Bentley has been working on its upcoming electric SUV for quite a while. Spy shots tell us the vehicle appears to be a bit smaller than the existing Bentayga and has chiseled styling. The brand reportedly plans to call the vehicle Barnato, which is a reference to Woolf Barnato, a famous race car driver and company executive from the 1920s. Look for the production-spec model to premiere before the end of the year, ahead of sales starting in 2027.At the moment, EVs are struggling to find popularity in general. Even mainstream brands, such as Honda, are making drastic cutbacks in their electric propulsion plans. However, Bentley isn't changing up its game plan for the Barnato. Bentley's Upcoming Electric SUV CarBuzz/ValnetThe Barnato will ride on the Volkswagen Group's Premium Platform Electric (PPE) platform. It's also underneath the Audi Q6 E-Tron and the Porsche Macan Electric. Bentley isn't offering any specs for the Barnato yet, but the other models give us some hints about what to expect. The range-topping Macan Turbo EV makes up to 630 horsepower with its overboost function, and the Audi SQ6 E-Tron packs 509 hp. The Bentley could have a range of 400 miles or more, according to an earlier report.Inside, the Bentley features a wide digital instrument cluster and a three-spoke multifunction steering wheel. A separate, curved display is on top of the center stack. If you're wondering about a possible combustion version, though, it's not happening. While other automakers are stepping away from electrification (and losing billions in the process), Bentley is committed to keeping the Barnato fully electric."I strongly believe we have a very interesting offer, and we have no intention of adding an ICE engine or plug-in hybrid drivetrain. First, it’s technically not feasible, and second, it’s not part of our strategy."- Bentley CEO Frank Walliser, per Motor1.While Barnato is on track, Bentley has cut back other EV plans. The current strategy is now to adopt partial electrification, with a new plug-in hybrid or EV launching each year until 2035. The company canceled development of four upcoming EVs that were supposed to arrive by 2035."We have to rethink and recalculate our complete product line, and all future offers," Walluser told Auto Express. "If you compare our planning with what it was two years ago, it looks completely different."In the future, Bentley is looking to self-fund some vehicle engineering. The move would let the high-end brand have its own components for EVs that would further differentiate the products from what the corporate cousins at Audi and Porsche are offering.There's no info yet about specifically when Bentley plans to unveil the Barnato, other than it being sometime this year. We wouldn't be surprised for the brand to have the model on display at events such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed or Monterey Car Week to expose the machine to the wealthy clientele in attendance.