This electric three-door EXP 15 with a dog bed is the future of Bentley – unless you hate it
Three doors, three seats, a clockwork charging gauge and LED strip lights: is this Bentley's 'BMW beavertooth' design moment? Skip 17 photos in the image carousel and continue reading
Welcome to Bentley's experimental phase. This isn't going to please the traditional purists one bit.
But it's steaming towards some very tricky questions. Bentley is the master of continent-gobbling coupes and has successfully ridden the uberluxe SUV wave, but what happens next to the traditional saloon (or sedan)? How to replace the Flying Spur, which succeeded the Mulsanne, and Arnage?
Advertisement - Page continues below
Should it be… taller? Offer lopsided doors? Change shape altogether? And how does Bentley stay, well, 'Bentleyish', when it begins building EVs? Those ideas and more all collide in this new concept car dubbed EXP 15. Yowser.
First, let's address the shape. The ride height is much loftier than a regular saloon but the cabin is swept back like an Audi A7's. Are we to understand that tomorrow's Flying Spur will become some sort of coupefied crossover? Bentley's design director Robin Page explains the logic behind the unorthodox silhouette thusly: 'The beauty of a concept car is not just to position our new design language, but to test where the market's going. You might like
"It's clear that SUVs are a growing segment and we understand the GT market but the trickiest segment is the sedan because it's changing. Some customers want a classic 'three-box' sedan shape, others a 'one-box' design, and others again something more elevated. So this was a chance for us to talk to people and get a feeling.'
Obviously aero has a lot to do with this. That matters when you're going electric. Bentley's designers have gilded the car with twin active roof spoilers and a diffuser to aid range. The wheels are shrouded in flush covers. You need a slippery shape when batteries are the new W12s.
Advertisement - Page continues below
The EXP 15 is imagined as an AWD electric automobile, though no estimated battery size, range or performance is quoted. But you can bet Bentley boffins are sweating exactly that right now, ahead of the company's commitment to launch its first pure EV at the close of next year (a 'luxury urban SUV' is promised – oh goodie) and be an entirely engine-free marque by 2035.
Bentley, like Rolls-Royce, Audi and Mercedes, is in the awkward position of having built up decades of design DNA that doesn't translate especially well into EVs. Sit-up-and-beg visages wreck the drag coefficient. Why carry around a massive grille when there's no engine to cool, at the end of a massive bonnet which houses fresh air?
So they've rebranded the family silver: the grille becomes an illuminated art installation in the only slightly tapered nose. The vast bonnet houses piano-cover hinged compartments for stowing one's fitted luggage. A smart idea, but most front-motored EVs barely offer a froot that could carry a bunch of grapes. Will Bentley be able to innovate around that?
Front and centre, the winged B logo has had its feathers sharpened up – it's only the fourth time in Bentley's 106 years they've dared to dabble with the badge.
Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox.
Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.
It's decisions like the LED strip-lighting front and rear that jar. Is that truly distinctive enough? Or perhaps a case of 'we don't need to make our car recognisable at night because the badges all light up and spell it out for us'.
It's more menacing than the almost surprised-looking expressions of the Mulsanne and Flying Spur, but for us the Bentleyness has been sacrificed along the way, in favour of a lighting signature that any one of the Chinese upstarts could've scrawled.
Bentley insists the EXP 15 is dripping with classic cues from the Speed Six 'Blue Train' special of 1930. Apparently they come in the form of the 'endless' bonnet line that runs from the tip of the nose and along the car's shoulder, the upright grille, the rearward cabin, pumped rear haunches, and the three-seater interior.
The last idea is built on sound logic: Bentleys are bought by people who like to drive themsleves and occasionally be driven. The least important seat in the car is the front passenger's, so it's been dispensed with in favour of a pampered pet bed.
The passenger-side seat then has room to recline, and indeed swivel for easier egress when the rear passenger coach door is opened. Don't go looking for the same trick on the driver's side – the EXP 15 is asymmetric. One-door coupe to the right, two-door saloon to the left. Who knew the Hyundai Veloster was actually onto something? Skip 17 photos in the image carousel and continue reading
Up front the Bentley wings are echoed in the dashboard shape and Bentley shreds the concept car rulebook by fitting physical switchgear, conscious their customers (like the rest of us) are sick of the giant smartphone act and actually enjoy twiddling a knurled metal switch from time to time. Even the charging indicator is a mechanical artefact, encased in glass like something Tom Cruise would have to steal in Mission Impossible 17: Electro-Heist Protocol .
