Bentley, the British luxury automobile manufacturer, has finally disclosed its first vehicle that comes with an all-electric powertrain. The unveiled model is the Bentley Torcal, a sport utility vehicle, which has a seating capacity of five people. It is an all-electric luxury SUV that is equipped with smart and intelligent features and has an exterior design that gives it a totally unique identity.
A total of two versions are officially unveiled; they are standard and sportier S. The latter is one that takes less to accelerate from 0 to 100 kmph. These versions are available with the same lithium-ion battery pack, and it also solves the key problem with the EVs, the range anxiety, with the fast charging.
Large battery and decent range.
The Bentley Torcal gets two electric motors; the company says that the rear one is a permanent magnet synchronous motor and the first is an induction motor. The one mounted on the rear axle is mated with the single-speed automatic transmission.
The combined power output and torque of these electric motors are 821 PS and 1,155 Nm for standard and 888 PS and 1,350 Nm for S.
The former one takes 3.4 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 kmph, and the latter only does 2.9 seconds, 0.5 seconds less.
The top speed is 250 kmph for the standard and 260 kmph for the S version. They both are equipped with 113 kWh lithium-ion battery packs; when the battery pack is fully charged, it runs up to 600 km on WLTP conditions. The real-world driving range will vary depending on driving style and road condition.
Its electrical architecture is 800 volts and supports a DC charger up to 400 kW, which takes the time of 16 minutes for 10 to 80 per cent charging. Just 10 minutes of charging adds 350 km WLTP range.
Long wheelbase and aerodynamic exterior design.
The length, width, and height of the Bentley Torcal are 5,200 mm, 2,000 mm, and 1,740 mm, respectively, with the wheelbase of 3,100 mm. At the front end, it has a diamond-pattern illuminated grille, slim LED daylight running light and horizontally orientated LED headlamps, a sculpted bonnet, and black horizontal air intakes.
Its sides have pronounced wheel arches bracketing the distinctive Y-shaped spoked alloy wheels, pull-type door handles, a coupe-like floating roofline, and front door-mounted ORVMs integrating blinkers. At the rear, it has slim horizontal-shaped taillamps, a roof-integrated spoiler, BENTLEY lettering on the tailgate, and a sculpted bumper.
The 21-inch wheels are standard for the standard version, but the sportier S version sits on 22-inch alloy wheels. With the seating layout of 2-3, a boot space of 480 litres is available behind the second row that helps carry luggage.
There’s also a 90-litre front storage compartment, also referred to as a frunk, that can be used to carry the charging cable and other small items. The key difference between the standard and S versions is the visual elements; the latter has some extras to make it more aggressive and performance-focused.
Premium features and smooth suspension.
The Bentley Torcal has a panoramic glass roof, adding premiumness to the cabin, and an electrically operated tailgate to easily load and unload the luggage. The carmaker says the interior is handcrafted, adding exclusiveness. It all has heating and ventilation features; they are also electrically adjustable.
Features such as multi-zone climate control and ambient interior lighting add premiumness to the cabin. The 12.25-inch curved OLED touchscreen is available at the cabin’s dashboard centre that acts as an infotainment system. With the digital driver display, it also has a HUD (head-up display) that projects driving data on the windscreen.
The centrally mounted screen is set to support smartphone connectivity, over-the-air software updates for the connected car technology, and advanced voice-control functions. A 28-speaker Naim premium audio system is also confirmed to ensure an immersive audio experience.
It is built on Volkswagen Group PPE; the same is used to underpin Porsche Cayenne Electric. Get full-active suspension with the two-valve electronically controlled dampers and rear-wheel steering with ±5 degrees. Get 440 mm carbon-ceramic discs as front and large high-performance discs as rear brakes.
