Bentley’s electric era finally has a name. The Crewe-based luxury marque has confirmed that its first fully electric production model will be called the Torcal, with a global debut locked in for September 23, 2026.
The name continues Bentley’s recent tradition of borrowing from dramatic landscapes — following the Bentayga, Bacalar and Batur — this time drawing on El Torcal de Antequera, a striking limestone rock formation in Andalusia, southern Spain, known for its otherworldly, wind-carved shapes.
A Smaller, Urban-Focused Bentley
The Torcal will become the fourth model line in Bentley’s portfolio, joining the Bentayga, Continental GT and Flying Spur. Intriguingly, Bentley describes it as a “Luxury Urban SUV” and expects it to measure under five meters in length — positioning it below the Bentayga in the range and opening the brand to a new, city-dwelling customer profile.
Underneath, the Torcal is expected to ride on Volkswagen Group’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture, the same 800-volt foundation that underpins the Porsche Cayenne Electric, Porsche Macan Electric and Audi A6 e-tron. Bentley is already teasing headline charging performance: the company claims the Torcal will add 100 miles of range in just seven minutes, which would place it among the fastest-charging EVs on sale anywhere.
Pricing and full performance figures remain under wraps, with Bentley promising a drip-feed of details through the summer as the September reveal approaches.
Luxury’s Cautious Electric Dance
The Torcal arrives at a delicate moment for ultra-luxury electrification. Rolls-Royce launched the Spectre to strong demand, but several rivals have slowed their EV plans as wealthy buyers cling to twelve-cylinder tradition. Bentley itself has already softened its original “all-electric by 2030” pledge, extending the life of its hybrid V8 models while retiring the famed W12.
That makes the Torcal less a revolution than a carefully hedged first step — a new entry point to the brand that doesn’t cannibalize its combustion cash cows. If the smaller SUV can deliver genuine Bentley opulence with PPE-derived performance, it could do for Crewe what the Cayenne once did for Porsche: fund the dream machines by selling something more practical.
All eyes now turn to September 23, when we learn whether the Torcal looks as dramatic as the rocks it’s named after.
Source: Just Auto
