Bentley plans to broaden its driver-focused lineup without boxing customers into a single type of powertrain. Company chief Steffen Walliser shared the direction in an interview with Auto Motor und Sport.

According to him, more buyers are asking for versions with stronger emotion and sharper handling. In response, Bentley sees room to expand performance models across the range and intends to offer them more actively. For a brand known for effortless thrust, this pivot toward feel and feedback seems like a timely evolution.

At the same time, the marque isn’t walking away from internal combustion. While it is working intensively on its first fully electric Bentley, the lineup will continue to include plug-in hybrids and a limited number of pure V8 models. Walliser noted that this approach accommodates different customer preferences and keeps the strategy flexible for years ahead. It also reads as a pragmatic hedge that should resonate with loyalists without slowing electrification.

The first fully electric Bentley will be unveiled in 2026. It will take the form of a Luxury Urban SUV that, the company emphasizes, blends high performance, comfort, new technologies, and the brand’s signature interior. In November, the brand shared the first details, and December brought spy photos of a prototype.

Bentley’s plan is to pair electrification with traditional powertrains, developing premium hybrids alongside 2026 sports models with an emphasis on driving pleasure—a portfolio shaped as much by choice as by character.