Bentley Unveils Torcal, Its First Fully Electric Vehicle
Bentley unveiled the Torcal, its first battery-electric vehicle, with up to 875 hp in the S version.
The Torcal is named after a Spanish rock formation. Ars Technica, which rode in a camouflaged preproduction version a few weeks before the reveal, reported that the disguise was effective because the production car is less bulbous and more blocky than the camouflage suggested. The publication said the car brings some ideas from the EXP 15 concept to the road, though not the show car’s elegant, stretched proportions. The EXP 15’s influence is stronger at the rear, according to Ars Technica.
Underneath the bodywork, the Torcal uses relatively familiar underpinnings. Bentley shares technology with Porsche, as both brands are part of the Volkswagen Group. Ars Technica said the power output might not be as prodigious as the electric Porsche Cayenne but should be sufficient nonetheless.
The standard Torcal offers peak outputs of 810 hp (604 kW) and 880 lb-ft (1,194 Nm), enough for a 0–60 mph time of 3.3 seconds; 0–100 km/h takes 3.4 seconds. The more powerful Torcal S boasts 875 hp (653 kW) and 995 lb-ft (1,350 Nm) at its most potent. That version can reach 60 mph from a standing start in 2.8 seconds, or 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds, and has an increased top speed of 162 mph (260 km/h), up from 155 mph (250 km/h) for the standard version. Ars Technica noted that either top speed is academic outside certain stretches of German highway.
Bentley has not revealed exactly how much US buyers can expect to pay. The model should slot beneath the Bentayga, or at least beneath the plug-in hybrid version of the Bentayga, according to Ars Technica. The publication also said Bentley provided flights from Washington, DC, to Monterey, California, and accommodation so it could ride in a preproduction Torcal EV, drive the Supersports, and ride in a 1920s Bentley. Ars Technica said it does not accept paid editorial content.
Editor's Summary
Bentley has unveiled the Torcal, its first battery-electric vehicle, with standard and S versions producing 810 hp and 875 hp. The new model is smaller than the Bentayga and expected to sit below it in price, but US pricing remains unannounced.