The Torcal: First all-electric Bentley enters the spotlight
The Bentley Torcal has made its world debut in London—as the luxury brand’s fourth model line, joining the existing trio of Bentayga, Continental GT/GTC, and Flying Spur. Until now, Bentley has sold exclusively combustion-engine and hybrid vehicles, but with the Torcal, the British marque is venturing into pure electric propulsion for the first time. To ease the transition for its traditional customer base, however, the Torcal sounds like a combustion-engine vehicle: the powertrain sound of the luxury EV is “inspired by the beat of a Bentley 6¾ litre V8,” emphasises the Volkswagen subsidiary.
But let’s get to the essentials: the standard all-wheel-drive system of the Bentley Torcal is not an isolated in-house development but is embedded in the PPE platform of the Volkswagen Group. The first representative of this 800-volt architecture was the electric Porsche Macan at the beginning of 2024. However, the all-electric Bentley aligns more closely with the technical specifications of the Porsche Cayenne, launched at the end of 2025, and adopts its 113 kWh battery, among other features. In terms of power output, the Bentley is positioned above the Cayenne S Electric but below the Cayenne Turbo Electric. This positioning is typical for Bentley: the brand’s luxury cars are designed to be powerful yet not excessively sporty. What the British marque prioritises above all is superior comfort, premium materials, and exclusivity. More on that shortly.
Bentley Torcal launches with two powertrain options
At five metres in length, the Torcal is the shortest four-door model in Bentley’s current lineup. The electric SUV will be available in two versions: a base model and a more powerful S model. The all-wheel-drive system delivers 604 kW and 1,194 Nm of torque in the base model, while the Torcal S offers 653 kW and 1,350 Nm. Acceleration varies accordingly, with 0–100 km/h times of 3.4 seconds and 2.9 seconds, respectively. Bentley states the top speeds as 250 km/h and 260 km/h.
Image: Bentley
- 1/13
- 2/13
- 3/13
- 4/13
- 5/13
- 6/13
- 7/13
- 8/13
- 9/13
- 10/13
- 11/13
- 12/13
- 13/13
The performance variant thus delivers more torque than any Bentley before it, the British luxury brand emphasises. The drivetrain is based on two permanent-magnet synchronous motors (“Both are dry sump designs and filled with oil for life”) on both axles of the vehicle. While the front motor features an open differential, the rear motor is equipped with a limited-slip differential and a multi-plate clutch on each driveshaft.
Now, let’s look at the battery: like the Cayenne Electric, the Torcal features a high-voltage battery with a gross capacity of 113 kWh. For details on its construction and why the cooling concept is so special, see our technology deep dive. The high-voltage battery consists of 192 lithium-ion pouch cells connected in series and operates at a system voltage of 800 volts. With a charging power of up to 400 kW, the battery can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent in 16 minutes. Bentley offers a ten-year or 100,000-mile warranty on the battery.
The following table shows the technical specifications of the two Bentley variants compared to Porsche’s top model in the Cayenne range:
| | Bentley Torcal | Bentley Torcal S | Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Drivetrain | AWD | AWD | AWD |
| Power | 604 kW | 653 kW | 850 kW |
| Torque | 1,194 Nm | 1,350 Nm | 1,500 Nm |
| Acceleration (0–100 km/h) | 3.4 s | 2.9 s | 2.5 s |
| Top Speed | 250 km/h | 260 km/h | 260 km/h |
| WLTP Range | n.a. | 600 km | 623 km |
| Battery Capacity | 113 kWh | 113 kWh | 113 kWh |
| DC Charging Power | 400 kW | 400 kW | 400 kW |
| DC Charging Time (10–80%) | 16 min | 16 min | 16 min |
| Price | n.a. | n.a. | €165,500 Euro |
Bentley’s developers have placed great emphasis on ride comfort. According to the brand, the foundation for the smooth road manners is provided by electronic all-wheel steering and a fully active suspension with adaptive dual-valve dampers (“for the first time on a Bentley”), which delivers an individual suspension character for each driving mode. “Each damper can be actively and independently raised or lowered instantaneously, reacting to both road and driver inputs for maximum ride comfort and body control,” states the VW subsidiary. The result is significantly reduced body roll.
