Bentley’s smaller SUV, likely called Barnato, is set for a 2027 launch.
Pricing is expected to start at the lower end of Bentley’s range.
The new model rides on Porsche and Audi’s shared PPE EV platform.
Bentley’s “urban SUV” has been spied on multiple occasions, but the automaker hasn’t said much about it. That’s slowly starting to change as the company gears up for a debut later this year.
In an interview with Road & Track, Bentley Americas CEO Mike Rocco revealed a teaser campaign is in the works and the crossover will eventually arrive in the United States in the third quarter of 2027. That’s a ways off and the automaker is still fine-tuning pricing.
While nothing is set in stone, Rocco implied the model, which is expected to be called the Barnato, will likely be priced on the “lower end” of its lineup. Bentley doesn’t exactly advertise pricing, but the Bentayga starts around $210,000 and the new model will likely play in the same neighborhood.
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Regardless of the final number, Bentley seems pretty confident in the crossover despite lackluster EV sales. As Rocco explained, “A lot of work, a lot of research has gone into this vehicle.” This includes consumer clinics, where 80% of people who saw the model said they would buy it.
The executive also suggested the crossover won’t necessarily be defined by its powertrain. Instead, people will embrace the fact that it’s a new Bentley SUV, which is street-focused.
We’ll learn more about the vehicle later this year, but the Barnato will ride on the PPE platform that underpins the Audi A6 and Q6 e-trons as well as the Porsche Macan and Cayenne Electric. The latter features a 113 kWh battery pack, a 390 kW DC fast charging capability, and outputs of 435 hp (324 kW / 441 PS), 657 hp (490 kW / 666 PS), and 1,139 hp (849 kW / 1,155 PS).
Speaking of the Cayenne Electric, pricing starts at $109,000 and climbs to $163,000 for the Turbo variant. This means that roughly $50,000 could separate it from the Barnato.
New Barnato will sit below the Bentayga as Bentley’s first fully-electric SUV.
Output could reach up to 1,140 hp, pointing to serious performance potential.
Its sleek styling draws from the EXP 15 concept with crisp, sharp, modern details.
Bentley is getting ready to widen its SUV lineup with a second high-riding model, one that will slot in below the Bentayga. This time, though, the formula changes. Instead of another combustion-powered offering, the new arrival is set to be fully electric.
Early reports pointed to the name ‘Mayon,’ which appeared in a trademark filing with the European Union Intellectual Property Office last year. However, more recent intel points to the ‘Barnato’ name being used; after all, it carries more heritage honoring Le Mans winner and Bentley owner Woolf Barnato.
Our sleuths behind the lens have already captured heavily camouflaged prototypes testing in winter conditions, yet we’ve gone one step further by digitally decoding its design and exploring everything else we know ahead of its expected debut.
Unlike the much-criticised Bentayga, the Barnato is a sleeker affair that draws part inspiration from the brand’s futuristic EXP 15 concept.
At the front, the fascia evolves Bentley’s familiar matrix grille theme into a closed-off interpretation that hints at its electrified powertrain. The headlights adopt four distinct lighting elements, accompanied by a horizontal DRL strip that spears into the front fenders, and lower down, a wide lattice-detailed intake aids cooling and aerodynamic efficiency.
From the side, it appears shorter and more athletic than the Bentayga, with pronounced muscular haunches and frameless windows adding a sportier character. A scalloped shoulder line emphasises stately dynamism, while at the rear, the SUV features slim, jewel-like LED taillights, and a Taycan-style rear diffuser profile aids airflow.
Digital Cabin Experience
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Inside, Bentley is mixing old-school craftsmanship with a very modern digital backbone. Front and center sits a sweeping curved OLED display that cascades into the center console, echoing the layout seen in the latest Porsche Cayenne Electric. It runs on Android Automotive OS, backed by quicker processors, sharper AI voice control, and access to downloadable apps. There’s even a 3D digital model of the Barnato embedded in the system, letting occupants manage various functions directly through the interface.
Other goodies will include an OLED instrument cluster with 3D overlays, an augmented-reality head-up display, and digital key functionality. A new three-spoke steering wheel features physical buttons and knurled scroll wheels, and we can expect seating configurations to include four- and five-seat layouts.
There’s also a curious bit of hardware carried over from the wider VW Group playbook. A multi-function left-hand column stalk, first seen on the Audi Q3, joins a right-hand stalk that doubles as the transmission selector, similar to the setup in the Volkswagen ID.4. Even so, the materials and finish leave no doubt about where this sits in the hierarchy. It still feels unmistakably Bentley.
Platform And Powertrain
The Barnato rides on the VW Group’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture shared with the upcoming Cayenne Electric. Battery capacity is expected to reach 113 kWh, enabling high-performance and long-distance touring. Bentley claims 100 miles (160 km) of range can be recovered in less than seven minutes.
Using the electron-equipped Porsche as a reference point, power levels could range from 402 hp (300 kW/408 PS) to over 1140 hp (850 kW) in flagship variants. All models will likely feature dual-motor all-wheel drive as standard, with the rear motor featuring direct oil cooling to manage heat during sustained performance driving.
