Bentley revealed the Torcal in London on September 23. It is the company's first electric car and its fourth model line, joining the Continental GT, the Flying Spur, and the Bentayga.
The Torcal is a fastback SUV built on the Premium Platform Electric, the same underpinnings as the electric Porsche Cayenne, with an identical wheelbase. Bentley designed and engineered it in Crewe and builds it there.
Two versions launch. The base Torcal makes 821 PS, about 810 hp, and 1,194 Nm of torque. It reaches 60 mph in 3.3 seconds and tops out at 155 mph. The Torcal S makes up to 888 PS (876 hp) and 1,350 Nm (996 lb-ft) with launch control active, and Bentley quotes 0 to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds and a 162 mph top speed. Bentley calls it the most powerful and fastest-accelerating production Bentley ever built.
A 113 kWh battery on an 800-volt system gives up to 375 miles on Europe's WLTP test. On a 400 kW charger it goes from 10 to 80 percent in 16 minutes, and Bentley says seven minutes adds 100 miles.
The face is a design shift for Bentley
Bentley has been moving away from its round headlights already. The facelifted Continental GT and Flying Spur use single-unit headlights that aren't perfectly round, the first time in more than six decades, according to Jalopnik. The Torcal goes further, with rectangular lamps, and the grille has become a panel of illuminated diamonds with a lit outer edge. Thin taillights repeat the diamond pattern at the back.
Jalopnik called the look strange and said it breaks with decades of established Bentley design. Design director Robin Page explained the approach in layers. "There is a hierarchy to what you see and understand, which we describe through four 'reads,'" Page said.
The cabin gets what Bentley calls the first automotive fabric made entirely of Merino wool, developed with Fox Brothers, plus a walnut veneer layered with recycled paper. The three-seat rear bench folds electrically, a first for a Bentley, and there is a 90-liter front trunk.
Price and timing
Bentley has not announced a price. Estimates run from about $220,000, according to Jalopnik, to about $250,000. Jalopnik lists it as a 2028 model, with first deliveries in 2027.
Sources:
Specs, battery, charging, Crewe production, and interior materials: Bentley Newsroom
The most powerful and fastest-accelerating Bentley claim: Bentley Newsroom
Platform, wheelbase, design critique, Robin Page's quote, model year, price estimate, and delivery timing: Jalopnik
Headlight and grille design details: New Atlas
The roughly $250,000 price estimate: Yahoo Finance
Power and range in US units: Electrek
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Cam Walsh has been obsessing over cars since before he could drive one. Based out of Atlanta, Cam covers automotive design, car culture, and the eternal debate over which whips actually look the part.
