Bentley has revealed the Torcal, its first fully electric production model, with up to 888 PS (876 hp), a 113 kWh battery, and a WLTP range of up to 375 miles (600 km), according to the company. The Torcal made its global debut in London this week and becomes Bentley’s fourth model line. It is designed, engineered, and built in Crewe, England, with a network of UK suppliers, and it adds a fully electric option alongside Bentley’s existing combustion and hybrid models.
Highlights
- Output: Up to 888 PS (876 hp) and 1,350 Nm (996 lb-ft), the highest torque of any Bentley, per the company
- Battery: 113 kWh net, 800V nominal, 192 lithium-ion pouch cells, with a 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty
- Charging: Up to 400 kW, adding about 100 miles (161 km) of range in seven minutes
- Chassis: The first Bentley with fully active suspension, plus standard all-wheel steering
Powertrain and Battery
The Torcal uses two permanent magnet synchronous motors. Both are dry-sump designs filled with oil for life. The front motor has an open differential, and the rear motor has a locking differential with a multi-plate clutch on each output shaft.
The high-voltage battery connects 192 lithium-ion pouch cells in series at 800V nominal, for a net capacity of 113 kWh. Bentley says it deliberately limited acceleration, because most of its customers find more extreme acceleration uncomfortable.
How Far Can the Bentley Torcal Travel on a Charge?
Bentley quotes a range of up to 375 miles (600 km) on the WLTP cycle. WLTP figures come from the European test procedure and are not directly comparable to EPA range ratings.
At up to 400 kW, the company says the battery charges from 10% to 80% in 16 minutes. About 100 miles (161 km) of range can be added in seven minutes.
Chassis and Braking
Fully active suspension, a first for Bentley, works with adaptive two-valve dampers. Each damper can be raised or lowered independently in response to road and driver inputs. The system provides adjustable anti-roll torque, so the Torcal has no anti-roll bars. Standard electronic all-wheel steering uses up to five degrees of rear steering angle, which reduces the turning circle to 36.4 feet (11.1 meters).
Two brake systems are offered:
- Iron (standard): 420 mm (16.5 in) front discs and 370 mm (14.6 in) rear discs
- Carbon Silicon Carbide (CSiC) ceramic (optional): 440 mm (17.3 in) front discs and 410 mm (16.1 in) rear discs. Bentley says the front discs are jointly the largest in the world, a distinction shared with other Bentleys.
Calipers come in black, red, or grey. Mulliner offers three more colors.
Torcal and Torcal S Specifications
The Torcal launches as a core model and a more sporting S model.
| Model | Power | Torque | 0–60 mph | Top Speed | Standard Wheel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torcal | 821 PS (810 hp) | 1,194 Nm (881 lb-ft) | 3.3 sec | 155 mph (250 km/h) | 21-inch |
| Torcal S | 888 PS (876 hp)* | 1,350 Nm (996 lb-ft)* | 2.8 sec | 162 mph (260 km/h) | 22-inch |
*With Launch Control active.
The S adds black exterior brightware, dark rear lamps, a rear diffuser, sports sills, red brake calipers, sports pedals, Piano Black veneer, and illuminated treadplates.
Design, Packaging, and Interior
Design Director Robin Page led the in-house team at Crewe. “When we design a Bentley, we consider how people naturally perceive an object. You don’t experience a car all at once. There is a hierarchy to what you see and understand, which we describe through four ‘reads'” said Page.
The rear graphics use a “prestigious shield” design principle that Bentley first explored with the EXP 15 concept. The Torcal is also the first Bentley to wear the redesigned emblem the company revealed last year.
The Torcal is 16.4 feet (5 meters) long, the shortest four-door in the lineup. It has a 16.2-cubic-foot (460-liter) trunk and a 3.2-cubic-foot (90-liter) front storage area.
Materials developments include:
- Merino wool fabric: Developed with Somerset weaver Fox Brothers. Bentley describes it as the world’s first 100% Merino wool automotive fabric and the first automotive wool fabric certified to the Responsible Wool Standard.
- Ombré Walnut by Mulliner: Up to 1,000 layers of walnut off-cuts and recycled paper, sliced to less than a millimeter thick.
- Sunburst Aluminium by Mulliner: A three-way brushed finish that reinterprets Bentley’s earlier engine-turned aluminum dashboards.
Sound, Experience Modes, and Driver Assistance
The Bentley Dynamic Symphony propulsion sound was recorded with real instruments, including drums, viola, and bass guitar. The development team drew on the rhythm of a Bentley 6.75-liter V8. The sound is calibrated to driver torque demand and vehicle speed, grows louder in Sport mode, and can be switched off.
Four Experience Modes (Bentley, Comfort, Sport, and Refresh) coordinate lighting, sound, climate, airflow, and on-screen information. Other features include curved OLED screens, an augmented reality head-up display, facial recognition for driver profiles, and Mobile Device Key.
A suite of 25 radars, sensors, and cameras supports the driver assistance systems. These include towing and parking assistance, app-based remote parking, and trainable parking maneuvers. The four radar-controlled powered doors can open and close themselves.
“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,” said Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, Chairman and CEO of Bentley.
“The Torcal represents something new, and I think unique. It has been engineered with great care to ensure it remains a Bentley to its core, enhanced rather than dominated by technology – from luxury, to refinement and effortless performance – the Torcal has taken the elements that define a Bentley to extraordinary new levels,” said Martin Page, Product Line Director, Torcal.
