All-new Bentley Torcal officially revealed
Range Rover Electric not for you? How about Bentley's first-ever EV...
We can forgive Bentley some trepidation when revealing its fourth model line, and first-ever all-electric model. Had it surveyed the nation - or its microcosm, the PH forums - it is unlikely that a new ‘Luxury Urban SUV’ would have received a majority backing. The brand has done too good a job, over two decades and four generations, of cultivating its image with the omnipresent Continental GT. The British public tends to think of Bentley as low-slung and suety, all powerhouse cylinders and leather and switches. Bentley knows full well what we like, of course - hence the call to arms that is the rear-drive, rakish Supersports.
Accordingly, its transition to battery power was never going to seem as easy as Rolls-Royce made it look - or even Land Rover, with its spot-the-difference Range Rover Electric. Hush and tsunami-like waft befit our mental image of both. With Bentley, despite being no stranger to superlative refinement itself, nor the luxury SUV segment, the sell seems that much harder. Perhaps this is a result of the effort it must spend on differentiating its new model from other VW Group contenders (the Porsche Cayenne Electric and Audi Q6 E-tron share its PPE platform); certainly, it would be easier if we were talking about a genuinely low-slung, suave four-door GT, rather than an electric SUV made to look like one.
But here we are. And on three counts we should consider ourselves lucky. For one thing, Bentley has ceased all mention of Luxury Urban, which was a ghastly description even allowing for its accuracy. For another, and we can say this having seen the car in person, while the Torcal might sport an illuminated ‘diamond’ grille, it does not attempt to wilfully tear up Bentley design language in the manner of the Jaguar Type 01 or Ferrari Luce. Nor is it as unapologetic about being a flagship SUV as the Rolls-Royce Cullinan (though clearly there is a resemblance). Finally, it’s very pleasant and impressively spacious inside, which bodes well for buyer contentment - and is only vaguely reminiscent of the Cayenne’s layout.
Underneath the alterations are perhaps more subtle, but intended to be equally telling. From launch, the Torcal will be available as a core model boasting 824hp and 880lb ft of torque, and a sportier S with 888hp and 996lb ft, though they share the same dual permanent magnet synchronous motor layout. Bentley does not officially quote the power output available to each drive unit, but we know the front makes do with an open differential while the back gets a locking diff with a multi-plate clutch on each output shaft. Needless to say, the Torcal will be exceptionally quick (2.9 seconds to 62mph for the S; 3.4 seconds for the core), though Bentley is adamant it made a conscious decision to select that level of performance based on what the engineers thought appropriate. That said, only a Cayenne Turbo Electric, with 1,156hp available to it via overboost, is quicker than the S.
At any rate, Bentley suggests it is less concerned with neck-snapping speed than the emotional aspect. Referencing the ‘feedback loop between driver and machine’ that engine sound provides - and acknowledging the ‘propulsive beat’ that made a V8 integral to the appeal of previous models - it has created something called the Bentley Dynamic Symphony, which uses live recordings of real instruments (think drums, viola and bass guitars) to replicate the progressive, low-frequency rhythm of a combustion engine.
We’ve been here before with sound augmentation, of course, and scepticism regarding the outcome is understandable - nevertheless, it’s an imaginative solution to what is clearly a fundamental issue, and Bentley points to the ‘subtle variations and tiny imperfections’ that make a human-generated soundtrack seem organic. That doesn’t mean it necessarily sounds like a V8 - but it’s not supposed to. It’s imitating the ambience. And it’s worth mentioning that even if you switch it off, you might still like the same process applied elsewhere. Emboldened by its results, Bentley used various other live recordings - including the inimitable noise crystal glass makes when you run your finger along its rim - to provide the auditory control responses, such as when you cycle through features on the touchscreen.
This is important because sound ties into the Torcal’s ‘Experience Modes’ which use various adjustable parameters to complement the drive settings. ‘Bentley’, ‘Comfort’ and ‘Sport’ will be familiar to current owners, but there is also ‘Refresh’, which tinkers with the fresh-air circulation and lighting for a ‘cleaner and more invigorating’ atmosphere. Which might be just what you need while you’re waiting nearly 20 minutes for the underfloor (net capacity) 113 kWh battery to go from 10 to 80 per cent charge at 400kW. Bentley quotes a 375-mile range for the Torcal, with 100 miles added in seven minutes if you find a sufficiently lively charger. Unsurprisingly, this basically replicates the Cayenne Turbo’s efficiency, which shares both the battery and the associated 800v electrical architecture.
There are similarities in the chassis configuration, too. The fully active air suspension is a first for Bentley, and it reckons that the adaptive two-valve dampers, which can be raised and lowered instantaneously in response to the road surface, make for unprecedented dynamic bandwidth. Moreover, thanks to the anti-roll torque the system is capable of generating, there is no need for conventional anti-roll bars. Factor in standard rear-wheel steering (up to five degrees) and you can see why the engineers think they’ve easily eclipsed the ride and handling compromise of the already exceptionally comfy Bentagya, despite its 2,795kg kerbweight. Carbon ceramic brakes are optional, if you don't like the standard 420mm iron discs.
While it is shorter than Bentley’s existing SUV, you wouldn’t know it inside. The 460-litre boot is supplemented by a 90-litre storage area in the front, and leg and headroom are ample - though it’s a broader sense of light and space, the latter enhanced by a switchable-glass sunroof, that makes the Torcal feel airier than the Bentayga. More convenient, too: Bentley has introduced four radar-controlled powered doors, which close automatically when prompted to do so by a passenger putting on a seatbelt or the driver putting their foot on the brake pedal. Or convenient for influencers with TikTok seconds to fill anyway.
Although pity anyone who attempts to talk you through the interior finishes available. Suffice it to say, there are many, some of them entirely new to Bentley - most notably one that is claimed to be the world’s first 100 per cent Merino wool automotive fabric, developed with English firm Fox Brothers. Elsewhere there is something called Ombré Walnut (in four shades) and Sunburst Aluminium by Mulliner (with a three-way brush pattern) - but you can fixate on these in the configurator. The point is that the Torcal will not want for the material plushness that Bentley customers expect. Which is good, because it helps to soften a very new-school cabin layout.
For anyone who has sat in innumerable electric SUVs, Bentley’s effort will likely seem inviting and pleasingly subtle (the engineers wisely rejected the idea of a passenger display, for example), but if you’re coming from a Continental GT, you might think what screens there are a poor substitute for proper buttons and dials. Still, the manufacturer must move with the times in this respect, and it has done a better job than Porsche of selecting its knurled switchgear. The curved touchscreen is a nice touch, too - and the new 16-way adjustable seats are exceptional. If this resembles the next generation of Bentley interior design - and there’s every indication it does - its buyers could do a lot worse.
Quite what they will make of the exterior is a different matter. For what it’s worth, the Torcal’s basic proportions - the long-ish bonnet, short overhangs and burly rear haunches - as well as the ‘upright elegance’ of the bodyshell (an enduring Bentley design cue), make for an SUV that you could easily credit to Crewe without its badges. But that front end, with its many, many light fixtures, is not going to be universally applauded. Perhaps you don’t have to look too far to see the echoes of the Continental T - but nor can you miss the influence of Dubai or Beijing either, meaning the Torcal spans a fine line. “I believe this is one of the best Bentleys ever,” said CEO Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser. With it costing from £173,300 (or £199,300 for the S) - and the cheaper-at-£154k Range Rover Electric imminent - it will need to be.
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