To access the aforementioned suspension characteristics, there are a total of four pre-configured driving modes available. As for the brakes, the Torcal comes standard with a steel brake system, but an optional ceramic brake system made of carbon-silicon carbide (CSiC) is also available. Both are offered with differently coloured brake callipers.
Unmistakable design: “A Bentley first and foremost”
This brings us to the Torcal’s design, which naturally retains certain traditional Bentley features, such as the long, angular bonnet with the distinctive grille. This “proud frontal aspect,” as the Brits put it, is also adopted by the first all-electric Bentley. Nevertheless, Design Director Robin Page speaks of introducing a new design language within the brand’s guidelines. The goal with the Torcal was to create an exceptionally sleek and elegant SUV that reinterprets the brand’s DNA, among other things, with innovative lighting technology. The rear, in contrast to the front, is decidedly minimalist – a design principle first tested on the EXP 15 concept. It is also worth noting that the Torcal is the first Bentley to feature the redesigned brand emblem introduced in 2025.
Inside, customers will find that the dashboard is still inspired by Bentley’s wings – featuring fluted controls and new air vents. Bentley deliberately retains physical buttons in the centre console and on the steering wheel. Ambient lighting is provided by a customisable panoramic roof. Materials used inside include leather, wool, and aluminium. What’s more, the Torcal’s seats have been completely redesigned by the developers: they come standard with 16-way electric adjustment, heating, ventilation, adjustable side bolsters, and, for the first time, a new massage function. Another first: the three-seater rear bench in the Torcal features an electric folding function. Despite its modest five-metre length for a luxury car, the Torcal offers ample interior space—especially for passengers. The boot, at 460 litres, is correspondingly modest in size.
Image: Bentley
- 1/5
- 2/5
- 3/5
- 4/5
- 5/5
What else? At launch, five wheel designs in various finishes will be available. The base model comes standard with 21-inch wheels, while the S model features 22-inch wheels with ten double spokes as standard. Three additional 22-inch wheel designs are available as options.
Luxury attitude – even in driver assistance
On board, the Torcal also features a powerful sound system (including audio system, drivetrain, and function sounds) and a comprehensive driver assistance package. The latter is based on a system of 25 radar and ultrasonic sensors and cameras that provide all necessary data around the vehicle. A more playful feature is the four radar-controlled doors that open and close automatically. “Closing of the doors can be initiated by the respective passenger putting on their seat belt or via the main touchscreen,” explains Bentley. The driver-side door can also be closed by pressing the brake pedal.
Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, Chairman and CEO of Bentley Motors, comments: “The Torcal is a Bentley first and foremost, created by hand by people who care, using the best available materials and technology to blend heritage with cutting-edge innovation. I believe this is one of the best Bentleys ever.”
A traditional production hub
The Torcal will be built at its traditional British site in Crewe. The brand has not yet specified when the model will enter production and be delivered, nor has it confirmed the euro price, although a base price of £173,300 (~€200,000) has been announced for the UK. What is clear is that producing the first all-electric Bentley required a comprehensive redesign of the production infrastructure in Crewe: specifically, the manufacturer prepared the historically oldest building (“A1”) at the plant for the assembly of Bentley’s electric debut model. Additionally, Bentley opened a new Engineering Technical Centre on-site in 2025, where prototype production, material testing, and software integration for future electric vehicles are consolidated.
After all, more luxury EVs are set to follow. Even if Bentley’s electrification will be less stringent than planned a few years ago: originally, Bentley intended to convert its entire model range to electric propulsion under the “Beyond 100+” strategy by the end of the decade. However, as electric vehicles proved more challenging to sell in the luxury segment, the Volkswagen subsidiary softened its plans: first, the timeline was pushed back to 2035, followed by another course correction: for the past year, the Brits have completely abandoned a fixed end date for combustion engines.
However, electric vehicles will continue to be a high priority in Crewe, as demonstrated by a concept car presented in July 2025, serving as a blueprint for future all-electric Bentleys. That said, these will be complemented by hybrids and even a near-production-ready performance model with a combustion engine in a limited edition.
bentleymedia.com, autocar.co.uk (UK prices from £173,300)