There is something mesmerizing about a Bentley gathering speed. That great bonnet stretches ahead, the cabin cocoons you in leather and timber, and an apparently inexhaustible reserve of torque makes the horizon approach with indecent haste. Effortlessness has always been central to the appeal. Electric motors ought to be rather good at that.
The harder part is replacing the emotional pull of those magnificent engines. Revealed in London on September 23, the Torcal is Bentley’s first fully electric production car and its fourth model line. After 107 years of pure internal combustion glory, Crewe has entrusted that next chapter to an electric luxury SUV with up to 876hp. It has also hired musicians.
A Bentley With Its Shoulders Out
The Torcal wears its five-metre length with a long bonnet, short overhangs and broad rear haunches. Bentley calls it its shortest four-door model, which tells you something about the company’s interpretation of compact.
Its illuminated diamond grille draws on the Continental T, while the clean rear treatment develops ideas from the EXP 15 concept. The redesigned Bentley emblem makes its production debut here. There is enough ancestry to recognise the family, even as the lighting takes it somewhere new.
Two versions launch together. The core Torcal wears 21-inch wheels and satin silver trim; the S gains 22-inch wheels, black exterior detailing, dark rear lamps, sports sills and a diffuser. Red brake calipers complete the less discreet wardrobe.
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How Fast Is The Bentley Torcal?
The standard car’s two electric motors deliver approximately 810hp and 1,194Nm through all four wheels. Bentley claims 0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds and a 250km/h maximum.
Activate Launch Control in the Torcal S and peak output rises to approximately 876hp and 1,350Nm. Its claimed 0-100km/h time falls to 2.9 seconds, with a 260km/h top speed. Bentley says it deliberately stopped short of more extreme acceleration because customers can find it uncomfortable.
More significant is Bentley’s first fully active suspension. Each damper can independently raise or lower its corner to manage bumps and body movement, eliminating conventional anti-roll bars. Standard rear-wheel steering provides up to five degrees of movement and an 11.1-metre turning circle. Optional carbon-silicon-carbide brakes bring 440mm front and 410mm rear discs.
Bentley Torcal Range: The Long Way Home
A 113kWh usable battery capacity supplies a claimed range of up to 600km on the WLTP cycle. The 800V architecture supports charging at up to 400kW. At that pace, Bentley claims 10-80% is done in 16 minutes and approximately 161km added in seven minutes under suitable conditions.
Those numbers matter to a marque whose cars often encourage long journeys. So does luggage space: 460 litres behind the rear seats, plus 90 litres under the bonnet. The battery warranty runs for ten years or 100,000 miles.
Luxury You Can Run Your Fingers Over
Thankfully, physical controls remain on the steering wheel and centre console. Knurled switches and bullseye vents accompany curved OLED displays.
The material choices deserve closer attention. Bentley and British textile maker Fox Brothers have developed what the company describes as the first automotive fabric made entirely from Merino wool. Mulliner’s Ombré Walnut combines up to 1,000 layers of walnut offcuts and recycled paper, pressed together and sliced into veneers less than a millimetre thick.
Standard front seats offer 16-way adjustment, heating, ventilation and massage. Optional systems subtly redistribute pressure and regulate temperature over long journeys. Powered doors and switchable-glass roofing add theatre; the optional 1,780W, 28-speaker Naim system ensures every drive delivers a concert experience.
The V8’s Rhythm Finds New Instruments
Bentley studied the rhythm of its 6¾-litre V8, then used drums, viola and bass guitar to create the Bentley Dynamic Symphony. The recorded performances retain tiny human imperfections, with playback responding to speed and torque demand. Sport mode raises its presence; owners can switch it off.
Even the indicator uses a recording of a hammer striking leather in Bentley’s upholstery workshop. Touchscreen responses draw on the sound of crystal glass. Somebody in Crewe has thought very carefully about the noises wealth should make.
“Electric power makes sense for Bentley: enormous torque, smooth acceleration and quiet cruising are qualities the brand has spent decades perfecting. What we’ll miss is the deep, reassuring beat of its engines. Whether the Torcal’s musicians can fill that gap remains to be heard from behind the wheel. But 876hp, beautiful materials, and suspension designed to soothe a terrible road? There is plenty here to get excited about.”
