Bentley's First EV Finally Has A Name: Torcal
It debuts on September 23.
THE BREAKDOWN
- The Bentley Torcal will be an SUV smaller than the Bentayga.
- There are no plans for a combustion-engine version.
- With the Torcal, Bentley wants to attract new customers.
Just like most carmakers, Bentley has pushed back its ambitious goal of becoming entirely electric. The EV-only lineup was supposed to arrive in 2030, but that’s no longer happening. Despite the change of plans, Crewe’s first model to ditch the combustion engine altogether is still on track for a world premiere later this year. Ahead of its confirmed September 23 debut in London, the model finally has a name: Torcal.
Up until today, Bentley had referred to its first EV as the “Urban SUV,” suggesting a more compact footprint. Although it will be smaller than the Bentayga, it’s still going to be generously sized, like every other car to wear the Flying B hood mascot. As for the production model’s Torcal name, it references a natural landmark, mirroring the Bentayga, Bacalar, and Batur. Specifically, the ultra-luxury automaker took inspiration from El Torcal de Antequera in Andalusia, Spain.
There’s not much to go on from this teaser, but we tweaked the exposure to reveal more design details. Some styling elements are likely to carry over from last year’s EXP 15, albeit in an SUV shape. The concept was unconventional, featuring an asymmetrical door layout with two doors on the left and only one on the right. However, the Torcal is expected to adopt a conventional four-door body style, plus the tailgate we can already see in the preview image.
By now, you’ve likely seen spy videos and images of camouflaged prototypes making the rounds on the Nürburgring. It’s easy to tell the Torcal has a somewhat boxy yet traditional SUV shape rather than the hard-to-define segment the concept was designed for. Nevertheless, some of the EXP 15’s more radical design elements are likely to trickle down to the Torcal and help it stand out from the Bentayga, which Bentley has been selling for more than a decade. Consequently, the new EV is expected to look far more modern than the gas-powered SUV, whose roots trace back to the even older 2012 EXP 9 F concept.
Unlike the Bentayga, there won’t be any combustion engines underneath that hood. Bentley has made it clear it won’t re-engineer the model to accommodate ICE power. Given that the ultra-luxury British brand is part of the Volkswagen Group, the Torcal is unlikely to have been developed from scratch. Instead, it’ll probably share some underpinnings with the Porsche Cayenne Electric while offering a higher level of luxury to justify its badge and the premium that comes with it.
While it’s too early for Bentley to disclose technical specifications, we can look to the Torcal’s presumed sister model for clues. In the Cayenne Electric’s case, the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) underpinnings deliver up to 1,140 horsepower and a massive 1,106 pound-feet (1,500 Newton-meters) of torque. Porsche’s electric SUV also features a new 113-kWh battery with up to 642 kilometers (nearly 400 miles) of WLTP range and support for 400-kW charging.
The Cayenne Electric takes less than 16 minutes to charge from 10 to 80 percent and can add 325 kilometers (202 miles) of range in just 10 minutes. Whether the Torcal will also offer wireless charging remains to be seen. In the Porsche, the optional inductive charging system supports up to 11 kW, so replenishing the battery takes a while.
The dual-motor setup should deliver blistering acceleration, given that the Cayenne Turbo Electric hits 62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.5 seconds. It takes only 7.4 seconds to reach 124 mph (200 km/h) from a standstill, then maxes out at 162 mph (260 km/h).
Bentley EXP 15 Design Vision Concept
Motor1's Take: With the Torcal’s launch just a couple of months away, we’re about to cross another name off the list of automakers without an EV in their portfolios. While it’s understandable to be skeptical about the model’s success, Bentley is confident it’ll attract new buyers to the brand. Earlier this year, the company showed the electric SUV behind closed doors in Miami and Los Angeles, and according to Mike Rocco, CEO of Bentley North America, 80 percent of attendees said they would buy it.
For those unwilling to make the switch to an EV, combustion engines and plug-in hybrids will remain part of the lineup well into the next decade. Since the Torcal will become a fourth model line rather than replace an existing vehicle, the company can cater to a broader range of customer preferences.
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