Rivals And Reveal
The Barnato is being lined up for the top tier of performance SUVs, going head to head with heavy hitters like the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV, Rolls-Royce Cullinan, Lotus Eletre, Lamborghini Urus, Aston Martin DBX, Ferrari Purosangue and Luce, and the flagship Range Rover SV. Serious company, then.
Expect electrified offerings from Porsche to act as the technical yardstick here, setting the pace in areas like performance, software, and charging capability.
Bentley’s EV SUV may adopt the long-rumored Barnato name.
The name honors Le Mans winner and Bentley owner Woolf.
Platform design prevents adding hybrid or gas powertrains.
Bentley’s upcoming electric vehicle has been spied on numerous occasions, but its name has been a mystery. However, the “world’s first luxury urban SUV” could end up being called the Barnato.
The name has been rumored for years and reports from 2016 claimed the company was working on an entry-level sports car that could wear the moniker. More recently, in 2025, we noted the Barnato name was a strong possibility for the crossover as the automaker applied for the trademark.
Car & Driver seems to agree, having uncovered new trademark filings for the name across the European Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The American paperwork is for goods and services such as “motor vehicles and parts” including “electric vehicles.” It can also be used for electric charging cables, charging stations, and battery charging devices.
There’s Already Been A Barnato Edition
The moniker would pay tribute to Woolf Barnato, who purchased his first Bentley in 1925 and would go on to acquire the automaker. He’s also notable for winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times in a 4½ Litre and Speed Six.
Interestingly, Bentley has already honored Woolf’s daughter, Diana Barnato Walker, with a special edition. The Bentayga S was introduced in 2024 to honor “Bentley’s Flying Lady.”
She drove a 4¼ Litre Park Ward and joined the Air Transport Auxiliary during World War II to help deliver planes to the front lines. By the end of the war, she had delivered 260 Spitfires as well as numerous other aircraft.
Bentley Won’t Reengineer EV To Fit Gas Engine
In other news, Bentley CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser told Autocar the company has “no intention” to modify the vehicle to install a plug-in hybrid or gas powertrain. He added such a move isn’t even technically feasible due to its use of the PPE platform.
This is interesting to note as Porsche has pulled a U-turn on EVs. Besides reengineering the Boxster to accommodate internal combustion engines, the company’s flagship crossover will now have an engine instead of electric motors.
The fate of the model remains to be seen, but EV adoption has been slower than many companies anticipated. As a result, sales of the Barnato – or whatever it’s called – could be underwhelming. That being said, Walliser noted the Bentayga is sticking around, so customers looking for an SUV won’t be forced into buying an EV.
Bentley’s EV SUV may adopt the long-rumored Barnato name.
The name honors Le Mans winner and Bentley owner Woolf.
Platform design prevents adding hybrid or gas powertrains.
Bentley’s upcoming electric vehicle has been spied on numerous occasions, but its name has been a mystery. However, the “world’s first luxury urban SUV” could end up being called the Barnato.
The name has been rumored for years and reports from 2016 claimed the company was working on an entry-level sports car that could wear the moniker. More recently, in 2025, we noted the Barnato name was a strong possibility for the crossover as the automaker applied for the trademark.
Car & Driver seems to agree, having uncovered new trademark filings for the name across the European Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The American paperwork is for goods and services such as “motor vehicles and parts” including “electric vehicles.” It can also be used for electric charging cables, charging stations, and battery charging devices.
There’s Already Been A Barnato Edition
The moniker would pay tribute to Woolf Barnato, who purchased his first Bentley in 1925 and would go on to acquire the automaker. He’s also notable for winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times in a 4½ Litre and Speed Six.
Interestingly, Bentley has already honored Woolf’s daughter, Diana Barnato Walker, with a special edition. The Bentayga S was introduced in 2024 to honor “Bentley’s Flying Lady.”
She drove a 4¼ Litre Park Ward and joined the Air Transport Auxiliary during World War II to help deliver planes to the front lines. By the end of the war, she had delivered 260 Spitfires as well as numerous other aircraft.
Bentley Won’t Reengineer EV To Fit Gas Engine
In other news, Bentley CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser told Autocar the company has “no intention” to modify the vehicle to install a plug-in hybrid or gas powertrain. He added such a move isn’t even technically feasible due to its use of the PPE platform.
This is interesting to note as Porsche has pulled a U-turn on EVs. Besides reengineering the Boxster to accommodate internal combustion engines, the company’s flagship crossover will now have an engine instead of electric motors.
The fate of the model remains to be seen, but EV adoption has been slower than many companies anticipated. As a result, sales of the Barnato – or whatever it’s called – could be underwhelming. That being said, Walliser noted the Bentayga is sticking around, so customers looking for an SUV won’t be forced into buying an EV.
Bentley is delaying most EVs as luxury demand stays uncertain.
Hybrids and gas models will take priority through the decade.
