Bentley’s first electric SUV timetable
Bentley Americas CEO Mike Rocco said the brand’s first electric ‘urban’ SUV will arrive in the third quarter of 2027 after a late‑2026 teaser, and that pricing should be roughly in line with today’s Bentayga flagship ((benzinga.com)). The comment signals Bentley plans to position its EV alongside its existing luxury SUV pricing rather than as a lower‑tier product ((benzinga.com)).
Bentley plans to put its first electric sport utility vehicle on sale in the third quarter of 2027, with a teaser due in late 2026. (thedrive.com) Mike Rocco, the chief executive of Bentley Americas, said at the 2026 New York Auto Show that the electric model’s price should be “comparable” to the Bentayga, Bentley’s current sport utility vehicle. A 2026 Bentayga listed by Bentley Scottsdale carried a price of $323,085, while other dealer listings on the same page ranged from $308,525 to $356,870. (thedrive.com) (bentleyscottsdale.com) Bentley has described the new model as an “urban” sport utility vehicle that will be smaller than the Bentayga and less than five meters long. The company says it will be the brand’s first fully electric car and calls it the world’s first “luxury urban sport utility vehicle.” (bentleymotors.com) (bentleymedia.com) The launch timing adds detail to Bentley’s revised electric plan. Bentley’s Beyond100+ strategy says its first fully electric car will be revealed in 2026, but Rocco said the production launch stays set for 2027 even if the public gets only a teaser this year. (bentleymedia.com) (thedrive.com) Bentley had earlier said in 2022 that it would introduce five electric vehicles in five years starting in 2025 and move to an all-electric lineup by 2030. The company later shifted that timetable, and Rocco told The Drive the urban sport utility vehicle is the only Bentley electric vehicle planned for now. (thedrive.com) (bentleymedia.com) Bentley is keeping the body style that already sells best. Rocco said the Bentayga is Bentley’s bestselling model, which is why the first battery-powered Bentley will also be a sport utility vehicle rather than a sedan or coupe. (thedrive.com) The company is also testing whether wealthy buyers will accept an electric Bentley at that price. Rocco said customer clinics in Miami and Los Angeles found that 8 in 10 Bentley owners said they were ready for the vehicle, and he said dealer reaction at a showing in Lisbon was positive. (thedrive.com) Bentley says the vehicle will be designed, developed and hand-built in Crewe, England, at the factory it is remaking into what it calls a “Dream Factory” for electric production. The company says the site has operated on 100 percent green electricity since 2017 and 100 percent green gas since 2019. (bentleymotors.com) For now, Bentley’s message is that electrification will not mean a cheaper entry point. When the first electric Bentley arrives in 2027, the company plans to price it like a Bentayga and sell it as another top-tier luxury truck. (thedrive.com)
