Bentley has unveiled the Torcal — its first fully electric production vehicle in the marque's 107-year history. Revealed at a global debut event in London on September 23, 2026, the Torcal is a fastback electric SUV producing up to 888 PS, with a 375-mile WLTP range, and a starting price around $229,500. It's Bentley's fourth model line, joining the Continental GT, Flying Spur, and Bentayga.
A Name Rooted in Spain, a Platform Shared With Porsche
Bentley first announced plans for a fully electric "Urban SUV" in late 2025, releasing an official teaser and the Torcal name on July 6, 2026. The name comes from El Torcal de Antequera, a dramatic rock formation region in southern Spain — continuing Bentley's habit of naming models after evocative places and words rather than alphanumeric codes.
Underneath, the Torcal rides on Volkswagen Group's Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture, making it a close mechanical relative of the Porsche Cayenne Electric. Bentley has clearly worked to differentiate the design rather than lean on that shared platform visually: rectangular headlights borrowed from the Arnage, an illuminated diamond-pattern grille inspired by the Continental T, and a chiseled fastback profile drawn from the EXP 15 concept. It's also the first Bentley to wear the brand's redesigned logo, introduced in 2025.
Specifications
|
Platform
|
Premium Platform Electric (PPE), shared with Porsche Cayenne Electric
|
|
Battery
|
113 kWh, 800-volt architecture
|
|
Range (WLTP)
|
Up to 375 miles (600 km)
|
|
Charging
|
Up to 400 kW; 10-80% in 16 minutes; roughly 100 miles added in 7 minutes at peak rate
|
|
Torcal (base)
|
821 PS (810 hp), 1,194 Nm; 0-60 mph in 3.3s; 155 mph top speed
|
|
Torcal S
|
888 PS (876 hp), 1,350 Nm with Launch Control; 0-60 mph in 2.8s; 162 mph top speed
|
|
Suspension
|
Fully active hydraulic suspension, standard on all models
|
|
Steering
|
Rear-axle steering, standard
|
|
Length
|
5 meters — Bentley's shortest four-door model
|
|
Cargo
|
460-liter trunk plus 90-liter front trunk
|
|
Interior materials
|
World-first 100% Merino wool automotive fabric; Ombré Walnut veneer pressed from up to 1,000 sustainable off-cut layers
|
|
Cabin tech
|
Curved OLED displays, physical controls retained on center console and steering wheel
|
|
Warranty
|
10 years / 100,000 miles
|
|
Starting price
|
$229,500 (estimated, ~$250,000 as tested)
|
Bentley has not yet announced final pricing tiers or a delivery date for the Torcal.
Restrained Performance, By Design
Bentley deliberately dialed back the Torcal's straight-line performance from what was originally promised. Former CEO Adrian Hallmark had teased figures approaching 1,400 hp and a 1.5-second 0-60 mph time back in 2022; the production Torcal S lands at a comparatively modest 876 hp and 2.8 seconds. Bentley says the restraint is intentional — most customers, the company argues, find genuinely violent acceleration uncomfortable in a luxury grand tourer, and the brand prioritized ride refinement over headline-grabbing numbers.
Bentley also addressed one of the more common EV criticisms from traditional luxury buyers: the absence of engine sound. The Torcal includes an engineered sound experience designed to replicate some of the aural theater that's long been part of Bentley ownership, rather than leaving the cabin silent.
A Bigger Strategic Shift
The Torcal's arrival came with a significant change to Bentley's own roadmap: CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser confirmed the brand is pushing back its full-electrification target from 2030 to 2035, acknowledging a slower pace of EV adoption among ultra-luxury buyers than the industry once assumed. Walliser told CNBC that the Torcal "sits also from the price band at the entry level for Bentley," positioning it as an accessible entry point into the brand despite its six-figure price tag, and said early market reactions had been positive.
The launch also lands squarely in the middle of a broader industry moment: the Torcal arrives just three months after Ferrari's own controversial $626,000 electric Luce, giving the ultra-luxury EV segment two high-profile new entrants within a single quarter, even as several rivals in the space have been pulling back on electrification commitments.
With the Torcal, Bentley becomes one of the last major heritage luxury marques to finally field a production EV — arriving cautiously, with performance intentionally reined in and heritage-signaling materials front and center, betting that its traditional buyers want an electric Bentley to still feel unmistakably like a Bentley first.
Related Video