Only one EV is confirmed before 2030 despite earlier plans.
The automotive industry is undergoing a gigantic shift, and Bentley is changing too. The British luxury brand had big plans to go all electric, but consider that plan delayed big time. Now, it’ll launch just one EV before 2030, and the rest of the lineup will use gas or hybrid powertrains.
This all comes as Bentley reports its seventh straight year of profitability despite a 42 percent drop in that figure year over year, and layoffs hit the company.
The company had previously outlined an ambitious strategy that would see five fully electric Bentleys arrive by 2035. Now, only the first one, an SUV-like EV due in 2027, is still locked in, while the rest of the program has effectively been put on ice.
That first EV is expected to be revealed before the end of this year and will ride on Volkswagen Group’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture, which also underpins several other upcoming luxury EVs. The four additional EVs were originally being developed on the Porsche-led platform that has since been canceled, effectively ending those projects.
Future Lineup Prioritizes Hybrids
Instead of rapidly expanding its EV lineup, the brand will lean heavily on plug-in hybrids and gas engines. It might even keep traditional combustion models around longer than expected. That’s big news all by itself and provides an extra layer of exclusivity for future buyers.
Bentley CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser said the company has had to rethink its entire product plan as the market shifts. Some of that comes directly from customer demands. Recent plug-in hybrid versions of the Continental GT and Flying Spur were well received, and the company says these electrified V8 models can meet future emissions rules without giving up the performance buyers expect.
According to Car&Driver, he also noted that future models will continue adopting plug-in hybrid systems, and confirmed that retrofitting EVs with combustion or hybrid powertrains is not part of the company’s strategy due to feasibility constraints.
That said, it seems clear why Bentley is being cautious. The company reported its seventh straight year of profitability, but deliveries fell five percent, with weaker demand in China cited as a major factor. Bentley says it remains financially solid, but the changing market means it has to be selective about where it invests next. A 42 percent drop in profit is nothing to ignore, and Bentley is making moves to improve its position.
Bentley is also cutting some 140 jobs in the UK. That’s only a portion of total layoffs, which Walliser says will likely amount to 275 employees, mostly in office jobs. Some of the changes are due to forces outside of Bentley itself.
The Volkswagen group is no longer going to build the Porsche-led Scalable Systems Platform that was going to underpin multiple Bentley products. Without it, the brand had basically no choice but to abandon its plans. Despite that, it’ll still likely go EV-only at some point… just not anytime soon.
If the Bentayga proved anything, it is that Bentley buyers have no issue with a luxury SUV wearing a winged badge. So a second one was never really in doubt. That follow-up is now deep into development, and it has just been spotted winter testing for the first time.
For now, it is referred to as the Urban SUV, though that name is almost certainly temporary. It will sit below the Bentayga in the range and, more significantly, it will be fully electric. Yes, the EV market has cooled slightly, but Bentley appears confident that its customers are still ready for a battery-powered SUV with the right badge on the nose.
Several prototypes have been seen out on the road in recent months, but this is the first time one has appeared wearing this darker, more dramatic camouflage scheme. It’s been adorned with a large LED light bar at the front, ensuring the engineers testing it can still see after the sun sets in the depths of Europe’s winter.
SH Proshots
Most of the Urban SUV’s shape is still carefully disguised, but a few details are slipping through. Up front, the headlights feature four distinct lighting elements, giving it a signature that sets it apart from today’s Bentleys. Around the back, temporary cladding does its best to obscure the view, though slim LED taillights are clearly visible beneath the camouflage.
A Porsche Powertrain
Bentley is building its second SUV on the same Premium Platform Electric architecture as the new Porsche Cayenne Electric. That strongly suggests plenty of shared hardware with its German cousin, potentially including battery packs and motor configurations.
As it stands, the entry-level Cayenne Electric delivers 402 hp and tops out at 1,039 hp in the extraordinary Turbo variant. Our hunch is that the base Bentley will deliver around 600 hp. Whether or not it receives a flagship version with a four-digit horsepower figure remains uncertain.
One figure Bentley does seem keen to emphasize is charging speed. The SUV is expected to support ultra-fast DC charging, with the promise of adding 100 miles (160 km) of range in just seven minutes.
Late last year, our spy photographers finally caught the cabin in clear view. The images show a curved central infotainment screen that looks very close to the setup in the Cayenne Electric, paired with a separate digital instrument cluster ahead of the driver. It is familiar architecture, even if the surrounding materials will inevitably be pure Bentley.
There is more evidence of parts sharing lower down the steering column. Bentley’s compact electric SUV appears to use the same multi-function stalk arrangement as the new Audi Q3. Indicators, wipers, and headlight controls are grouped on the left stalk, while the right is dedicated solely to the shifter.
As for timing, Bentley could give us our first proper look at the production-ready model later this year. Customer deliveries of the Urban SUV are expected to begin in 2027, which gives Crewe a little time to perfect the details and, presumably, settle on a name that is not “Urban SUV.”
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