Bentley says it will stick by the internal combustion engine (ICE) for at least another decade as the luxury car maker doubles down on its plans to delay switching to battery power.
The premium vehicle manufacturer based in Crewe also confirmed in a press conference today that a new limited production performance model will arrive by the end of 2025 – but importantly it won’t be electric.
Instead, it will extend its traditional engine model line-up to customers, mimicking the moves made by other luxury manufacturers such as Aston Martin and Porsche who too have hit the brakes on the EV transition.
Execs said it will continue to sell hybrid models until ‘at least 2035’, having seen positive customer demand for plug-in hybrid models while demand to go fully electric remains limited.
Bentley, which had originally set a target of becoming exclusively electric by 2030 last year pushed that deadline back by five years – and today said the 2035 date could very likely be extended.
This revision of the Beyond100+ strategy comes despite Bentley earlier this year teasing its first EV model – a Luxury Urban SUV – which is due to be unveiled in full in 2026.
The company’s hesitation to go electric comes after the car maker posted a huge plunge in profits – down a staggering 62 per cent in the nine months up to September – which is a sharp contrast to the success of its sister luxury brand in the Volkswagen Group, Lamborghini.
Bentley bosses did confirm that it will push ahead with the reveal of the new Luxury Urban SUV EV – which is yet to be officially named – towards the end of next year, with first deliveries to markets during 2027.
Bentley says it will be ‘incremental to its current offering’ and will ‘create an entirely new segment’.
Designed, developed and produced in Crewe, it will be the ‘world’s first true Luxury Urban SUV’ and will be less than five metres in length, it said.
The luxe car maker promises a ‘true Bentley driving experience and the craftsmanship expected of the marque’ as well as industry-leading technology that includes charging from 0 to 100 miles in less than seven minutes.
Bentley has confirmed that development continues ‘at pace’ with prototype vehicles embarking on a global performance programme.
Alongside the Luxury Urban SUV, Bentley will offer high and ultra-performance engines in its hybridised Continental GT Coupe, Convertible and Flying Spur until at least 2035.
The ICE Bentayga Speed was added to the range earlier this year.
But Bentley will go a step further by revealing a new limited production performance model with a conventional petrol engine, which will be announced in the next two months.
And other models with traditional combustion engines have also not been ruled out as Bentley works to maintain powertrain flexibility in line with customer demand across global markets.
Chairman and CEO, Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, said: ‘We are evolving our product cadence to reflect the realities of a changing world and a dynamic marketplace.
‘By extending introducing new internal combustion engined models, and offering hybrid powertrains until at least 2035, we are ensuring that every Bentley customer can continue to experience the full breadth of our performance and craftsmanship.
‘Our first fully electric Bentley, the world’s first true Luxury Urban SUV, represents a bold step forward, it embodies our vision for sustainable luxury and technological excellence.
‘With industry-leading charging capability and unmistakable Bentley character and design, it marks the beginning of an exciting new era for our brand – a future defined by innovation, craftsmanship, and sustainability.’
To prepare for the next generation of Bentley models, the English marque confirmed that it has invested heavily in its Crewe ‘Dream Factory’ – a reinvention of the historic Crewe site.
The site will be certified carbon neutral and will assemble Bentley’s first electric car, putting it at the centre of Bentley’s expansion.
Bentley’s 2025 profits slump
Bentley profits fell by almost two-thirds in the first nine months of the year, with the brand’s operating profit margin down to 6.1 per cent, and sales down two per cent to 7,236 cars.
A combination of lower sales, higher US tariffs and rising costs due to Porsche cancelling its electric large-car platform are the main reasons for Bentley’s contraction in profits, according to Audi financial documents. Audi is Bentley’s managing brand within the VW Group.
There’s speculation that Bentley could be re-entering its pre-2018 boom-and-bust cycle because this year’s drip comes after a succession of excellent annual results for the low-volume manufacturer.
Helped partly by the pent-up demand post-Covid, Bentley posted double-digit operating margins every year from 2021, although Covid contributed to their being pent up demand. Margins hit a record 21 per cent in 2022.
Now that positive spell has seemingly come to an end, Bentley has yet to comment on the comparison between its results and Lamborghini’s performance; Lamborghini operating profits were only down 13 per cent and it held a good operating margin of 25 per cent.
Bentley is likely hoping this combination of ICE, hybrid and EVs will help turn around its currently dwindling fortunes.
