Bentley is now under the control of Audi, but what does it mean for Crewe?

As of January 1, 2022, Audi is in full charge of Bentley.

In full charge means exactly that: all major decisions must be coordinated between Crewe and Ingolstadt, no major uni-lateral investment can be made without approval from the HQ, even major intra-group deals need prior consent.

Audi has bottomline responsibility as well as strategic and financial control. Like Lamborghini and Ducati, Bentley is one more satellite and as such does not qualify as completely independent manufacturer.

The Germans can tell the Brits what to do, they can trigger management changes and re-allocate production capacities. The cycle plan proposed by Adrian Hallmark must in other words be signed off by Markus Duesmann.

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It's a friendly coexistence, for sure, but the UK marque needs to invite Audi to regular design reviews, stage joint reseacrch and development sessions and map out future game plans in unison.

Up until 2020, when Bentley was still closely connected to Porsche, the Swabian MSB platform was the logical matrix for its passenger cars. From now on though, the modular upscale PPE41/51 and SSP4/5 component sets conceived by Audi make up the DNA of choice.

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The automotive world is beginning to brace itself for the much tougher Euro 7 emission norm which calls for costly and complex re-engineering measures. While some manufacturers are small enough to be exempt, Bentley must comply - or withdraw its petrol-engined models by 2027.

A source from Audi suggests that this is what will happen because the English patient needs to direct its cash-flow towards other, more urgent problem zones. Unless the deadline gets pushed back again, e-power is the only option. It needs to be implemented across the board which in five years time still includes the current Continental, Flying Spur and Bentayga.

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The first all-new Bentley EV should be the D-LUX – out in 2025 – which is destined to eclipse the next Range Rover Velar. In 2026, we are expected to see the E-SUV which challenges the long wheelbase Range Rover.

The Bentayga EV, the plug-in Conti GT and GTC and the zero-emission Flying Spur are all scheduled to roll into the limelight long after EU7 has come into effect.

Question is whether the most conservative clientele in the world is prepared to switch on D-day from petrol pumps to charge points.