Bentley Torcal debuts – brand’s first BEV with up to 888 PS/1,350 Nm, 600 km WLTP; up to 400 kW DC charging

The Bentley Torcal has officially made its debut following a teaser in July, becoming the fourth model line for the British luxury marque and its first with a fully electric powertrain.

Measuring five metres (5,008 mm) in length, the Torcal is the shortest four-door model in the marque’s line-up, making it shorter than the 5,142 mm-long standard-wheelbase Bentayga.

In other exterior dimensions, the Torcal measures 2,025 mm wide (2,198 mm with mirrors), 1,677 mm tall with a wheelbase of 3,023 mm; front and rear wheel track widths are 1,699 mm and 1,720 mm. Kerb weight is 2,795 kg, with a front-to-rear weight distribution of 48:52. Towing capacity is 2,700 kg.

Despite its reduced dimensions relative to its stablemates the Torcal offers “exceptional interior space”, says Bentley, with a 460 litre main luggage compartment and a 90 litre frunk.

A dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain is standard in the Torcal, offered in two levels of output across the two variants, a core variant and the sportier S variant. The core Torcal variant gets 821 PS and 1,194 Nm, with torque outputs of 430 Nm in front and 1,098 Nm at the rear.

Meanwhile, the Torcal S is rated at 888 PS and 1,350 Nm, the latter offering the highest torque output of any Bentley, according to the marque. This propels the EV along the 0-100 km/h sprint benchmark in 2.9 seconds, and a top speed of 260 km/h. In both variants, both motors get a single gear ratio, and the rear axle gets an electronically controlled differential.

The battery in the Torcal is a 113.3 kWh (108.7 kWh usable) lithium-ion unit, offering up to 600 km of range on the WLTP standard. Fast charging at up to 400 kW enables a 10-80% recharge in 20 minutes, or 100 miles (161 km) of range added in seven minutes, says Bentley.

Construction of the Torcal bodyshell is a monocoque made of steel and aluminium. Suspension is by a double wishbone layout in front and a multi-link setup at the rear, with single-chamber air springs at each axle.

The Torcal is the first Bentley to get fully active suspension with adaptive two-valve dampers offering roll control, thus negating the need for conventional anti-roll bars. All-wheel steering is standard, with a rear-wheel steering angle of up to five degrees.

Braking is by 10-piston calipers in front and four-piston calipers at the rear, with either iron discs measuring 420 mm in front and 370 mm at the rear as standard, or optional carbon silicon carbide (CSiC) discs measuring 440 mm in front and 410 mm at the rear.

Housing these are a set of wheels measuring 21 inches or 22 inches in diameter, with tyres measuring 275/45R21 and 315/40R21 front and rear, or 275/40R22 and 315/35R22 front and rear, respectively.

Inside, the Torcal dashboard gets a curved LED infotainment touchscreen layout similar to that of its PPE-based Volkswagen Group stablemate the Cayenne Electric, with screens unique to Bentley, said the marque.

This central unit is accompanies by an augmented reality head-up display for projecting data such as navigation and on-road ADAS markers directly into the driver’s field of view.

In here, the Torcal employs facial recognition for its driver to be identified for their preferred settings, such as for seat and steering wheel position, ADAS preferences, and more. The user’s mobile phone can also be set up to serve as the key, enabling full functionality and access rights.

Four “experience modes” are offered in the Torcal; Bentley Mode, Comfort, Sport, and Refresh. Each mode configures more than just chassis and powertrain settings as before in prior Bentley models; in the Torcal, these modes vary the delivery of light, sound, climate control and air flow as well as digital information to support “different moods, moments and states of mind.”

The lack of an internal combustion engine’s aural presence is substituted here in the Torcal by a soundscape drawn from real instruments including drums, viola and bass guitar to create the Bentley Dynamic Symphony, which the marque says also includes subtle variations and tiny imperfections.

This is aimed at improving sensory feedback to the driver “to aid consistent and confident vehicle control”, with the sounds increasing in volume in Sport mode, or alternatively this can be switched off entirely if silence is preferred.

There are two systems or audio playback in the Torcal, starting with the standard sound system that is a 620-watt, 16-speaker setup, or a higher-end, 1,780-watt, 28-speaker ensemble developed with Naim that includes kinaesthetic seat shakers and front headrest speakers, and Dolby Atmos 7.1 configuration.

For exterior and interior finishes, the Torcal gets seven standard paint colours and 88 cost options, with bespoke paint colours on request. Inside, five leather colours are standard with 10 from an extended range, and six colours for the wool upholstery choice. Accompanying these are 19 veneer options.

According to Autocar, the Bentley Torcal in the United Kingdom will be priced from 173,300 pounds sterling (RM936,956) for the core variant, stepping up to 199,300 pounds sterling (RM1,077,527) for the Torcal S.