As of right now Bentley is the undisputed interior design master: everything from the material quality to the balance of touchscreen media with tactile controls is unmatched in the industry. Perhaps there are clues here that particular baby isn't being lobbed out with the bathwater.
And let's not overlook that Bentley gets its big, controversial calls right. Sharing a platform with a Volkswagen saloon did the original Continental GT no harm at all back in 2003. It became the best-selling Bentley ever.
Today's arch money-printer is the Bentayga, which was itself previewed by a much-maligned EXPerimetal car: the EXP 9F was unveiled in 2012 to gasps and birds falling out of the sky stone-dead. To modern eyes accustomed to all these ultra-4x4s it's nothing offensive, but Bentley insiders at the time admitted they'd gone a tad overboard with their Strange Rover. Feedback was vitriolic and the production car was redrawn, and sold bucketloads.
Question is, has Bentley got the looks of its brave new world right first time on this occasion?
11 minutes 51 seconds
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
7 minutes ago
- BBC News
Car finance: What should I do to check if I am owed compensation?
If you used car finance to buy a vehicle any time in the last 18 years, you could be in line for follows a recent court ruling on hidden commissions made by lenders to dealers, which opens the door for potential payouts to millions, if they are found to have been mis-sold you are eligible, you are still in for a bit of a wait, and for now the advice is not to sign up with a claims company promising to help you get redress, because it won't speed things up and they will charge a there are a few other things to bear in mind, if you are trying to work out whether you are likely to get compensation. Am I eligible? Most car buyers use motor finance where they borrow money and pay in instalments over time. In some cases, drivers pay monthly fees before paying a so-called "balloon payment" at the dealers almost always receive a payment for their part in arranging the loan - a a Supreme Court ruling on Friday has established that some dealers charged too much, or didn't explain the charges well enough to customers, and that those buyers should be key is whether customers were treated "fairly" although the regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, is still working on exactly what that will specific group of buyers who are likely to be eligible are people who took out car loans that included discretionary commission arrangements (DCAs). They were banned in 2021 but prior to that lenders gave car dealers leeway to charge higher interest and earn a percentage of that as you still have your contract you can check the terms and conditions. How much is too much? The Supreme Court ruled in a test case that Marcus Johnson should be entitled to compensation, setting one reference point for future Johnson told the court he was presented with "an enormous amount of paperwork". He didn't read it all and signed, trusting the sales representative to talk him through the 55% of what he was paying for the car was commission. Anyone paying commission at that level is likely to be eligible for compensation, but it remains to seen how much lower rates would have to be, to count as fair, ruling a customer out of the right to compensation. If I think I am eligible, what do I do? The FCA is setting up a compensation scheme. In October it will launch a six week consultation over how it should work, with the first payments expected to come in you can just wait until the scheme is the charity Consumer Voice suggests writing now to your lender to establish the facts of your own must acknowledge your complaint within eight weeks, and by submitting a complaint at this stage you may get an indication of how likely you are to receive any redress, says co-founder Alex Neill. If you cannot remember the name of the lender involved the car dealership should be able to help groups and the FCA advise against signing up with a claims company. Many are advertising their services online, but they cannot proceed with a claim until the FCA scheme has been set up and if they do manage your case they will take a cut of any compensation. How much will I get? It is not clear yet how much individual customers will be entitled to as compensation, although it is likely to be related to how much they were charged.A lot will likely depend on individual deals, including the type of car claims are likely to be under £950, according to the FCA, including around 3% in annual course anyone who has taken out several car finance deals in the last couple of decades could be entitled to more than one payout.
The Sun
7 minutes ago
- The Sun
Mercedes' ultra futuristic new EV boasts ‘shape-shifting' LED grille to display ‘messages' – would YOU buy it?
