BrandsBentley’s First EV Is Called Torcal — Reveal Set for September 23
Official teaser image of the Bentley Torcal. | © Bentley Motors
Bentley has been calling its first electric car the “Urban SUV” for the better part of two years. That changes today. The car now has a name — Torcal — a first official teaser image, and a confirmed reveal date of September 23 in London. It is Bentley’s fourth standalone model line, its first fully electric vehicle in 107 years of production, and it will sit below the Bentayga in size rather than replace it.
The name Torcal is not arbitrary. El Torcal de Antequera is a nature reserve in Andalusia, southern Spain — a dramatic limestone landscape of stacked rock formations, cliffs and natural labyrinths carved by millions of years of erosion. It is one of the most visually striking natural environments in Europe and one of the best-preserved karst landscapes anywhere in the world. Bentley says the name also traces to the Latin torquere, meaning to twist, which is the root of the modern English word torque — implying effortless progression, a quality the brand has associated with itself across its entire history.
The name was not Barnato, which many had predicted. That would have referenced Woolf Barnato, the racing driver who won Le Mans three consecutive times between 1928 and 1930 while also serving as Bentley’s chairman during its most celebrated period. Bentley instead chose geography over heritage, following the pattern already established by the Bentayga (named after a volcanic rock formation in the Canary Islands), the Bacalar and the Batur.
Bentley is keeping the full specification under wraps until September, but several details have been confirmed. The Torcal is a fully electric luxury SUV — no combustion or hybrid option will be offered, and Bentley has confirmed this explicitly. It measures under five metres in length, placing it below the Bentayga in overall size, and it will be sold alongside the Bentayga rather than replacing it. The Torcal becomes Bentley’s fourth standalone model line, joining the Continental GT, Flying Spur and Bentayga.
The teaser image released today shows the rear of the car — a section of tailgate revealing thin LED tail lights with intricate cut-glass detailing, a new Bentley badge positioned centrally between them, and a frosted silver paint finish. The rounded tailgate curve and a hint of aero-friendly glasshouse surrounds are the only design details visible. Spy shots taken over the past 18 months show a svelte, relatively upright SUV with frameless windows, gutterless door skins and elegant shut lines — a more delicate design than the Bentayga with what insiders describe as a closer connection to traditional Bentley heritage, specifically the Continental R, T and Brooklands models of the late 1980s through early 2000s.
Bentley has not confirmed technical specifications ahead of the September reveal, but the platform is no secret. The Torcal rides on the Volkswagen Group’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE) — the same architecture underpinning the Porsche Cayenne Electric. That platform offers significant flexibility: in the Cayenne Electric, it delivers a 113 kWh battery, WLTP range of up to approximately 400 miles, support for 400kW DC fast charging (10–80 percent in under 16 minutes), and power outputs ranging from a base dual-motor setup to a top-spec unit producing over 1,100 horsepower. Whether Bentley applies the same power ceiling or dials it differently for the Torcal’s character — which is expected to prioritise ride quality and refinement over outright performance — will not be known until September.
The Torcal will not offer any combustion engine option. Bentley has been unambiguous on this point. For customers who prefer combustion or plug-in hybrid power, the Bentayga continues alongside it — and Bentley has confirmed a next-generation Bentayga is coming later this decade with petrol power continuing.
| Official Name | Bentley Torcal |
| Name Origin | El Torcal de Antequera, Andalusia, Spain |
| Name Etymology | Latin torquere — to twist; root of word "torque" |
| Vehicle Type | Fully electric luxury SUV |
| Position in Lineup | Below Bentayga — 4th standalone model line |
| Length | Under 5 metres (confirmed) |
| Powertrain Options | Electric only — no combustion or PHEV |
| Platform | VW Group PPE (Premium Platform Electric) |
| Sister Model | Porsche Cayenne Electric (PPE platform) |
| Expected Battery | ~113 kWh (from PPE platform) |
| Expected Range | 300+ miles WLTP (est.) |
| Expected Charging | 400kW DC — 10–80% in under 16 minutes (est.) |
| Expected Power (top spec) | Up to ~1,100+ hp (PPE platform ceiling) |
| Design Preview | Thin LED tail lights with cut-glass elements, frosted silver paint |
| Design Influence | EXP 15 concept + traditional Bentley heritage |
| Official Reveal | September 23, 2026 — London |
| Market Arrival | Autumn 2026 |
| Replaces | Nothing — sold alongside Bentayga |
| Price | Not yet confirmed |
For 107 years Bentleys have been the most incredibly complete cars — effortless performance, outstanding comfort, exquisite British handcraftsmanship using the best natural materials and a soundtrack with soul. Our new Torcal sets extraordinary benchmarks in every area that matters, and may just be the most considered car in our history.
— Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, CEO, Bentley MotorsThe Torcal represents something more than just a new model for Bentley. It is the first production EV in the brand’s 107-year history — a history built entirely on combustion engines, from the supercharged 4.5-litre Blower Bentley of the 1920s to the twin-turbocharged W12 that powered the Continental GT from 2003. Every version of every Bentley ever sold has had an internal combustion engine. The Torcal ends that. It is also the result of a significantly recalibrated electrification plan: Bentley originally committed to being fully electric by 2030, revised that target to 2035 in 2024, and has structured the Torcal as an addition to the range rather than a replacement for it — meaning combustion models continue in parallel for the foreseeable future.
Early customer response suggests genuine demand. Bentley North America CEO Mike Rocco confirmed that during closed-door previews held in Miami and Los Angeles earlier this year, 80 percent of attendees said they would consider buying the Torcal. Whether that translates to actual orders will be answered from September 23 onwards. For a brand selling roughly 14,000 cars per year globally, the Torcal doesn’t need to be a volume product to be a success. It needs to attract new customers to the Flying B without alienating existing ones. Based on what Bentley has revealed today, that appears to be precisely the balance it has been trying to strike.
The name Torcal is well-chosen — it balances natural heritage with the torque reference in a way that feels considered rather than forced, and it follows an established Bentley naming pattern without being predictable. The September 23 reveal date gives the brand a clear and imminent moment to deliver on two years of “Urban SUV” promises. What remains genuinely unknown is how Bentley has tuned the PPE platform for its character: whether the Torcal will feel like a Cayenne Electric in a Bentley suit, or whether the brand has done enough work at the suspension, steering, noise isolation and interior levels to make it feel genuinely different from its Volkswagen Group cousin. That question — and the price question — will define whether the Torcal succeeds. For now, Bentley has delivered what was needed: a name, a face and a date. The rest follows in September.