Bentley’s first EV, set to debut on September 23, is called the Torcal. As it did with the Bentayga, the luxury marque has named the upcoming EV after a natural landmark – El Torcal de Antequera, a limestone rock landscape in Andalusia, Spain. The name also refers to the Latin verb ‘torquere’, meaning to twist, from which the word torque is derived. The Torcal is based on the 2025 Bentley EXP 15 concept, and its pre-production began in November last year at the brand's Crewe facility.
The Torcal was originally planned to debut last year, but it was delayed due to weak demand for luxury electric cars. Other EVs planned to follow the Torcal have also been delayed, with Bentley dropping its earlier target of becoming an all-electric carmaker by 2030. The company will now debut a new plug-in hybrid or electric vehicle each year until 2035.
Bentley Torcal range, platform
Speaking to Autocar UK, Bentley’s director of design, Robin Page, confirmed that the Torcal will offer a range of over 300 miles (or 483km). “We’re finding that there’s a sweet spot in terms of range. Our customers are basically telling us that 300 miles to 350 miles (or 563km) is that sweet spot. Beyond that, they’ll use the private jet,” he told the publication.
The Torcal is built on the Volkswagen Group’s PPE platform, which also underpins the Porsche Cayenne Electric. Like the Porsche, the Torcal will use a 113kWh battery that supports fast DC charging speeds of up to 390kW. Bentley previously stated that the e-SUV will offer advanced battery-charging capability, adding 100 miles (or 161km) of range in about 7 minutes.
The upcoming EV is expected to come with a dual-motor setup as standard. However, Bentley has not confirmed whether it will match the 1,156hp and 1,500Nm output of the top-spec Cayenne Electric Turbo.
Bentley Torcal exterior highlights
The Torcal is not much smaller than the Bentayga, measuring 5 metres in length versus the latter’s 5.1 to 5.3 metres. Though it has a similar silhouette, it is likely to feature a completely new design. While a full look at the production version is yet to be revealed, the EXP 15 concept previewed styling elements such as an illuminated grille panel, new vertical LED quad headlights and a “prestigious shield” at the rear, inspired by the luggage carriers used on classic Bentley tourers. It remains to be seen how many of these design cues make it to the final car.
Just like the exterior, details about the interior also remain under wraps. A portrait-oriented curved central touchscreen split into two sections, similar to the unit in the Cayenne Electric, was seen in recent international spy shots, hinting at a possible inclusion in the upcoming SUV. Notably, the EXP 15 concept’s cabin had a good set of physical controls. “People are a bit bored with full-digital screens...What makes us premium is to keep a good level of mechanical detailing that the others can’t do,” Page had said earlier, suggesting that the EV could offer the same. Bentley will reveal more details in the run-up to the Torcal’s debut in September.
Dipan Sur
Dhruv Dhaka
Viraaj Bhatnagar
