Bentley has entered the electric era with the launch of its first fully electric vehicle — the luxury Torcal SUV. The British marque is hoping to attract wealthy customers who want to move away from internal-combustion engines without giving up the signature design language that has defined Bentley for more than a century, according to the New York Post.
The Torcal made its debut on September 23, just a few months after Ferrari unveiled its first electric vehicle, which drew criticism from some fans for looking so different from the brand’s traditional low-slung sports cars powered by gasoline engines.

Bentley has taken a different approach. The brand’s first EV is almost impossible to mistake for a vehicle from another manufacturer, retaining the distinctive styling cues of Bentley’s internal-combustion models. Even the front end features diamond-shaped headlights that visually evoke the traditional grille, despite the fact that an electric vehicle does not require one to cool an engine.
Bentley’s designers have also focused on the emotional side of driving. The Torcal can mimic the sensation of a V8 engine through specially developed sound design. The soundtrack is built around orchestral timpani, with faster beats from smaller drums joining in as the vehicle accelerates.
“Our goal from the very beginning was to create, first and foremost, a Bentley. We believe people don’t want a completely different car just because it’s electric,” Bentley CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser told Reuters.
At the same time, the Torcal will be one of the more “affordable” models in Bentley’s current lineup. The SUV starts at $230,000.
For comparison, Ferrari’s first electric vehicle, the Luce, starts at $628,000.
According to Walliser, the Torcal represents a “more accessible Bentley” that will allow the company to enter new markets.

Bentley has already shown the vehicle to both existing and potential customers. According to company executives, the strongest interest has come from buyers in Europe, the Middle East and U.S. states where electric vehicles are particularly widespread. The model’s marketing campaign in China will begin next year.
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