Skip to main content

Bentley’s Bentayga follow-up will either be a sports car or another, smaller SUV

bentleys next vehicle to be either a sports car or mini suv bentley exp 10 speed 6 press image
Image used with permission by copyright holder
While we eagerly await the Bentayga, Bentley’s intriguing venture into the luxury SUV market, there’s already speculation about what’s next for the British automaker.

Speaking to Autocar, Bentley head Wolfgang Durheimer confirmed that the next step would either move the company deeper into SUV territory, or it would get to work on a sports car.

Recommended Videos

“We can’t do both those cars at the same time, because Bentley is still a small company and our resources are very stretched. We are doing the studies for both those models and then we will decide on the fifth model,” Durheimer said.

Bentley Bentayga
The Bentley Bentayga’s teaser image Image used with permission by copyright holder

Any future sports car would most likely be based on the EXP10 Speed 6 concept that Bentley revealed at this year’s Geneva motor show. The sporty two-seater received heaps of praise from onlookers who admired both the look and the departure from Bentley’s luxurious, yet conservative offerings.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

“We have asked our customers and they have said about the Speed 6, ‘just build it!,'” added Durheimer.

As for a smaller SUV, we’re still waiting on how well the full-sized one is received, as well as its final design. Bentley has high hopes that the Bentayga will substantially increase sales due to how lucrative the luxury SUV market has been for competitors, as well as sister brands also under the VW Group umbrella. Like the current Audi Q7, the Bentayga is expected to be built on the MLB platform, a long, modular base used for vehicle construction across the global auto brands.

Based on that, we can surmise that a smaller Bentley SUV/CUV could derive from the A5 platform used by the Volkswagen Passat ant Tiguan, or even the smaller MQB modular platform. Considering how utility vehicle sales drastically eclipse that of sports cars, we can hope for the Speed 6, but the smart money would be betting on the Bentley crossover. Until then we’ll see what the Bentayga brings to the table when it goes into production late this year.

Alexander Kalogianni
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Alex K is an automotive writer based in New York. When not at his keyboard or behind the wheel of a car, Alex spends a lot of…
Location data for 800,000 cars exposed online for months
VW logo.

A data leak led to around 800,000 Volkswagen (VW) electric vehicles (EVs) having their location exposed online for several months, according to a report by German news magazine Der Spiegel.

The global incident impacted owners of EVs from VW, Audi, Seat, and Skoda, with real-time location showing for the affected vehicles, whether they were at home, driving along the street, or, in the words of Der Spiegel, parked “in front of the brothel.”

Read more
Faraday Future could unveil lowest-priced EV yet at CES 2025
Faraday Future FF 91

Given existing tariffs and what’s in store from the Trump administration, you’d be forgiven for thinking the global race toward lower electric vehicle (EV) prices will not reach U.S. shores in 2025.

After all, Chinese manufacturers, who sell the least expensive EVs globally, have shelved plans to enter the U.S. market after 100% tariffs were imposed on China-made EVs in September.

Read more
Hyundai Ioniq 9 vs. Tesla Model Y: Does electric SUV beat the bestselling EV?
Hyundai Ioniq 9 driving

The long-awaited Hyundai Ioniq 9 is finally on the way, after months of waiting for what many hope will be a  true competitor to the Kia EV9. The electric SUV is likely to be one of the go-to options for those who want a larger EV at a lower price than the likes of the Rivian R1S. But, while it's larger than the Tesla Model Y, it's also likely to be a little more expensive.

The two vehicles are a bit different when it comes to things like performance, range, and charging. Is the Hyundai Ioniq 9 worth the extra cash, or should you go for the cheaper, yet smaller car? We put the two head-to-head to find out.
Design
The overall designs of the Hyundai Ioniq 9 and Tesla Model Y are pretty different, and that may be enough to sway your buying decision. The Ioniq 9 is a true SUV; it's big and boxy, and while it looks a little sleeker than some SUVs thanks to its curved roofline, it's clearly larger than the Tesla Model Y. At the front of the Ioniq 9 is a long light bar separated into pixel-like blocks that helps give the vehicle a unique design motif. At the rear of the Ioniq 9, you'll also find pixel lights curving around the sides and top of the trunk. The Ioniq 9 measures 199.2 inches long, 78 inches wide, and 70.5 inches high.

Read more