Volkswagen AG’s (OTC:VWAGY) luxury automobile arm Bentley Motors' first battery-electric sport utility vehicle is being positioned as a familiar kind of luxury purchase with pricing in the ballpark of the company’s only SUV offering, the Bentayga.

Bentley Targets Bentayga Like EV Pricing

Mike Rocco, the chief executive of Bentley Americas, said at last week's New York auto show that the brand's first EV, an "urban" SUV due in the third quarter of 2027 after a teaser in late 2026, will be priced in the same neighborhood as today's Bentayga, Bentley's bestselling model.

In an interview with The Drive at the 2026 New York Auto Show, Rocco said Bentley's first electric SUV will have a price point "comparable" to the current Bentayga. He argued that launching a successful EV still comes down to the basics, which include setting the price correctly, making sure leasing economics work through strong residual values and matching production volume to realistic demand.

According to Kelley Blue Book, the 2025 Bentley Bentayga has a starting sticker price of $207,050, with the range-topping Bentayga S Black Edition V8 kicking off at $265,850.

Urban SUV Draws Strong Early Interest

Rocco said Bentley chose an SUV because the Bentayga remains the company's only SUV and its top seller, though the electric version will be a smaller "urban" model. He said the vehicle remains on track for a third-quarter 2027 launch and will be teased in the third quarter of 2026. In customer clinics in Miami and Los Angeles, he said, eight out of 10 participants said they would buy the EV, and he added that dealers responded positively at a showing in Lisbon.

That goodwill will still need to survive sticker shock. Rocco told The Drive that Rolls-Royce's Spectre saw orders "evaporate" after an initially strong reception, making pricing critical for Bentley as it converts interest into actual deposits. A Bentayga-like price would likely place Bentley's EV below the Spectre, and Rocco said Bentley was content to let Rolls-Royce move first "because we wanted to see how things were going to settle."

Bentley Slows Broader EV Rollout Plan

He also confirmed the company has scaled back its earlier electrification ambition. Instead of rolling out five EVs by 2030, this urban SUV will be Bentley's only full EV for now, while the target for a fully electric lineup has shifted to 2035.

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