Bentley names its first EV: Torcal ‘urban SUV’ locked in for September debut targeted at controversial Ferrari Luce
Bentley has released an official teaser of its first all-electric car and announced that the inbound SUV will be named the Bentley Torcal when the drapes come off in London on September 23.
Originally referred to as an ‘urban SUV’, the first teaser reveals a rear tailgate that shows off new wide horizontal LED tail-lights with diamond graphics flanking the firm’s trademark ‘B’ emblem.
On sale from 2027, the new Torcal lifts its unusual nameplate from the rock formations and cliffs of the El Torcal region in Andalusia, Spain, and sticks to the British luxury car brand’s convention of borrowing its badges from natural landmarks.
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The Torcal name also hints at the Latin word torquere, meaning ‘to twist’, and is where the English word torque comes from, which is something the new Bentley is likely to have plenty of when it lands.
Joining the current Continental GT coupe and GTC convertible, Flying Spur limousine and large Bentayga in the line-up, the Torcal will become the firm’s fourth model offering and is expected to be heavily influenced by the EXP 15 concept that was unwrapped last year.
Even though it was originally described as an ‘urban SUV’, there’s nothing city-like about its expected 5.4-metre length, nor its mighty all-wheel-drive pure-electric powertrain, which should offer a range of more than 600km and charging speeds of up to 400kW.
Built to preview Bentley’s next design language, the EXP 15 concept featured a long bonnet and traditional combustion-powered SUV proportions, while up front the new production model should sport a pair of vertical J-shaped LED headlamps and a wide backlit lattice grille that helps emphasise the SUV’s width.
What’s not set to carry over from the concept are the asymmetric doors and three-seat layout, with the Bentley primed to boast four conventional doors and seating for four or five.
Inside, the Bentley will gain a classy cabin that will employ traditional leather and wood, although the instrument panel will shrink to a pillar box-thin screen and be supported by a large head-up display.
Between the driver and passenger will be a vertically mounted infotainment system, plus a rotary gear selector and plenty of dials and physical buttons that will act as shortcuts.
Beneath the skin, the Bentley Torcal has been developed alongside the latest Porsche Cayenne Electric, with both cars sharing the same platform and powerful 800-volt electrical architecture for charging at up to 400kW.
Bentley has already revealed that up to 161km of range can be added in little more than 6.5 minutes.
Expect the Bentley to miss out on the entry-level dual-motor powertrain producing 300kW and 835Nm and instead come with the full-fat 850kW and 1500Nm output shared with the fastest Cayenne Turbo.
With that level of thrust, expect a 0-100km/h dash of around 3.0 seconds and a top speed beyond 322km/h, although the Porsche’s range with a 113kWh battery is limited to around 537km on the WLTP test cycle.
It wasn’t long ago that Bentley declared that by 2030 it would have transitioned to an all-EV brand, but that plan has now been scrapped in favour of a mix of hybrids and EVs.
The Volkswagen-owned British luxury brand has announced, in the wake of a decline in the uptake of electric cars, that its combustion engines will live well past their original 2030 retirement date and remain on sale beyond 2035.
More details of the new Bentley Torcal will be teased in the build-up to its September 23 debut.
