon headlights that made earlier prototypes look like a children’s drawing of a Bentayga. Winter testing is now underway, and the latest sighting gives us by far the clearest look yet at Crewe’s second SUV and first full EV.

Related: Bentley Rewrites Its Future With New Flying Spur Sedan That Breaks The Rules

The overall shape is familiar from previous spy runs, but with the production doors uncovered and the camouflage streamlined into a funky new wrap, the silhouette now reads much cleaner.

We can finally see a hint of the real lighting units peeking through too, rather than the fake circular decals Bentley used to throw us off the scent. They look far more modern, though definitely not as arresting as the ones on the EXP15 concept.

Family Interior Effort

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But equally big news waits on the inside. For the first time, our photographers got a proper shot of the interior, and there is no pretending what inspired the layout.

A sweeping curved OLED display, similar to the Porsche Cayenne’s Flow Display, takes center stage, which makes perfect sense since both models ride on the same Premium Platform Electric.

The hardware is pure VW Group, including the multi-function left-hand column stalk, which we first saw on the Audi Q3, and a right-hand stalk serving as a transmission selector, as on VW’s ID.4. But the materials are unmistakably Bentley.

Even this early prototype shows a mix of rich leather, polished metal, and plush colors, including a steering wheel trimmed in black, red, and chrome.

Porsche-Plus Power

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Bentley’s CEO Frank Steffen Walliser has already promised an impressive battery size and the fastest charging the company has ever offered. Meanwhile, Bentley’s own teaser claims the Urban SUV will add 100 miles (160 km) of range in just seven minutes.

Expect performance on par with or even above the Cayenne Electric’s outputs, which currently stretch from the 402 hp (408 PS / 300 kW) for the base Porsche in normal mode to 1,039 hp (1,155 PS / 850 kW) for the top-spec Turbo in launch control configuration.

Our guess is that Bentley’s base powertrain will be the circa-604 hp (612 PS / 450 kW) option that Porsche will add to its lineup when it unveils the Cayenne S EV next year.

We still don’t know the final name, though Bentley has trademarked “Mayon” and “Barnato,” so one of those could make the cut. What we do know is that the Urban SUV will be built in Crewe, revealed at the end of 2026, and reach customers in 2027.

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

  • Bentley’s second SUV will share its electric powertrain with the Cayenne.
  • New model is smaller than the Bentayga and launches exclusively as an EV.
  • Company plans to reveal its new electric SUV sometime in mid 2026.

Believe it or not, it’s been a decade since Bentley introduced the Bentayga SUV, and it’s proven to be the brand’s best-selling model during this time. It’s perhaps a surprise then that it’s taken them ten years to start work on a second SUV, designed to slot below the Bentayga.

This new model is currently known as the Urban SUV, but expect a fancier name once production is near. Unlike the Bentayga, it will be sold exclusively as an EV, a decision that, given the current uncertainty surrounding Western markets, might not prove Bentley’s most strategic choice.

Read: This Is Bentley’s First EV And It’s Built To Haul More Than Just Your Ego

Hindsight, of course, is 2020, but it’s reasonable to assume Bentley also had China in mind, where electric vehicles now dominate the premium segment. Either way, with fellow VW-owned brand Porsche already having two electric SUVs of its own, it was only a matter of time before Bentley followed suit.

What’s Hiding Under There?

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Pictured here for the first time during testing at Germany’s Nürburgring Nordschleife, the Urban SUV is hiding under camouflage and body cladding, keeping most of its design details a secret. Included as part of the disguise are four fake circular headlights, similar in shape to those of the current Bentayga.

A few months ago, Bentley unveiled the wild EXP15 concept, complete with vertical headlights. However, the headlight clusters we can see don’t look like the concept’s.

As with the headlights, it is difficult to discern the shape of the grille, as it too has been hidden from view. What we can see is that this new model is smaller than the Bentayga and has a lower roofline. This isn’t to say it’s small, however. It’ll likely be about the same size as the new Porsche Cayenne Electric.

Our spy photographer was able to catch a glimpse of the SUV’s interior, although it’s difficult to pinpoint any highlights. What we can say with certainty is that it won’t follow the current trend of many EVs that feature tacky tablet-like displays for the gauge cluster and then giant infotainment screens on the dash.

Cayenne Electric Power?

 Bentley Is Going To Release A Smaller SUV Few Are Asking For
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Powertrain details have not been confirmed, but the Bentley is widely expected to share many components with the Cayenne Electric.

This could include the same 113 kWh battery pack and 800-volt electrical architecture, ensuring the Bentley will have decent range and support fast-charging. In the case of the Cayenne, Porsche says it needs just 16 minutes to charge from 10-80 percent.

Two versions of the Cayenne Electric have been confirmed, one with 402 hp as standard or 435 hp with launch control enabled, and the flagship Turbo that boasts 844 hp during normal driving and 1,139 hp and 1,106 lb-ft at launch control. It’s safe to assume the Bentley’s power figures could slot somewhere between the two Cayenne models.

Bentley is expected to unveil the Urban SUV in mid-2026, with first deliveries planned for 2027.

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