MERCEDES has launched a brand new EV which has an incredible 'shape-shifting' LED grille. The ultra-futuristic motor can even display messages on the screen on its front, in a 'new era' for the brand. 3 The incredible GLC with EQ technology has a giant 'hyper-screen' on its EQE and EQS models. According to the car manufacturer, the motor will begin a 'new era of iconic design at Mercedes -Benz'. The EQS will have a bright chrome surround and a screen with 942 pixel-like dots. The dots can be illuminated from behind and can be animated to display a variety of exciting graphics. Mercedes has added its logo in the centre of the screen, though the amount that you can illuminate this will vary depending on where the motor is sold. In Europe, for example, you'll be able to light up the star but not the circle around it. Ola Källenius, Mercedes' CEO, said: 'When 100+ new companies are launching in China and cooling requirements are changing, how do you keep your identity? 'We are taking our heritage and pedigree and looking into the future.' Design boss Gorden Wagener added: 'Our new iconic grille is not just a new front for the GLC. 'It redefines the face of our brand. Mercedes reveals its new luxury EV with 'superscreen' passengers can play video games or watch Netflix on while on move 'It is the perfect fusion of lasting design codes reinterpreted for the future, making our cars instantly recognisable.' The news comes as after the brand launched a new 4x4 vehicle which can rotate 360 degrees - just like a tank. The incredible motor will cost a staggering £154,000 and is designed to be a rival to the upcoming EV Range Rover. Mercedes' battery-powered G-Wagen - also known as the G580 - boasts a top speed of 112mph, with 0-62mph in just 4.7 seconds. It weighs a staggering 3085kg, meaning it could breach the 3.5-ton weight limit if the driver loads it with 415kg of luggage. 3 History of the Mercedes G-Wagen The G-Wagen was developed in the 1970s as a military vehicle known as the Wolf, inspired by a suggestion from the Shah of Iran. The first civilian Mercedes Geländewagen was released in 1979 and become renowned for its military go-anywhere ability. After a number of facelifts over the decades, Mercedes unveiled a ground-up redesign at the Detroit Auto Show 2018, with massive improvements in comfort and ride quality. Since then it's been engineered as an EV, accepting a 116kWh lithium-icon NMC 12-cell battery pack which powers four motors.
Daily Mail
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Should I buy my teenage daughter an EV to learn to drive in?
By My 16 year-old daughter is dead set on getting an EV as a first car. She'll start learning to drive in October when she turns 17, and I have some big reservations about her learning in and driving an electric car. Firstly, I'm concerned insurance will be astronomically expensive. Secondly, I'm worried about her not being able to drive a manual car. Thirdly, I'm worried that she'll end up charging in unsafe places. We had a deal that my wife and I would buy her a nearly-new car if she got a Saturday job to pay for the insurance and fuel. She's entirely held up her end of the bargain there. She'll be sharing it with her mother and will pass it on to her younger brother in a couple of years' time (he's also keen on an EV). She says her mates are getting EVs and she wants to be environmentally friendly. Can you advise me if my reservations are warranted or I'm just being an old fuddy duddy? David, Nottingham. Daily Mail and This is Money electric cars expert Freda Lewis-Stempel replies: David, welcome to the joys of independent teenagers. 10 years ago I was getting my first car, and although I wasn't getting an EV, the family 'debates' around what ended up being my 1.6-litre Peugeot 207 are still etched on my memory today. I completely understand that you want your daughter to have the safest, most sensible, best value for money first car. And you're asking the same questions as many parents because so many young people now want to own an EV: almost half of learners want lessons in an EV . So to make sure you're armed with all the facts, I've asked some of the leading experts in each area to give you their best insight and advice. The rest I'm afraid is down to trusting your daughter – as you've said she's done everything asked of her, and just because you wouldn't chose an EV doesn't mean it's the wrong choice for her. Also the 'my friends all have one' is always hard argument to resist... Good luck with that one! How insurance costs for an EV learner compare Alicia Hempsted, car insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket says: 'Generally, insurance premiums for electric vehicles (EVs) are higher than petrol and diesel cars because EVs tend to be more expensive to buy upfront and repair, batteries are costly components, and repairs often need specialist knowledge and parts. 'As a result, insurers will factor in the greater cost and complexity of claims when calculating premiums. 'Between 01 January 2025 and 29 July 2025, the average price of an annual premium bought through MoneySuperMarket by under-25s was £1,771 for an electric vehicle and £1,467 for petrol. 'However, there has been an increase in the availability of more affordable EVs that are suited to learner and newly passed drivers. Models like the Renault Zoe, Vauxhall Corsa-e or Nissan Leaf often come with lower insurance group ratings. 