Bentley Torcal brings electric power to the ultimate luxury lease

There are luxury cars, there are electric cars, and then there are Bentleys. Now, for the first time in the company’s 107-year history, those last two things have come together in the shape of the new Torcal, a five-metre luxury SUV that becomes Bentley’s first fully electric production model and the fourth distinct model line in its range.

Predictably, Bentley hasn’t approached electrification by simply fitting a large battery and a couple of motors and calling the job done.

The Torcal has been designed, engineered and built in Crewe to deliver the craftsmanship, comfort and effortless performance expected of the badge, while introducing the kind of technology needed to carry those qualities into the electric era.

The numbers are suitably extravagant.

There’s up to 876bhp, 1,350Nm of torque and 0-60mph in as little as 2.8 seconds, yet for drivers fortunate enough to be considering a Torcal as their next luxury lease, outright performance is only part of the attraction.

With up to 375 miles of range, ultra-rapid 400kW charging and an interior where Bentley has seemingly obsessed over everything from the seats and switchgear to the sound of the indicators, the Torcal is less about proving that Bentley can build an electric car and more about proving that an electric car can still feel unmistakably like a Bentley.

The new Bentley Torcal is expected to go on sale in the UK in early 2027, with pricing still to be confirmed. When it does, it will be available in two versions.

The standard model will produce 810bhp, reaching 60mph in 3.3 seconds and continuing to 155mph. The Torcal S increases output to 876bhp, bringing the 0-60mph time down to 2.8 seconds and upping the top speed to 162mph. Both use a 113kWh battery and 800V electrical architecture, with maximum range of up to 375 miles.

Just as importantly for a car likely to spend plenty of time covering longer distances, the Torcal can charge at up to 400kW. At a sufficiently powerful charger, Bentley says 10-80% can take around 16 minutes, while approximately 100 miles of range can be added in seven minutes. The battery is also covered by a 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty.

Bentley clearly doesn't want the electric powertrain to become the Torcal's entire personality though.

Fully active suspension appears on a Bentley for the first time, with individually controlled adaptive dampers designed to combine what the company describes as a ‘magic carpet’ ride with tighter body control when the driver wants to make use of all that performance. All-wheel steering is standard too, giving the five-metre-long Torcal an 11.1-metre turning circle that should make manoeuvring considerably less intimidating than its dimensions might suggest.

There is practical thinking underneath the luxury as well.

The Torcal has a 460-litre boot, supplemented by another 90 litres of storage beneath the bonnet, while the rear seat can be power-folded for the first time in a Bentley.

Performance might provide the headline figures, but the cabin is where the Torcal really starts making its case as a luxury lease option.

Bentley hasn't abandoned physical controls in pursuit of an entirely screen-based interior. Knurled switchgear remains on the centre console and steering wheel, sitting alongside curved OLED displays and an augmented-reality head-up display. Even the standard seats demonstrate how far removed this is from an ordinary electric SUV, offering 16-way adjustment along with heating, ventilation, adjustable bolsters and massage.

Go further into the options and Bentley's Postural Adjust system can make subtle changes to the seat to alter pressure distribution during longer journeys, while Smart Seat Climate automatically manages heating and ventilation. The Wellness Seat Specification even extends the massage function beyond the back and shoulders to the legs.

Four Experience Modes also change more than conventional suspension and throttle settings. Depending on whether Bentley, Comfort, Sport or Refresh is selected, the car can alter its lighting, sound, climate, airflow and digital information to change the overall atmosphere of the cabin.

The Torcal also gives Bentley an opportunity to rethink what luxury materials can look and feel like.

Traditional leather, veneer and aluminium remain, but they're joined by some unusual new choices. Bentley has worked with Somerset textile specialist Fox Brothers to develop what it says is the world's first 100% Merino wool automotive fabric, available in five colours. There are numerous colour and trim combinations, of course, because a luxury Bentley that couldn't be extensively personalised would hardly be a Bentley.

One of the Torcal's more unusual features addresses something electric cars inevitably lose: the sound and character of a large combustion engine.

Rather than simply generating an electronic imitation of one, Bentley used musicians playing drums, viola and bass guitar to create its Dynamic Symphony. The rhythm takes inspiration from Bentley's 6¾-litre V8 and responds to vehicle speed and the driver's accelerator inputs. Bentley has even recorded the sound of a hammer striking leather in its upholstery workshop for the indicators, while the touchscreen and digital assistant acknowledgement is derived from the sound of a crystal glass.

Unnecessary? Almost certainly. But in a car such as this, that's rather the point.

Anyone leasing a Bentley Torcal clearly isn't choosing between this and an ordinary family EV because one happens to offer a few more miles of range.

It's a luxury car first and an electric car second, and Bentley appears determined that adopting battery power shouldn't mean compromising the craftsmanship, performance or sense of occasion associated with its other models.

Bentley will continue to offer combustion and hybrid models alongside the Torcal, leaving drivers to decide how they want their effortless performance delivered. For luxury lease customers, the electric powertrain simply adds another layer of choice.

And with up to 375 miles of range, potentially very short charging stops and enough performance to reach 60mph in less than three seconds, Bentley's first attempt at a fully electric luxury car certainly isn't a tentative one.