Skip to main content

Bentley's second SUV could stand out from the Bentayga in a big way

Bentley Bentayga Diesel
Image used with permission by copyright holder
The Bentayga has exceeded Bentley’s expectations by a long shot, so it’s hardly a surprise that the company’s expansion plan includes a second, smaller high-riding model.

“I can assure you that Bentley — on the long-term view — will not stay with one model only in the SUV lineup,” confirmed company boss Wolfgang Duerheimer in an interview with industry trade journal Automotive News. “We have clear indications that a smaller Bentayga as a Bentley SUV would find great acceptance,” he added.

Recommended Videos

Bentley exclusively builds high-end luxury cars with corresponding price tags, and that’s not about to change. That strategy makes adding a second SUV a complicated proposition. On one hand, the company will dilute its image if it moves too far downmarket. On the other hand, the SUVs will overlap if the smaller model is positioned too close to the Bentayga (pictured) in terms of size, features, and price.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Rolf Frech, Bentley’s engineering boss, told Automotive News one way to differentiate the two SUVs would be to make the smaller one electric. Going gasoline-free would also take Bentley into a new segment, and lure a new set of buyers into showrooms. It’s a win-win situation for the British marque.

The catch is that Bentley’s resources are limited. It can’t afford to develop both a battery-electric SUV and the production version of the stunning EXP 10 Speed 6 concept shown two years ago at the Geneva Auto Show. Officials haven’t commented on which direction they’re leaning in. Last year, Frech told Digital Trends that he wasn’t in a rush to decide whether to move forward with the development of a more hardcore, driver-focused coupe like the EXP 10 Speed 6.

If it’s not electric, Bentley’s second SUV will most likely arrive with a powerful gasoline-burning six- or eight-cylinder engine, and at least one plug-in hybrid drivetrain. It’s not scheduled to arrive until 2020 at the earliest, so company executives have time to weigh the pros and cons of each option.

Ronan Glon
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
Bose wants to dominate car audio, and I heard its next-gen 3D automotive speakers
Bose logo on a speaker grille

Bose’s automotive audio business is huge, and it’s set to get even bigger. The company has been making big plays in car audio for some time now. The audio company works with premium brands like Porsche, building high-end speakers that allow drivers to experience high-quality audio on the road, whether they’re carting the family around in an Escalade or weaving around the highway (don’t do that) in a Porsche Macan.

But while it has a solid selection of audio brands under its belt, the world of personal audio is also evolving. Mercedes-Benz showed off its Dolby Atmos system at CES last year, and now, a year later, plenty of other brands are joining the trend. At CES 2025, Bose walked me through its current lineup of automotive audio products, as well as a sneak peek of what’s to come.
Immersive audio
The big trend in all areas of personal audio right now essentially boils down to supporting 3D audio formats like Dolby Atmos. Consumer home theater products are increasingly offering up-firing and side-firing speakers that can bounce audio around the room to simulate height and surround effects, while headphone brands are increasingly developing spatialized audio tech that can convert stereo audio into simulated spatial audio.

Read more
You Asked: What’s the most impressive thing you saw at CES?
You Asked CES Editors Cut

On today’s special edition of You Asked, we tracked down each of our editors and put them on the spot to find out what they thought was the most impressive thing they saw at CES 2025 in Early January. Let’s find out what they had to say.
Panasonic Z95B

There’s been some really cool TV tech at CES, but the thing I’m most excited about is the new Panasonic Z95B. Instead of the regular OLED display structure we’ve seen in recent years with MLA technology, this uses a four-layer panel structure. It features individual red, green, and blue layers (two of the latter) for the emissive light.

Read more
Volvo CTO Anders Bell chats its new do-it-all tech platform and future EVs
2025 Volvo EX90 front quarter view.

Volvo is at an inflection point. The company has finally launched the new Volvo EX90 -- it's long-awaited flagship electric SUV, designed to take on other premium large SUVs like the Rivian R1S. The new vehicle offers Volvo's signature Scandinavian style, but with modern features and Google's Android Automotive software.

Beyond being its first major electric SUV release, perhaps more important is the fact that the EX90 also represents the launch of Volvo's so-called Superset platform. Essentially, Superset is the Volvo-designed tech stack that is supposed to be used on all of its upcoming electric vehicles, containing all the modules and software necessary to power a built-out next-generation lineup of EVs.

Read more