'As more people buy EVs and insurers build more detailed risk profiles, the cost gap between EV and petrol car insurance will continue to fall. The average annual car insurance cost for electric vehicles has fallen by more than £100 since 2023 according to MoneySuperMarket data.' Freda Lewis-Stempel adds: So, while you're not wrong David that insurance will indeed be higher for an EV, it's not 'astronomically' higher as you feared. In fact insuring a used EV (which is the case for your daughter) tends to be cheaper than insuring a brand-new one, mainly due to depreciation. Ms Hempstead also said that adding an experienced driver like a parent (in this case your wife) to the policy can reduce the premium as it's seen as lower risk by insurers. But she warns that while it's fine if the parent occasionally uses the car, the main driver must be accurately listed on the policy or it will be viewed as 'fronting' which is illegal. If the main driver is your daughter then make sure she's named as such. She also points out that newer EVs often have the latest safety technology including automatic emergency braking, lane assist and crash avoidance systems which 'can help reduce the likelihood of accidents and may be rewarded with slightly lower premiums'. These safety devices can also lower your amount of 'dad worrying' too. Is it a bad idea to learn in an EV rather than a manual? A major concern is that passing your test in an EV is likely to mean not being able to drive a manual car. It's true that your daughter won't master manual car skills including clutch control, stalling or hill starts because EVs don't have a manual transmission or clutch pedal, but Geraint Lewis, Head of Training at Red Driver Training said there are 'benefits' to EVs too. He comments: 'The quiet operation of an EV allows students to better focus on instructions and the road environment. Many EVs feature regenerative braking, which slows the car when you lift off the accelerator. 'This helps learners understand braking dynamics and can reduce reliance on the brake pedal. Some models even let you adjust how strong the regenerative braking feels. 'Driving instructors teach students how to respond to the EV just as they would with any car, so learners quickly adapt to the different feel.' Geraint added that while EVs deliver instant torque and smooth acceleration 'many EVs include settings that reduce throttle sensitivity, making it easier for beginners to control the car while they're learning.' Which are the best EV models for learners? We asked our friends at Auto Trader to recommend some great learner EVs, so you can feel confident you're buying your daughter the right set of wheels. Erin Baker, of Auto Trader, said: 'For learners, affordable models like the VW e-Up! and Mini Hatch, or the T03 from new brand player Leapmotor are all excellent options. 'The electric versions of learner favourites like the Vauxhall Corsa are also great choices for new drivers on a budget. 'The Hyundai Ioniq is another great choice for value, with it being praised for its spacious practicality and smooth ride, which is also ideal for new drivers. What's more, the car is very sustainable due to their battery life being incredibly long. A full charge can be achieved in around 35 minutes, and even a quick 7 minute top-up can add 30 miles of range.' EV charging – is it cheap? You've mentioned that you're getting a home EV charger, so before we get into how safe public charging is, let's address home charging. EV home charger provider Ohme looked into the home charging cost savings to be made for us. Ohme charging specialist Nat Barnes says: 'Charging at home will always be the cheapest place to charge your car – especially if you are on a smart home energy tariff such as Intelligent Octopus Go and have a compatible charger such as those from Ohme. That gives you electricity at just 7p/kWh compared to the standard rate of 25.73p/kWh. 'That's the difference of a full charge for a Vauxhall Corsa Electric [a popular learner EV] costing £3.57 or £13.13 for its 266 mile range and 51kWh battery. By comparison an equivalent petrol car over 266 miles would cost more than £40 at 40mpg average fuel economy.' Freda Lewis-Stempel adds: Costs aside, from a safety point of view if your daughter is mainly charging from home then that is of course as safe as it gets. For when she does occasionally charge on the go it's unlikely that this will be late at night or at remote locations. But as a young woman charging myself, I will say that there's been a huge step to ensure safe EV charging all times of the day in recent years. The new InstaVolt Superhub at Winchester that I visited recently is a great example. It has 'comprehensive security features', which include 24/7 CCTV site surveillance on high-performance 8MP cameras. There is on-site security when the on-site coffee facilities are closed, lighting illuminating all walkways, charging bays, and parking areas, as well as intelligent monitoring advanced recognition cameras, ANPR-enabled cameras that instantly detect and notify InstaVolt of any blacklisted vehicles, and remote monitoring of the entire site managed by InstaVolt's head office. I appreciate that sounds like a list for Mission Impossible's Ethan Hunt, but it really goes to show how advanced EV charging safety is becoming – far better than most petrol stations.
