Bentley Torcal: ‘the most powerful and torquey Bentley ever’

“Welcome to Bentley’s EV future,” said Top Gear Magazine – of the flagship new Torcal, unveiled last week. “The most powerful and torquey Bentley ever”, it has the same “whopping” 113kWh battery as the new Porsche Cayenne, with which it shares an EV platform, giving it an “ample” range of 360 miles. Add in 400kW charging and you’ve got a “capable transcontinental cruiser”.

The battery promises to retain 90% of its capacity after 100,000 miles of driving, because Bentley envisages the car as an “heirloom” to be “passed down through generations”, along with signet rings and castles.

Bentley’s first EV blends “heritage with cutting-edge innovation”, says CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser. Production is due to begin in Bentley’s Crewe plant this year, with just two trims from launch, both with twin-motor powertrains and four-wheel drive. The standard car packs 811bhp, while the 876bhp S has “more of a sporting bent”, said Autocar.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

With 995lb-ft of torque, it can get from 0-62mph in just 2.9 secs, with a top speed of 162mph. “Tuned for maximum refinement”, its bespoke suspension uses active dual-valve dampers to create a “true ‘magic carpet’ ride”.

The Torcal is “impressively spacious inside”, said PistonHeads, with the “material plushness” that customers expect, including the world’s first 100% merino wool car upholstery. Bentley has opted for proper knurled buttons instead of a passenger display; the driver’s curved touchscreen is a “nice touch” and the adjustable seats are “exceptional”.

Live orchestral recordings have been used to replicate the noise of a combustion engine; other sound effects include a finger on the rim of a crystal glass for the voice command response. This is “one of the best Bentleys ever”, says Walliser – and with a lower-price Range Rover Electric arriving imminently, “it will need to be”.